ZetaChain: Pioneering a New Era of Cross-Chain Interoperability

In the wave of the multi-chain era, numerous public chains have emerged, but the liquidity retreat has led to the depletion of funds for some public chains. Some public chains rely on cross-chain bridges to introduce assets, and when security issues arise with these bridges, their ecosystems suffer severe blows, ringing alarm bells for the industry.

In this context, ZetaChain has emerged. As a forward-looking full-chain interoperability platform, it is committed to addressing the fragmentation and limitations within the existing blockchain ecosystem. By seamlessly connecting assets and data across different blockchain networks, ZetaChain opens up new possibilities for the development and operation of decentralized applications.

The core team of ZetaChain brings together senior industry leaders from well-known companies in the field. These team members translate their extensive experience in the Web3 space and deep insights into market demands into the core technology and strategic direction of ZetaChain. Their shared vision is to create a blockchain that can serve as a passport to the Web3 world, thereby simplifying and accelerating the development of decentralized applications and user experiences.

In the history of blockchain development, interoperability has always been a core issue. ZetaChain not only provides innovative solutions technically, but also innovates standards in implementation. Through its unique multi-party computation system and threshold signature scheme, ZetaChain achieves interoperability with traditional non-smart contract chains such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin.

ZetaChain is committed to becoming a true full-chain interoperability and asset transfer platform, achieving this goal by providing full-chain accounts. The following is an in-depth interview with the ZetaChain team, revealing how this project is transforming the decentralized ecosystem in the Web3 era.

Core Contributors of ZetaChain and Their Experience

The core contributors of ZetaChain recognized the necessity of building ZetaChain and the concept of the "only blockchain needed" after participating in multiple Web3 projects. Currently, developers of decentralized applications face complexity issues when building products for multiple chains, and this step is crucial for seizing opportunities in the Web3 market. They also need to consider how to ensure that products can adapt to future technological developments and changes. ZetaChain not only addresses these issues but also simplifies the user experience. These challenges stem directly from the team's previous work experience in the crypto industry.

The Universal Interoperability Implementation of ZetaChain

ZetaChain adopts a multi-party computation system, where each signature validator holds a part of the private key. On each connected chain, there is an account derived from this private key. Using the threshold signature scheme (TSS), validators can sign transactions from this TSS account. Since the TSS account is a conventional external account, it does not require executing smart contract logic on the connected chain, which allows for interoperability even with chains like Bitcoin that lack smart contract support.

Tokens transferred to the TSS address on the connecting chain will become ZRC-20 wrapped tokens on ZetaChain. Withdrawing ZRC-20 from ZetaChain to the connecting chain will trigger a token transfer from the TSS address to the recipient.

Advantages of Omnichain Technology

Omnichain contracts allow DApp developers to create DApps that can accept inputs from any connected chain and trigger outputs to any connected chain. Compared to cross-chain messaging, the advantage of Omnichain lies in its simpler architecture, as it does not require the deployment and management of numerous contracts across different chains. Omnichain also enables interoperability on non-smart contract chains, effectively providing users of these chains with a way to construct Omnichain smart contracts.

Features of the ZetaEVM Module

ZetaChain uses the Ethermint Cosmos SDK module, providing full EVM compatibility. In terms of single-chain performance and security, ZetaChain is comparable to other Cosmos blockchains that use the same EVM module. To achieve Omnichain functionality, the ZetaChain team developed a custom Cosmos SDK module, EVM contracts, and an off-chain observer called zetaclient, which together enhance the Omnichain capabilities of conventional EVM contracts.

The Multi-Chain Functionality of ZetaChain

ZetaChain does not require a third-party cross-chain bridge, as its own mechanism provides cross-chain messaging and token transfer capabilities. ZetaChain focuses on moving native, non-wrapped assets between different chains, allowing users to receive native tokens on the target chain. This method is safer because once the cross-chain transfer is completed, users no longer rely on ZetaChain to transfer assets back to the original chain.

Although there are indeed ZRC-20 wrapped tokens on ZetaChain that represent assets transferred from connected chains, these wrapped tokens only exist during the transaction process for operations such as cross-chain trading, and end users do not directly interact with them.

Advantages of Technology Selection

ZetaChain adopts the Comet BFT consensus engine, providing instant transaction finality, high throughput, and reliability. The Cosmos SDK offers developers a range of ready-made building blocks, such as staking modules, governance modules, and EVM-compatible layers. The modular nature of the Cosmos SDK enables the ZetaChain protocol team to develop modules that implement cross-chain messaging and support for Omnichain contracts with fungible tokens.

Strategies to Attract Users and Developers

ZetaChain believes that for developers looking to build Web3 applications and services, choosing which chain to launch a product on is very challenging, and the process of expanding to other chains is equally complex. ZetaChain resonates within the global developer community by building a vision of a single chain that can access all other chains. The team actively builds relationships with developers by participating in various events, organizing hackathons, and publishing development documentation to help them build applications. ZetaChain has fostered close relationships with developers, proactively seeking their feedback and suggestions. Additionally, an ecosystem bonus program has been established to support promising developers in making Omnichain-related innovations on ZetaChain.

Ecological Planning and Key Focus Areas

ZetaChain initially focused on DeFi projects due to the strong demand observed from users and developers in this field. Despite being in a bear market environment, the DeFi sector continues to maintain a strong development momentum, with robust demand for multi-chain expansion and growth. At the same time, ZetaChain also collaborates extensively with developers and DApps across various industries, including gaming, NFTs, social finance, and payments.

Asia Community Strategy

Asia remains the core region of Web3. ZetaChain is proud of the community established in Asia and their enthusiasm for the platform. The team collaborates with local ambassadors and communities and regularly participates in key events to ensure they stay connected and responsive to the needs of developers and local communities.

Mainnet Launch and Possible Airdrop

As for the specific time of the mainnet launch, ZetaChain is currently unable to provide detailed information. It is recommended to follow and subscribe to their social media accounts to ensure timely updates on the latest news and announcements.