ZetaChain token migration vote could halt its blockchain on December 9

ZetaChain has proposed permanently halting its Layer 1 blockchain on December 9, 2026, and moving native ZETA to Solana. The ZetaChain token migration requires approval in a governance vote closing November 7, with a private AI platform, ZetaLabs, scheduled to launch alongside the move.

Key takeaways

• The migration vote ends November 7, 2026, at 16:12 UTC.
• Approval would enable a one-for-one conversion of native ZETA into Solana tokens.
• Individual portal claims require at least 10 ZETA.
• The proposal schedules approximately 55 million ZETA for burning during 2027.

ZetaChain token migration: vote, shutdown and supply changes

Governance Proposal 2, announced November 4, sets the implementation terms for the shutdown and conversion. The 72-hour vote follows a September decision in which 99.4% of participating votes backed moving ZETA to Solana, leaving implementation for a separate proposal.

“Nothing moves until it passes,” the ZetaChain team said. If the vote fails, September’s decision would stand, but implementation would require a revised proposal.

The proposed snapshot at block 20,755,000, expected around December 9, would capture liquid balances, staked and unbonding holdings, and unclaimed staking rewards. The blockchain would stop producing blocks permanently at that height.

The ZetaChain Foundation would issue matching SPL tokens on Solana at a 1:1 ratio, retaining the ZETA ticker without expanding the existing supply. After minting the snapshot amount, it would relinquish minting authority. The token would use nine decimal places and have no freeze authority. Ethereum-issued ERC-20 ZETA would remain unaffected.

Validator rewards and vesting

The proposal would burn approximately 55 million ZETA in undistributed validator rewards through 12 monthly transactions in 2027. Each would remove roughly 4.6 million tokens; the final total would reflect rewards distributed before the shutdown.

Maximum supply would shrink as a result of the burns, and inflation linked to the decommissioned validator network would cease. The vesting schedule for purchasers and core contributors is set to conclude on January 1, 2027. The foundation has also committed to not selling newly released tokens from specified foundation-controlled allocations during 2027.

How holders would claim tokens

The ZetaChain token migration would offer eligible holders fee-free claims through ZetaHub beginning December 9, subject to the portal’s audit requirements. Addresses holding fewer than 10 ZETA at the snapshot would not qualify for individual claims.

Users would connect their existing wallets and sign a message specifying a receiving Solana wallet. Exchange-held balances would follow each platform’s conversion arrangements and schedules.

Staked and unbonding holdings, including accumulated rewards, would be recorded automatically without requiring withdrawal. ZetaChain has instructed users to exit liquidity pools and wrapped-token contracts before the snapshot, since individual claims cannot retrieve contract-held tokens. ZRC-20 assets would become claimable on their original networks, with a minimum value of $5 per token.

Hacken is auditing the portal and its supporting program. ZetaChain says access will open only after the review concludes and its findings are published.

ZetaLabs plans private AI services on Solana

ZetaLabs is planned for December 9 alongside the proposed migration, as ZetaChain shifts development toward private AI applications on Solana. The project has cited validator coordination, software upkeep and security work as requirements of operating its own blockchain.

The application builds on Anuma Chat, which ZetaChain says has operated since February 2026. Initial tools include Chat for market research, Radar for market tracking, Bloom for encrypted transaction history, and a supply-and-burn dashboard.

Payments would support ZETA, USDC and cards. By locking ZETA, users would gain access to premium features planned for the first quarter of 2027. Additionally, the roadmap includes research tools, explanations of transactions, and integrations that allow third-party applications to access user-authorized information.

The proposal commits ZetaChain to operating an archive node through at least October 31, 2027, preserving access to historical records after the planned shutdown.

Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.