Zero Network winds down L2

Zerion said on May 21 that it is winding down Zero Network, the gasless Ethereum layer-2 it launched in November 2024, and will shift resources back to its API and wallet products. The company said users’ assets remain safe during the wind-down, but directed them to move NFTs, ETH and other tokens off the network by the end of July. Bridging into Zero has already been suspended, according to the company’s announcement. The move ends a roughly 18-month attempt to make an Ethereum rollup feel invisible to end users by removing gas fees inside Zerion Wallet. ### So what exactly is being shut down? Zero Network was built by Zerion as an Ethereum layer-2 focused on gasless transactions. The company described it as the first EVM-compatible, fully gasless rollup, designed to simplify crypto use and lower one of the biggest frictions for mainstream users: paying network fees and managing gas. The network initially went live in November 2024. (theblock.co) The May 21 announcement did not say the core idea had failed outright. Instead, the Zero team said the vision behind gasless usage “remains valid,” but that maintaining a standalone blockchain was the wrong way to pursue it. It said the better path was to focus resources where they have “the greatest impact” for people already using Zerion’s products every day. (theblock.co) ### Why is Zerion pulling back now? Zerion said it is redirecting resources from the chain itself to growing Zerion’s API and wallet service. That makes the decision less a technical shutdown than a product and capital allocation choice: the company is stepping away from operating its own rollup and returning attention to software it already distributes directly to users and developers. (theblock.co) The public statement, as reported by The Block, did not give a detailed financial breakdown or usage figures behind the move. But the language was clear that the team no longer saw an independent blockchain as the best structure for delivering the user experience it wanted. ### What do users need to do now? (theblock.co) Zero Network told users to bridge any NFTs, ETH or other tokens out of the network by the end of July. Bridging into the network has already been turned off, which means the system is now in exit mode rather than growth mode. The company said user assets are safe during the transition. A separate report citing the shutdown notice said the deadline for withdrawals is July 31, 2026, after which block production will cease. That date matches multiple follow-on reports published on May 22. ### Why does this matter beyond one small rollup? (theblock.co) The Block reported that Zero joins several crypto protocols that announced closures over the previous two days, including Everclear, Syndicate Labs and Fantasy.top. In that sense, the shutdown lands during a broader stretch of retrenchment across crypto infrastructure projects. (blockonomi.com) Zero’s closure is notable because Zerion is not a new entrant. Founded in 2016, the company already operates Zerion Wallet, a self-custody wallet on mobile and browser extensions. That makes this a case where an established wallet company tested owning the chain layer and then decided its API and wallet businesses deserved the resources instead. (theblock.co) ### What is the clearest takeaway from Zerion’s own wording? The strongest signal is in Zerion’s phrasing. The team did not say users no longer wanted gasless transactions. It said the gasless vision still holds, but that a standalone blockchain was not the right vehicle. That suggests Zerion now sees more leverage in distribution software than in running the network underneath it. (theblock.co) That is an inference from the company’s statement and product shift, rather than a separately stated conclusion by Zerion. By July 31, 2026, users need to have bridged assets off Zero Network, while Zerion’s next stated focus is expanding its API and wallet products. (theblock.co)