Zano to Launch Trustless Bridge to EVM, Solana, TON

Zano plans to add a trustless, noncustodial bridge that will make native ZANO usable on EVM networks, Solana and TON. The capability is scheduled as part of Hard Fork 6, which the project targets for Q2 2026.

Hard Fork 6 introduces a new account-based address type called Gateway Addresses. When a user bridges native ZANO, the protocol locks tokens inside a Gateway Address on the Zano chain. The bridging system then mints an equivalent wZANO token or matching asset on the destination chain and sends it to the user’s wallet.

To return funds to Zano, users must burn the wZANO on the destination chain, which triggers the protocol to unlock the original native ZANO on the Zano mainnet.

Cross-chain operations will rely on cryptographic threshold signatures and a decentralized set of validators using Delegated Proof of Stake. A predefined group of validators must cooperate to sign transfers, and no single validator will hold the complete private key required to move funds. Smart contracts on EVM, Solana and TON will manage deposits and withdrawals on their respective chains.

Today’s wrapped token, an ERC-20 called wZANO, has been issued on centralized infrastructure managed by the Zano core team. Hard Fork 6 will replace that custodial arrangement with protocol-level locking and minting so that every circulating wZANO is backed 1:1 by native ZANO secured under the threshold-signature model.

Zano plans to launch wZANO on Base. Tokens in Base can be purchased with fiat through the Coinbase app, withdrawn to a wallet and then bridged to native ZANO. As a standard ERC-20, wZANO can be listed on exchanges and used in decentralized finance applications such as lending protocols and liquidity pools.

Gateway Addresses are transparent by design, so amounts moving through them are visible onchain. Sender identity on Zano remains protected by stealth addresses and ring signatures, which hide which output was spent. Once funds are bridged to a public chain, wZANO balances are visible like any other token on that chain; the privacy protections of native ZANO return only after bridging back.

The Bridgeless protocol is in an alpha proof-of-concept stage. A testnet for Gateway Addresses is already running ahead of the target Hard Fork 6. The BRIDGE token intended for protocol governance has not yet been listed. Zano indicated that bridging access will be available through the Confidential Layer website and app once the system moves beyond testing. Zano stated, “For the first time, native ZANO and Confidential Assets supported by Bridgeless will be bridgeable to EVM networks, TON and Solana through a noncustodial, trustless mechanism.”

Native ZANO has been rejected by several major exchanges because default transaction privacy prevents transparent balances. The project is positioning wZANO as a transparent alternative that can meet exchange and DeFi requirements while allowing users to move funds back to the private native chain when needed.