Latest Zilliqa (ZIL) News Update

By CMC AI
21 January 2026 01:40PM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on ZIL?

TLDR

Zilliqa's recent news shows a focus on ecosystem expansion and technical upgrades, even as its price faces headwinds. Here are the latest developments:

  1. Rarible Partnership Launch (3 December 2025) – A $10,000 incentive pool aims to boost NFT activity on the network.

  2. Mainnet 0.19.0 Hard Fork (17 November 2025) – The upgrade introduced faster unstaking and stricter penalties for validators.

  3. Trading Momentum Noted (15 January 2026) – A social media analyst highlighted a 42% volume spike and bullish technical outlook.

Deep Dive

1. Rarible Partnership Launch (3 December 2025)

Overview: Zilliqa announced a partnership with the NFT marketplace Rarible, launching with a $10,000 incentive pool. The promotion was structured as a raffle where every transaction during the launch week acted as a ticket, with 160 winners. What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it represents a direct effort to grow its NFT ecosystem and user engagement, potentially driving increased network transaction volume and utility. (Zilliqa)

2. Mainnet 0.19.0 Hard Fork (17 November 2025)

Overview: The network successfully executed the 0.19.0 hard fork, a key part of the Zilliqa 2.0 migration. The upgrade reduced the stake unbonding period from 14 to 7 days for more flexibility and introduced "jailing" for faulty validators to improve network liveness and security. What this means: This is a neutral-to-bullish technical improvement. It enhances the staking experience and network reliability, which could support long-term adoption, though the immediate price impact was muted as ZIL traded below key moving averages. (CCN)

3. Trading Momentum Noted (15 January 2026)

Overview: A crypto analyst on social media pointed to a 42% spike in ZIL's trading volume and a 3-4% price increase, citing the completion of Zilliqa 2.0's EVM-compatible infrastructure. The post argued the coin was "massively undervalued" with a market cap near $103 million. What this means: This reflects a bullish narrative gaining traction among traders, linking ZIL's recent technical overhaul to potential price appreciation, though it remains dependent on sustained market interest. (Alex Santos)

Conclusion

Zilliqa is actively executing its roadmap with meaningful partnerships and core protocol upgrades, aiming to transition from a rebuilding phase to renewed growth. Will developer adoption and NFT activity on Rarible translate into sustained network demand for ZIL?

What are people saying about ZIL?

TLDR

ZIL chatter is a mix of technical optimism and cautious realism, with traders eyeing a potential breakout. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. A recent surge in volume and price is sparking talk of ZIL being massively undervalued ahead of its full Zilliqa 2.0 rollout.

  2. The official team is broadcasting major infrastructure wins, like a successful migration to Proof-of-Stake and EVM compatibility.

  3. Chart analysts are highlighting a rare bullish divergence, suggesting a multi-year downtrend could be ending.

Deep Dive

1. @alexsantos_xyz: Recent momentum and undervaluation thesis bullish

"$ZIL is showing serious momentum+42% volume spike, price up 3–4%. With Zilliqa 2.0 (EVM, X-shards, smart accounts) rolling out and market cap just ~$103M, $ZIL looks massively undervalued." – @alexsantos_xyz (257 followers · 15 Jan 2026 20:14 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it frames recent price action as a fundamental re-rating, linking technical momentum to the low market cap and the upcoming feature set of Zilliqa 2.0, which could attract new capital.

2. @zilliqa: Showcasing post-upgrade performance gains bullish

"One month ago, we shipped more than an upgrade... Block time: 30s → 1.5s. Finality: minutes → 5 seconds... Over 2 billion ZIL staked." – @zilliqa (457.6K followers · 28 Jul 2025 15:44 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it provides tangible evidence of the network's improved utility (speed, efficiency) and strong stakeholder commitment (high staking participation), which are critical for long-term adoption and value.

3. @MisterSpread: Community-driven altcoin analysis neutral

"GM altcoin fans... Write your favorite from the list in the comments below... ZIL..." – @MisterSpread (67.4K followers · 20 Oct 2025 13:01 UTC) View original post What this means: This is neutral for ZIL as it indicates sustained community and analyst interest, keeping the coin in broader altcoin conversations, though it doesn't imply a specific price direction.

Conclusion

The consensus on ZIL is mixed but leaning bullish, balancing excitement over its technical overhaul and low valuation against the reality of its prolonged bear market. The narrative hinges on whether Zilliqa 2.0's promised scalability can translate into sustained developer activity and user growth. Watch the 24-hour trading volume for confirmation of whether the recent spike in interest is fleeting or the start of a new accumulation phase.

What is next on ZIL’s roadmap?

TLDR

Zilliqa’s roadmap focuses on scaling, compliance, and ecosystem growth post-Zilliqa 2.0 mainnet launch.

  1. Carnelian Upgrade (Q1 2026) – Native Smart Accounts & X-Shard improvements.

  2. Citrine Upgrade (Mid-2026) – Light clients and enhanced smart accounts.

  3. Ecosystem Incentives – Ongoing developer grants and partnerships.


Deep Dive

1. Carnelian Upgrade (Q1 2026)

Overview
Carnelian, the next mainnet upgrade, will introduce Native Smart Accounts compatible with ERC-4337 standards. This allows programmable wallets with features like multi-factor authentication and gasless transactions. It also refines X-Shards – customizable shards for app-specific scaling and privacy.

What this means
Bullish: Enhances user experience for regulated DeFi and institutional use cases. Bearish: Delays in implementation could slow developer adoption.

2. Citrine Upgrade (Mid-2026)

Overview
Citrine focuses on light client support, enabling mobile/low-resource nodes to participate in consensus. It also upgrades Smart Accounts for selective data disclosure (e.g., KYC-compliant privacy).

What this means
Bullish: Expands network accessibility and compliance tools. Neutral: Impact depends on regulatory clarity for privacy features.

3. Ecosystem Incentives (Ongoing)

Overview
- GZIL Collective Grants: Season 2 funding for developers (applications open Q1 2026).
- Rarible Partnership: Post-launch incentives for NFT creators (e.g., $10K liquidity pools).

What this means
Bullish: Could boost dApp diversity and user activity. Risk: Market saturation in NFT platforms may limit traction.


Conclusion

Zilliqa’s roadmap prioritizes infrastructure for regulated finance (Smart Accounts) and scalable modularity (X-Shards). While technical milestones are ambitious, execution risks and competition in EVM-compatible chains remain hurdles. Will developer incentives and compliance-ready features attract institutional capital?

What is the latest update in ZIL’s codebase?

TLDR

Zilliqa's latest codebase update focuses on enhancing network stability and validator accountability.

  1. Mainnet Upgrade (17 November 2025) – Introduced 7-day stake unbonding and validator jailing for improved liveness.

  2. XCAD Issue Fix (Planned for Nov/Dec 2025) – Postponed patch for Dxcad/Xcad compatibility issues.

Deep Dive

1. Mainnet Upgrade (17 November 2025)

Overview: This mandatory hard fork at block 13514400 implemented two key changes: a 7-day unbonding period for staked ZIL and a "jailing" mechanism for faulty validators. These adjustments provide stakers more flexibility while penalizing unreliable proposers.
What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it enhances network reliability and staker experience. The jailing mechanism discourages malicious behavior, potentially increasing trust in the network’s security. Stakers benefit from predictable withdrawal timelines without immediate liquidity locks.

(Zilliqa)

2. XCAD Issue Fix (Planned for Nov/Dec 2025)

Overview: A fix for compatibility issues with Dxcad/Xcad tokens was deferred to v0.19.1 or v0.20.0. The delay prioritizes the mainnet upgrade’s tight schedule but addresses critical interoperability gaps.
What this means: This is neutral for ZIL as it temporarily delays ecosystem improvements but maintains development momentum. Once deployed, it will resolve token integration pain points, benefiting projects built on Zilliqa.

(XCAD Network)

Conclusion

The v0.19.0 upgrade strengthens Zilliqa’s Proof-of-Stake foundations, while planned token fixes aim to bolster dApp compatibility. How might these updates influence validator participation rates in Q1 2026?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.