Latest Zilliqa (ZIL) News Update

By CMC AI
03 January 2026 04:36PM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on ZIL?

TLDR

Zilliqa navigates bearish tides with infrastructure upgrades and strategic partnerships. Here are the latest moves:

  1. StraitsX Stablecoins on Solana (16 December 2025) – XSGD/XUSD expands to Solana, boosting ZIL’s interoperability.

  2. Rarible NFT Incentive Launch (26 November 2025) – $10K rewards pool targets NFT activity on Zilliqa.

  3. Mainnet 0.19.0 Upgrade (17 November 2025) – Faster unstaking and validator penalties enhance network security.

Deep Dive

1. StraitsX Stablecoins on Solana (16 December 2025)

Overview: Singapore-licensed StraitsX will deploy its MAS-compliant XSGD and XUSD stablecoins on Solana by early 2026, extending Zilliqa’s existing support for XSGD. The integration aims to unify CEX liquidity, AMM pools, and payments on a single chain, leveraging Solana’s speed and Zilliqa’s EVM compatibility.
What this means: This is neutral for ZIL, as it strengthens cross-chain utility but doesn’t directly increase ZIL demand. However, it signals Zilliqa’s focus on institutional-grade infrastructure amid broader stablecoin adoption.
(CoinMarketCap)

2. Rarible NFT Incentive Launch (26 November 2025)

Overview: Zilliqa partnered with NFT marketplace Rarible to launch a $10,000 incentive program, rewarding users for transactions during the platform’s integration week. Participants earn raffle entries per transaction, with 160 winners split across tiers.
What this means: This is bullish short-term, as it could drive speculative trading and NFT volume. However, sustained demand hinges on broader market sentiment and ZIL’s ability to retain users post-campaign.
(Zilliqa)

3. Mainnet 0.19.0 Upgrade (17 November 2025)

Overview: The hard fork reduced unstaking periods from 14 to 7 days and introduced “jailing” for faulty validators, penalizing nodes that miss block proposals. The update is part of Zilliqa 2.0’s phased rollout to improve scalability and staker flexibility.
What this means: Neutral-to-bullish long-term. While shorter unstaking periods improve liquidity, ZIL’s price remained flat post-upgrade, suggesting muted trader enthusiasm. The changes prioritize network health over speculative gains.
(CCN)

Conclusion

Zilliqa’s recent moves emphasize infrastructure resilience and ecosystem growth, though price action remains disconnected from developments. With stablecoin bridges and NFT incentives, can ZIL leverage its tech upgrades to reignite investor interest in 2026?

What are people saying about ZIL?

TLDR

Zilliqa's community is buzzing with upgrade optimism and technical whispers. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. Zilliqa 2.0’s institutional pivot – EVM compatibility, staking shifts, and RWA ambitions

  2. Technical traders eye $0.044 – Bullish divergences spark 300% breakout theories

  3. 2.4B ZIL migration – Validators bet on faster blocks and greener PoS

Deep Dive

1. @zilliqa: Zilliqa 2.0’s Six-Pillar Overhaul bullish

"Proof-of-Stake, EVM compatibility, x-shards – built for real capital."
– @zilliqa (458K followers · 12.4K impressions · 2025-07-08 12:57 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because the modular architecture targets enterprise adoption (tokenized assets, compliant DeFi) while retaining Ethereum developer tools – a rare combo in L1 upgrades.

2. @graphprotocol: Subgraph Studio Integration neutral

"Build performant dApp frontends on Zilliqa with The Graph’s indexing."
– @graphprotocol (342K followers · 3.8K impressions · 2025-08-05 11:50 UTC)
View original post
What this means: Neutral-to-bullish – while this improves ZIL’s developer UX, it’s part of a broader multi-chain strategy by The Graph rather than ZIL-exclusive momentum.

3. CoinMarketCap Community: Falling Wedge Alert bullish

"ZIL approaches $0.010 support in falling wedge – long setups brewing."
– Technical analysis post (21K views · 2025-06-21 18:21 UTC)
View original post
What this means: Bullish – the pattern has preceded 100%+ rallies historically, though current Fear sentiment (CMC index: 38/100) tempers breakout conviction.

Conclusion

The consensus on ZIL is cautiously bullish, split between its institutional tech stack upgrades and lingering skepticism after a 78% annual price drop. Watch the $0.010–$0.011 zone – a sustained break above could validate both fundamental and technical narratives, while failure risks retesting 2025’s $0.0054 low. Staking metrics (2.4B ZIL migrated) suggest core holders are playing the long game.

What is the latest update in ZIL’s codebase?

TLDR

Zilliqa's codebase shows active maintenance with recent network upgrades and protocol enhancements.

  1. Mainnet v0.19.0 Upgrade (31 October 2025) – Introduced 7-day stake unbonding and validator jailing.

  2. XCAD Fix Postponement (31 October 2025) – Delayed patch for transaction issues to v0.19.1/v0.20.0.

  3. CDN & Header Validation Fixes (November 2023) – Optimized network reliability and node syncing.

Deep Dive

1. Mainnet v0.19.0 Upgrade (31 October 2025)

Overview: This mandatory update introduced a 7-day unbonding period for staked ZIL and automated penalties ("jailing") for validators failing to propose blocks.

What this means:
This is bullish for ZIL because it enhances network security by disincentivizing validator misbehavior and gives stakers more flexibility. The changes aim to stabilize staking dynamics ahead of broader institutional adoption.
(Zilliqa)


2. XCAD Fix Postponement (31 October 2025)

Overview: A critical fix for transaction failures involving XCAD tokens was deferred to a later release (v0.19.1 or v0.20.0) due to tight deadlines.

What this means:
This is neutral for ZIL as it prioritizes mainnet stability over rapid patching, but delays could temporarily affect dApps reliant on XCAD integrations. The team expects the fix within 30–45 days of the announcement.
(XCAD Network)


3. CDN & Header Validation Fixes (November 2023)

Overview: Older commits focused on optimizing Content Delivery Network (CDN) caching rules and fixing header validation logic for mining workflows.

What this means:
Though dated, these updates improved node synchronization reliability and reduced latency for decentralized applications. They laid groundwork for later scalability improvements like Zilliqa 2.0’s modular architecture.
(GitHub)

Conclusion

Zilliqa’s recent code changes emphasize validator accountability and network resilience, aligning with its shift toward enterprise-grade infrastructure. While immediate fixes are cautious, the roadmap reflects a focus on long-term stability and compliance. How will postponed updates impact developer sentiment ahead of Zilliqa 2.0’s full rollout?

What is next on ZIL’s roadmap?

TLDR

Zilliqa’s roadmap focuses on scaling, compliance, and cross-chain interoperability.

  1. Onyx Upgrade (Post-Launch) – Modular scaling via X-shards and cross-chain smart contracts.

  2. Carnelian Upgrade (Future) – ERC-4337-style smart accounts for programmable wallets.

  3. Citrine Upgrade (Future) – Light clients for mobile/low-resource nodes.


Deep Dive

1. Onyx Upgrade (Post-Launch)

Overview:
The Onyx upgrade introduces X-shards – customizable, application-specific shards that enable modular scaling. These shards can host cross-chain smart contracts and share state data, aiming to boost throughput without congesting the main chain (Zilliqa).

What this means:
- Bullish: Enhances ZIL’s utility for institutional use cases (e.g., tokenized assets) by allowing tailored compliance and privacy per shard.
- Risk: Delays in cross-chain interoperability testing could slow adoption.


2. Carnelian Upgrade (Future)

Overview:
Carnelian launches Native Smart Accounts, mimicking ERC-4337 standards to enable gasless transactions, social logins, and role-based access. This targets enterprise adoption by simplifying user onboarding (Zilliqa).

What this means:
- Bullish: Could attract regulated DeFi projects needing compliant UX.
- Neutral: Success hinges on developer adoption of Zilliqa’s EVM-compatible tools.


3. Citrine Upgrade (Future)

Overview:
Citrine adds Light Client Support, allowing mobile devices and IoT nodes to participate in consensus. This aims to broaden network accessibility while maintaining security (Zilliqa).

What this means:
- Bullish: Expands ZIL’s use cases in IoT and emerging markets with limited hardware.
- Risk: Competing L1s (e.g., Solana) already offer similar features.


Conclusion

Zilliqa’s roadmap prioritizes institutional readiness through modular scaling (X-shards), compliant smart accounts, and lightweight infrastructure. While technical milestones align with regulated DeFi trends, execution risks and competition loom. Will ZIL’s EVM compatibility and compliance focus offset its 52% price decline over 90 days?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.