Latest Zilliqa (ZIL) News Update

By CMC AI
19 February 2026 01:31PM (UTC+0)

What are people saying about ZIL?

TLDR

ZIL chatter swings between undervalued tech bets and recent price whiplash. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. A trader flags ZIL's low market cap and Zilliqa 2.0 rollout as a sign of massive undervaluation.

  2. Technical analysis from last summer points to a bullish double-bottom pattern forming.

  3. Recent market data shows ZIL as both a top daily gainer and loser, highlighting volatility.

Deep Dive

1. @alexsantos_xyz: Spotting undervaluation during Zilliqa 2.0 rollout bullish

"$ZIL is showing serious momentum+42% volume spike, price up 3–4%... market cap just ~$103M, $ZIL looks massively undervalued. If this volume holds, $0.01+ is in play." – @alexsantos_xyz (261 followers · 15 January 2026 20:14 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it ties short-term price momentum and increased trading volume to the fundamental upgrade of Zilliqa 2.0, suggesting trader conviction that the network's new features are not yet reflected in its valuation.

2. CoinMarketCap Community: Technical analysis identifies a double-bottom pattern bullish

"ZIL analysis: The price has formed a double bottom pattern and is now gradually moving towards the resistance area... if it breaks above that, it will signal a #bullish trend." – CoinMarketCap Community (13 August 2025 19:23 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for ZIL as the double-bottom is a classic chart pattern suggesting a potential reversal from a downtrend, with a break above resistance seen as confirmation for further upward movement.

3. @WhisprNews: Tracking ZIL's sharp daily price swings mixed

Posts on 4 Feb 2026 show "$ZIL +10.84%" as a top DeFi gainer, and on 10 Feb 2026 show "$ZIL -7.02%" as a top loser. – @WhisprNews (3,732 followers · 4 & 10 February 2026 UTC) View original post - Gain | View original post - Loss What this means: This is neutral for ZIL, reflecting high short-term volatility and a lack of consistent directional momentum; it shows the token remains highly reactive to daily market flows rather than trending steadily.

Conclusion

The consensus on ZIL is mixed, balancing long-term optimism on its Zilliqa 2.0 upgrade against short-term price volatility and market uncertainty. Watch for sustained increases in daily trading volume as a key signal that the bullish technical and fundamental narratives are gaining traction.

What is the latest news on ZIL?

TLDR

Zilliqa is showing technical momentum from a major upgrade, but broader market headwinds are applying pressure. Here are the latest news:

  1. ZIL Price Surge Follows Network Upgrade (3 February 2026) – ZIL rallied over 70% after confirming a major hard fork scheduled for 5 February 2026.

  2. ZIL Highlighted as Post-Crash Top Performer (3 February 2026) – Analysts named ZIL a top crypto to watch following its 70% surge and institutional validator news.

  3. Technical Analysis Flags ZIL in Bearish Phase (9 February 2026) – A market signal noted ZIL's significant price increase lacked confirmation, keeping it in a bearish trend.

Deep Dive

1. ZIL Price Surge Follows Network Upgrade (3 February 2026)

Overview: ZIL's price exploded over 70% on 3 February 2026, driven by the confirmation of node v0.20.0, a major network upgrade aligning Zilliqa with modern EVM standards and scheduling a hard fork for 5 February 2026. The upgrade enhances smart-contract compatibility and adds a Liechtenstein state-linked trust as a validator, boosting institutional credibility. Derivatives data showed open interest soaring 922% and futures volume up 4585%, indicating strong new speculative interest.

What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it signals renewed developer and institutional confidence in the network's roadmap, translating into immediate, powerful market demand. However, sustaining gains requires the upgrade to deliver on its promises of better scalability and tooling. (Bitget)

2. ZIL Highlighted as Post-Crash Top Performer (3 February 2026)

Overview: Following a broader market downturn, ZIL was featured in analyst watchlists as a standout performer, having jumped more than 70% after its node v0.20.0 release. The article cited the upcoming hard fork and the Liechtenstein validator as key catalysts, with a price target of $0.0100 becoming realistic as ZIL reclaimed major technical averages.

What this means: This is positive for ZIL as it draws attention to its relative strength during a weak market period, potentially attracting momentum traders. It underscores that project-specific developments can decouple price action from broader crypto sentiment, at least temporarily. (Bitget)

3. Technical Analysis Flags ZIL in Bearish Phase (9 February 2026)

Overview: An Indodax market signal from 9 February 2026 noted that ZIL saw a significant price increase but remained in a bearish phase because the move lacked a confirming candle. The analysis placed ZIL among highlighted bearish crypto assets, suggesting the rally needed more validation to signal a sustained trend reversal.

What this means: This presents a cautious counterpoint, indicating that from a pure chart perspective, the recent surge hasn't yet overturned the prevailing bearish structure. It suggests traders should watch for a confirmed breakout above key resistance with sustained volume to validate the bullish momentum. (Indodax)

Conclusion

Zilliqa's trajectory is currently defined by a clash between strong project-specific upgrades and a challenging macro environment. The key question now is whether the technical improvements from Zilliqa 2.0 can drive enough developer adoption to create lasting demand and overcome the prevailing bearish market structure.

What is next on ZIL’s roadmap?

TLDR

Zilliqa's development continues with these milestones:

  1. Network Hard Fork (5 February 2026) – Activates Cancun EVM support and QUIC networking for faster, more compatible infrastructure.

  2. Strategic Initiative Rollouts (2026) – Advances cross-chain utility, on-chain identity (vLEI), and global stablecoin flow partnerships.

  3. Onyx & Carnelian Upgrades (Future) – Introduces modular X-shards for scaling and ERC-4337-style Smart Accounts for better user experience.

Deep Dive

1. Network Hard Fork (5 February 2026)

Overview: The next confirmed technical milestone is a mainnet hard fork scheduled for February 5, 2026. This upgrade, enabled by the recently released node software v0.20.0, introduces support for the Cancun version of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This ensures full compatibility with modern Ethereum developer tools and smart contracts. It also implements a faster QUIC-based networking protocol to improve communication speed between nodes (Zilliqa).

What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it directly enhances the network's appeal to Ethereum developers, potentially increasing dApp deployment and usage. The technical upgrade is a necessary step to remain competitive among EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchains.

2. Strategic Initiative Rollouts (2026)

Overview: Parallel to core protocol development, Zilliqa is advancing several strategic tracks aimed at institutional adoption. Key initiatives include forging cross-chain utility partnerships in gaming and DeFi, progressing the Verifiable Legal Entity Identifier (vLEI) standard for on-chain KYC, and designing systems for global stablecoin flows with payment industry partners (Zilliqa).

What this means: This is neutral to bullish for ZIL, as success in these areas could unlock significant new use cases and enterprise demand. However, these are complex, partnership-dependent ventures with long timelines and high execution risk, meaning tangible impact may take considerable time.

3. Onyx & Carnelian Upgrades (Future)

Overview: The long-term vision for Zilliqa 2.0 includes the Onyx and Carnelian mainnet upgrades. Onyx will introduce customizable X-shards, enabling modular scaling where applications can have dedicated chains with tailored consensus rules. Carnelian will launch Native Smart Accounts with features like social logins and gasless transactions, similar to Ethereum's ERC-4337 standard (Zilliqa).

What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because these features address two major blockchain challenges: scalable throughput and user-friendly onboarding. If delivered, they could significantly improve Zilliqa's utility for regulated DeFi and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, key growth areas in crypto.

Conclusion

Zilliqa's roadmap blends immediate technical upgrades with a long-term pivot toward becoming a compliant, institution-ready blockchain. The upcoming hard fork is a critical step, but the project's future value hinges on executing its broader vision for modular scaling and regulated finance. Will Zilliqa's focus on institutional infrastructure attract the developer activity needed to drive its next growth phase?

What is the latest update in ZIL’s codebase?

TLDR

Zilliqa's codebase has undergone major protocol upgrades, transitioning to a modern, Ethereum-compatible architecture.

  1. Mainnet v0.19.0 Hardfork (November 2025) – Introduces a 7-day stake unbonding period and jails faulty validators to improve network liveness.

  2. Zilliqa 2.0 Mainnet Launch (June 2025) – A complete protocol overhaul enabling full EVM compatibility and a shift to Proof-of-Stake consensus.

  3. The Graph Subgraph Integration (August 2025) – Allows developers to build indexed data queries for faster dApp frontends.

Deep Dive

1. Mainnet v0.19.0 Hardfork (November 2025)

Overview: This mandatory hardfork introduces key changes to Zilliqa's staking mechanics and validator accountability. It directly impacts how users manage their staked tokens and how the network maintains stability.

The upgrade enforces a 7-day unbonding period for unstaking ZIL, giving stakers more flexibility while preventing rapid liquidity shifts. It also implements "jailing" for faulty proposers, meaning validators who fail to perform their duties are temporarily removed from the active set. This mechanism is designed to improve overall network liveness and reliability by penalizing poor performance.

What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it makes the network more robust and secure for everyone. Stakers get clearer rules for managing their funds, and the network becomes more reliable as underperforming validators are held accountable. (Zilliqa)

2. Zilliqa 2.0 Mainnet Launch (June 2025)

Overview: This was a transformative upgrade that rebuilt Zilliqa's foundation from scratch. It shifted the network from an energy-intensive Proof-of-Work system to an efficient Proof-of-Stake model and made it fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

The new architecture is modular, featuring components like customizable x-shards for scaling and cross-chain communication. Performance metrics improved dramatically: block time dropped from 30 seconds to 1.5 seconds, and transaction finality was reduced from minutes to about 5 seconds. The upgrade also included revised tokenomics and a new staking portal.

What this means: This is extremely bullish for ZIL because it makes the blockchain faster, cheaper, and far more accessible to developers. Builders can now use popular Ethereum tools like MetaMask and Solidity to deploy applications on Zilliqa, tapping into its high-speed, low-cost infrastructure. (CoinMarketCap)

3. The Graph Subgraph Integration (August 2025)

Overview: This integration brought Zilliqa into The Graph's Subgraph Studio, providing a crucial tool for decentralized application development. It allows developers to create custom data indexes (subgraphs) for information stored on the Zilliqa blockchain.

By using subgraphs, developers can build dApp frontends that query blockchain data efficiently without running a full node. This solves a major pain point in Web3 development, enabling faster and more responsive user experiences for applications like DeFi protocols and NFT marketplaces.

What this means: This is bullish for ZIL because it significantly lowers the barrier to building sophisticated applications on its network. Developers can create better user experiences more easily, which could attract more projects and users to the Zilliqa ecosystem. (The Graph)

Conclusion

Zilliqa's development trajectory is defined by its successful transition to a modern, developer-friendly Layer 1 with Zilliqa 2.0, followed by continuous refinements to staking and developer tools. The focus on EVM compatibility, performance, and institutional readiness positions it for broader adoption. Will the upcoming rollout of smart accounts and x-shards catalyze the next wave of ecosystem growth?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.