Ark Invest and Citadel Back LayerZero’s ‘Zero’ Blockchain
Citadel Securities and ARK Invest have stepped in to support LayerZero as it launches its new blockchain project, “Zero.” The Zero blockchain is designed to bring traditional finance onto blockchain rails.
The backing of major financial giants like ARK and Citadel signals growing confidence in blockchain infrastructure built specifically for institutional use. Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood is also poised to join Zero Blockchain’s advisory board, reinforcing the project’s ambition to bridge the gap between crypto and mainstream finance.
Wall Street Giants Bet Big on Zero Blockchain
LayerZero Labs has reportedly launched its new blockchain, Zero. The platform is built to support traditional finance, bridging the gap with the blockchain space. CEO Bryan Pellegrino posits that the Zero blockchain has the potential to bring global finance onto blockchain technology.
This launch event is further bolstered by the backing of financial giants like ARK Invest and Citadel Securities. Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood is joining the Zero blockchain’s advisory board. This underscores the growing influence of blockchain technology among Wall Street behemoths.
LayerZero’s Pellegrino also noted that the Layer 1 chain has gained support from other industry giants like Google Cloud and the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). The partnership with Google Cloud is meant to connect blockchain infrastructure with cloud services, while DTCC’s involvement is expected to strengthen security, scalability, and compatibility. Intercontinental Exchange is also reportedly planning to explore the Zero blockchain’s 24/7 trading services.
Will Zero Outpace Ethereum and Solana?
Significantly, with the launch of the Zero blockchain, the network is becoming a key rival to competitors like Ethereum and Solana. LayerZero CEO Pellegrino posits that the new chain is built to perform far better than the existing blockchains. He explained that the network’s unique architecture is designed to handle a much higher volume of activity and process transactions faster. This makes it more suitable for large-scale financial use.
The company claims Zero could handle up to 2 million transactions per second. This makes its performance far better than many of the current blockchains. These capabilities are aimed at supporting heavy-use areas like trading, settlements, and other similar activities.
What Industry Leaders Say about LayerZero’s L1 Chain?
Interestingly, industry leaders have expressed their enthusiasm for the launch of the Zero blockchain. Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood stated that the project is a rare launch where finance and the internet are coming together. As a member of the Zero advisory board, she stated that she intends to help drive adoption of the network.
After getting to know the LayerZero team and what they’ve been building over the past year, I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to join an advisory board for the first time in a long time. Finance is moving on-chain, and I believe LayerZero will be one of the core innovation… https://t.co/CL13XQCYZk
— Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) February 10, 2026
Meanwhile, Pellegrino highlighted the goal of the Zero blockchain. He said that the network intends to expand blockchain use far beyond crypto and into everyday economic activity. Michael Blaugrund, the VP of strategic initiatives at Intercontinental Exchange, shared a similar view, noting that the ICE is exploring the platform to understand how blockchain could open new possibilities in trading, clearing, settlement, and capital formation. He stated,
“Zero’s architecture moves the industry’s roadmap forward by at least a decade…Our mission is to build permissionless infrastructure for a better world – this is the beginning of that world.”
At the same time, Google Cloud’s Richard Widmann stated that the partnership is focused on exploring how the internet could evolve to move not just information but also value. He added that LayerZero is rethinking blockchain design from the ground up, and that the growing connection between cloud computing and blockchain signals a major shift in how digital systems will work in the future.
