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ZetaChain’s mission is to serve as a platform for universal access, simplicity, and utility across any blockchain. A key part of this effort is ZetaChain 2.0, a series of proposed upgrades by the community focused on the Chain Abstraction Framework (CAF). In order to support companies building for chain abstraction and new Universal Apps, we are actively running a dedicated Ecosystem Fund Growth Program with a focus on unlocking innovative Bitcoin apps. New exciting products and initiatives are underway leading into summer 2024, all while we continue to host and sponsor events around the world!

Completing the first step towards ZetaChain 2.0

ZetaChain 2.0 aims to unlock new prospective use cases such as Universal Proof of Stake and Universal Apps that can manage complex interactions, apps, and assets on external chains on behalf of users. In May, the ZetaChain ecosystem implemented the first 2.0 functionality now available to developers on testnet: the Cross-Chain Messaging upgrade.

In short, this upgrade allows ZetaChain’s messaging and asset-management capabilities to be composable across many chains. For example, a developer could design complex, multi-step transactions (a contract on ZetaChain could be called by a user on Bitcoin and also enact external contract calls on Ethereum and BNB Chain, and more legs thereafter). All of this is abstracted away for end-users and can happen in one step.

Learn more about the Cross-Chain Messaging feature and other upgrades bundled into our latest release in our last Protocol AMA on May 22nd. Visit the public node repository to learn more and contribute to ZetaChain development.

Ecosystem Expansion

May included partnership expansion across the ecosystem stack including new ecosystem partners across SocialFi, GameFi, DeFi, and analytics! In addition to the recap summary below, check out some of these apps live on our latest Zeta Demo Day on omnichain DeFi and GameFi. Also, just last week, we interviewed a core contributor to ZetaChain business development and hosted an Ecosystem AMA on Twitter Spaces!

Zeta Demo Day: Omnichain DeFi and GameFi, May 23rd

Plugman’s composable, multichain NFTs

Plugman, the composable, multichain NFT collection, came out of stealth mode in May. The Japanese based, artist-first team aims to explore contemporary human life and the dream world through composable digital assets. With ZetaChain, Plugman introduces new cross-chain mechanics and GameFi to the NFT experience.

The team is actively seeking collaboration with ZetaChain community contributors and global NFT enthusiasts as they gear up for launch! If you’re interested in contributing as an early supporter, complete this intake form. Learn more from the Plugman team live on the ZetaRadio Stage!

Note, Plugman will host its first in-person NFT event: DOOH Digital animation of Plugman in Harajuku, featuring an impressive 3D animation. The address 3-chōme-23–5 Jingūmae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150–0001, Japan. Stay tuned for the registration page!

SugarFi multichain social networking

SugarFi, the new multichain-first social networking app launched into ZetaChain’s XP program in May and already attracted more than 30,000 active users! The progressive web app lets anyone create content, monetize, and socialize with the broader community across any chain. With ZetaChain, Sugar onboards users and their assets from any chain and powers payments and transfers to friends in a simple UX. This solves the challenge of chain fragmentation in web3, historically limiting a fluid social networking experience.

Access Universal Apps directly from UniSat Wallet on Bitcoin

In our effort to expand Bitcoin wallet compatibility, we were excited to announce last month that UniSat Wallet integrated ZetaChain! App developers can integrate Bitcoin wallets like UniSat to let users interact with any Universal App on ZetaChain from the Bitcoin network.

In the ZetaDocs, we added a dedicated tutorial on how to build simple applications that let users access DeFi apps on ZetaChain from Bitcoin using a browser wallet extension. This includes a new guide on how to implement Unisat Wallet.

Other noteworthy ecosystem partnerships updates:

• StackUp: Our multi-month omnichain educational course for developers with partner StackUp concluded. The program onboarded more than 6,000 developers building on the first Universal EVM with over 10,000 campaign submissions!

• MotoDEX: Web3 racing game MotoDEX is live on ZetaChain and offering a 1,000 ZETA prize pool for 10 lucky winners!

• Defiway: Payment solution and cross-chain bridge solution Defiway now supports ZetaChain including their iOS/Android apps!

• CodeXchain: The no-code AI builders solution CodeXchain is now available to ZetaChain developers!

• Hyperlane: Interoperability protocol Hyperlane adds support for ZetaChain network!

• Merkly: With the Hyperlane to ZetaChain, bridging apps like Merkly can now enable asset transfers from ZetaChain to many other chains such as Optimism, Base, Scroll, Mode, and more!

• RunesBridge: The first Runes Bridge from Ethereum to ZetaChain is live!

• Chainlyze: Real-time multichain data intelligence comes to the ZetaChain ecosystem with the Chainlyze integration!

• Corridor Finance: The new DEX Corridor Finance uses ZetaChain to enable cross-chain interoperability between Bitcoin and other chains!

• LetsExchange: With the LetsExchange hub on ZetaChain, users can effortlessly on/off-ramp into crypto and move across blockchains!

• Plugman: The composable, multichain NFT collection comes out of stealth mode!

• Sugar: Social networking app Sugar launches on ZetaChain and joins the XP loyalty program!

ZetaChain Product

ZetaDocs

ZetaDocs experienced a major content revamp to help educate everyone interested in the ins-and-outs of ZetaChain including new proposals by ZetaChain 2.0. You can start digging in here to learn about how to start building Universal Apps. ZetaDocs is excited to release an entire design overhaul very soon!

ZetaHub

Since the launch of ZetaHub, we continue to see requests for additional wallet provider support. After a large upgrade this past month, ZetaHub now supports over a dozen wallets! This is a key step towards setting a standard for multichain wallet support, especially allowing users to connect BTC-enabled wallets simultaneously with EVM wallets. More exciting wallet updates that align with our chain abstraction mission to come soon!

XP Program

XP is under active development with new activities launching every 2 weeks! The XP phase 1 snapshot for all related on-chain data is under analysis. We are excited to share next steps soon 🟩

ZetaChain Global Events

Consensus 2024

Another annual Consensus, another ZetaChain main events calendar! The energy level at this year’s conference was 10X after the recent, unexpected ETH ETF approvals and resulting shift in crypto sentiment in the US. Between our Web3 mixer with OKX and MetisFest after hours party, we were quite busy putting on side events. One of our favorite highlights from this year’s conference was getting a chance to co-host the Opening Night party with Nolcha Shows!

Bitcoin Cruise Night!

We came back to Hong Kong again in May after the Web3 Festival to host a very special Bitcoin Cruise Night! At ZetaChain, we’re focused on enabling the first Bitcoin Smart Contracts so that users can easily access Bitcoin and use their native BTC in the broader crypto ecosystem.

The event brought over 20+ likeminded projects across DeFi, NFT, and network layers focused on unlocking the BTC ecosystem. We’re excited to work together to grow ownership, usage, and adoption of Bitcoin in the broader DeFi landscape. Thank you, everyone who came out for our Bitcoin Cruise Night!

More events on and offline…

May was a fun month of ZetaChain official events, including a round of AMAs across various core contributor groups. Listen back to the recordings on ZetaChain’s YouTube:

• We hosted a ZetaChain Protocol AMA for the first Cross-Chain Messaging upgrade released on testnet as part of the big ZetaChain 2.0 announcement in May!

• Get up to speed on all of the latest ZetaChain app updates in our last Ecosystem AMA!

• We ran a Zeta Demo Day exploring Omnichain DeFi and GameFi projects building on ZetaChain. Check out the live demos here! After receiving great feedback from the community, we decided to host another one with ZetaNites the following week!

• We came back in May with another Developer Office Hours and showed off our latest tutorials in the ZetaDocs!

• After our Pudgy Penguins panel on the Future of Web3 at Token 2049 Dubai, contributor Jonathan Covey had a chance to do a deeper dive podcast on ZetaChain with Lil Pudgys!

In addition to these events, the ZetaChain community led meetups around the world for Bitcoin Pizza Day. This included presentations on how ZetaChain helps bring BTC into DeFi. Shout out to ZetaChain Philippines for putting on one of the biggest community-led events to date!

We’re currently en route to GM Vietnam and have exciting events planned in Seoul the following week. Stay tuned for more developments this month in June!

About ZetaChain

ZetaChain is the first universal L1 blockchain. It serves as the base-layer of the decentralized internet, providing a platform for global access, simplicity, and utility across any blockchain. Zetachain’s Omnichain Smart Contracts on the Universal EVM are purpose-built for general chain abstraction across the entire crypto ecosystem. ZetaChain can connect to any blockchain, from Ethereum and Cosmos to Bitcoin and beyond, enabling unified liquidity, user experience, and data all from a single place. Universal Apps on ZetaChain are future-proof and have full compatibility with both existing and new chain integrations. With a proposed Universal Proof-of-Stake capability, ZetaChain supports staking of assets like native Bitcoin and Ethereum in exchange for rewards, powering unbounded scale for economic security.

Follow ZetaChain on Twitter @zetablockchain and join the conversation on Discord and Telegram. Reach out to [email protected] if you’re building on top of ZetaChain.

Any projects mentioned are 3rd party, not ZetaChain.