Horizen Unveils Layer 3 on Base: Privacy, Speed, and Developer Grants

Horizen has relaunched as a Layer 3 network on Base, focusing on regulatory-compliant privacy, faster transactions, and developer support, with a major ZEN grant program and integration into the Ethereum ecosystem.

Horizen has completed its transition from a standalone Layer 1 blockchain to a Layer 3 network on Base, marking a significant evolution in its nearly nine-year history. The migration, approved by a DAO vote, shifts Horizen’s focus to providing regulatory-compliant privacy tools for developers and users within the Ethereum ecosystem. The new Layer 3 structure leverages Ethereum’s security and Base’s scalability, enabling faster transactions, lower fees, and seamless integration with DeFi, NFT platforms, and other applications. Horizen’s approach centers on selective disclosure, allowing users to opt into privacy while maintaining regulatory oversight. The ZEN token has migrated to Base as an ERC-20 asset, with support from major exchanges and decentralized trading platforms. To foster ecosystem growth, Horizen has launched a developer funding program, allocating up to 100 million ZEN over five years for privacy-focused applications, including confidential financial services, GambleFi, and SocialFi. The network’s architecture now emphasizes modular privacy, compliance, and high-performance execution, positioning Horizen as a specialized privacy hub within the Base and Ethereum ecosystems.