Zano’s Hard Fork 6: Trustless Cross-Chain Bridge for Native ZANO Coming 2026

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Zano Prepares Trustless Cross-Chain Bridge for Native ZANO After Hard Fork 6

Zano plans to expand to Ethereum, TON, and Solana networks by allowing users to move their ZANO coins to these platforms without a central intermediary. This will happen with a major software update, called Hard Fork 6, expected in the second quarter of 2026.

Key Takeaways:

  • Zano’s Hard Fork 6, targeted for Q2 2026, introduces Gateway Addresses enabling trustless bridging of native ZANO to EVM, TON, and Solana networks.
  • The Bridgeless protocol uses Threshold Signatures, so no single validator controls a transfer, cutting centralized custodian risk entirely.
  • wZANO on Base opens a Coinbase fiat on-ramp, giving new users a direct path to Zano’s full privacy stack without niche exchange accounts.

Zano Targets Q2 2026 Hard Fork to Push ZANO Cross-Chain

The project currently operates a wrapped version of Zano on Ethereum called wZANO, an ERC-20 token managed by the Zano core team. That bridge runs on centralized server infrastructure, creating a single point of failure and requiring users to trust a custodian with their funds. Hard Fork 6 eliminates that arrangement.

The key change is a new address type called Gateway Addresses. These use an account-based model instead of the standard UTXO model and are built for programmatic interaction at scale. When a user bridges ZANO through Bridgeless, their native tokens lock inside a Gateway Address on the Zano side.

The system, not an individual, securely holds the funds. When transferring to a different network, an equal amount of wrapped ZANO (wZANO) is created and delivered to the user’s digital wallet. To return the funds to their original form, the wZANO is destroyed, releasing the original ZANO.

Every wZANO in circulation will be backed 1:1 by native ZANO and secured through Threshold Signatures, meaning no single party ever holds the complete private key needed to authorize a transfer.

“For the first time, native ZANO, and Confidential Assets supported by Bridgeless, like Freedom Dollar, will be bridgeable to EVM networks, TON, and Solana through a non-custodial, trustless mechanism that replaces an old compromise with something built the right way,” the Zano team stated on Tuesday.

Bridgeless runs on a decentralized network of validator nodes using Delegated Proof of Stake. A cryptographic threshold of validators must cooperate to sign any cross-chain operation. Smart contracts handle deposits and withdrawals on the EVM, TON, and Solana side without a central server or single controlling team.

This platform is still in its early testing stages, and its token, BRIDGE, isn’t available yet. It’s important to know that Gateway Addresses are intentionally public.

Transactions are publicly viewable on the blockchain, but Zano protects user privacy. It uses stealth addresses and ring signatures to conceal sender identities and make it impossible to track which specific funds were used in a transaction.

Privacy does not carry over once a user bridges to a public chain. A wZANO balance on Ethereum, Solana, or TON is publicly visible like any other token on those networks. Bridging back to native ZANO restores all privacy protections. The infrastructure also changes how ZANO can access major exchanges.

Major trading platforms have refused to list the original ZANO cryptocurrency because of its built-in privacy features. However, wZANO is different – it’s a transparent version, meaning it doesn’t have those same privacy concerns and is therefore easier to get listed on popular exchanges.

“This isn’t just a technical upgrade: it’s the infrastructure that could bring ZANO to tier-1 exchanges and DeFi liquidity pools for the first time,” the team noted.

Releasing wZANO on the Base network is a key step in Zano’s overall plan. Because Base is integrated with Coinbase, users can easily buy wZANO with regular currency directly through the Coinbase app. This makes it simple for newcomers to purchase wZANO with a credit or debit card, send it to their digital wallet, and then convert it to native ZANO.

As a standard ERC-20 token, wZANO can participate in lending protocols, yield strategies, and liquidity provision. A wZANO liquidity pool on Uniswap could replace the existing custodial setup with a non-custodial equivalent. Bridging will be accessible through the Confidential Layer website and app.

The testnet for Gateway Addresses is already running ahead of the Q2 2026 Hard Fork 6 target.

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2026-05-06 09:28