GnosisDAO has officially approved proposal GIP-153, which will transition Gnosis Chain’s architecture from an independent layer-1 network into a layer-2 network. This technical decision was approved through a vote that recorded 123,158 GNO in support from 54 voters, easily surpassing the minimum quorum threshold of 75,000 GNO, with only 115 votes against and 151 abstaining.
This approval ensures that Gnosis Chain becomes the first instance deployed within the Ethereum Economic Zone (EEZ) framework - a ZK-proven rollup infrastructure currently being co-developed by Gnosis and ZisK, with direct funding support from the Ethereum Foundation.
End of the Independent Validator Era
Once this migration is executed, the Gnosis Chain validator set, which has been securing the network’s operations, will be retired. The role of transaction settlement will transition completely to the Ethereum mainnet.
Although the network’s foundation is completely overhauled, this transition is designed not to disrupt the user experience. Gnosis Chain will retain all existing decentralized applications, user balances, and maintain the utility of the xDAI token for paying gas fees. The initial launch schedule is projected for late 2026 or early 2027, depending on the readiness of the EEZ technology development.
Addressing Layer-2 Network Fragmentation
The primary goal of the EEZ initiative is to unify the currently fragmented Ethereum layer-2 ecosystem. This framework introduces new technical capabilities, allowing smart contracts on Gnosis Chain to call Ethereum and use the results within the same transaction - a feature currently unavailable on other layer-2 infrastructures.
According to data from L2Beat, there are currently 22 Ethereum rollup instances securing $27.82 billion in capital, or reaching $34.88 billion when accounting for validium structures and other solutions. Vitalik Buterin highlighted this fragmented ecosystem in a post on X on February 3, asserting that the industry’s initial vision for layer-2 no longer makes sense and requires a new direction.
What Is the Impact on Fund Security
Gnosis Chain’s integration into the EEZ architecture has major consequences for how assets move across networks. Standard Chartered analyst Geoffrey Kendrick noted that the use of EEZ technology will reduce the ecosystem’s need to rely on cross-chain bridges - the most vulnerable points that are frequently targeted by hackers.
In addition to closing security gaps from bridge exploits, the adoption of this standard also aims to improve cross-chain composability in the future. Through this vote, the Gnosis community agreed to trade their status as an independent blockchain to become an integrated part of the main Ethereum system.
As reported by Cointelegraph.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
