GnosisDAO approves transition of Gnosis Chain to Ethereum rollup

GnosisDAO has approved a proposal to transition Gnosis Chain from a standalone Layer 1 blockchain to a zero-knowledge-proven Ethereum Economic Zone (EEZ) rollup. Under the approved GIP-153, the network will retire its independent validator set and instead settle transactions directly to Ethereum, inheriting its security.

The transition aims to unify Ethereum’s fragmented Layer 2 ecosystem by allowing smart contracts across different rollups to execute synchronously without the need for bridges. This framework, developed by Gnosis and ZisK with funding from the Ethereum Foundation, would allow Gnosis Chain-native smart contracts to access Ethereum mainnet assets and liquidity within an optimized environment.

The shift will have significant implications for GNO token economics. The move is expected to unlock approximately 350,000 staked GNO, representing roughly 27% of the token’s circulating supply, as the current staking role for securing the chain is retired. Gnosis intends to link GNO to revenue generated by the rollup through mechanisms such as fee sharing or buybacks, though the exact model remains unresolved.

A target launch for the first EEZ version is set for late 2026 or early 2027, depending on the readiness of the required infrastructure.