Horizen's Privacy Infrastructure Goes Live on Base as EVM Rollup

Horizen has officially brought its mainnet online as a Layer-3 rollup on Base, completing a strategic shift from independent blockchain to privacy-focused infrastructure within the Ethereum ecosystem. This transition underscores how Layer-3 solutions are reshaping the rollup landscape by enabling specialized, high-performance chains that inherit Ethereum’s security while maintaining operational flexibility.

Why Base? Solving the Independent Blockchain Bottleneck

For years, independent Layer-1 blockchains faced a persistent challenge: strong technology but fragmented liquidity and developer reach. Horizen addressed this by joining Base, gaining instant access to Ethereum’s proven infrastructure, the EVM developer community, and Base’s rapidly growing ecosystem. As a Layer-3 rollup, Horizen processes transactions locally before batching them to Base for settlement, achieving lower gas fees, faster finality, and the architectural freedom to customize tokenomics and application logic.

This model works because developers get familiar EVM tooling—they write Solidity as always—but operate within a network optimized for privacy and compliance. It’s a pragmatic solution for projects that want Web3 performance without betting their roadmap on standalone infrastructure.

ZEN Token Migration and Liquidity

In July 2025, ZEN transitioned from Horizen’s original proof-of-work chain to Base as an ERC-20 asset, preserving its 21-million token cap. The token now trades on decentralized exchanges including Aerodrome and leading DEX platforms, with legacy token holders able to claim migrated assets through Horizen’s portal. ZEN is listed on major global exchanges, providing institutional and retail traders with accessible on-ramp points.

This migration wasn’t just a rebranding—it unlocked real liquidity for a token that was previously siloed on a smaller blockchain. Now ZEN has Layer-1 reach and Layer-3 utility, a combination that strengthens both the token’s market credibility and the network’s economic model.

Privacy Meets Practical Development

Unlike privacy chains that remain niche or overly complex, Horizen is shipping real-world applications day one. Hubz VCE and Gamblor mark the initial wave, with privacy-preserving payroll systems, verifiable advertising platforms, and loyalty programs entering the pipeline shortly after mainnet.

Developers can implement selective disclosure—hiding transaction amounts or recipient identities—using standard Solidity, no exotic cryptography required. This practical approach to privacy makes it accessible for businesses and applications that need confidentiality without sacrificing regulatory clarity.

The Developer Funding Engine

Horizen Labs, in partnership with Thrive Protocol, launched a five-year developer program allocating 1 million ZEN tokens (~$8.8M) to builders creating privacy-first applications. Infrastructure partners provide rollup-as-a-service tools, cross-chain bridges, oracle feeds, and data indexing out of the box, reducing friction for teams launching on day one.

The zkVerify integration matters here: applications demanding intensive zero-knowledge proof validation can offload computation to a dedicated verification chain, batching results back to Horizen with lower gas costs and latency. It’s modular architecture solving real technical pain points.

From Bitcoin-Style Chain to Privacy Layer

Horizen’s journey spans seven years. Launched in 2017 as ZenCash, it pioneered optional privacy on a proof-of-work foundation. The Zendoo sidechain protocol introduced zero-knowledge infrastructure, while the EON EVM sidechain (2023) validated the demand for Ethereum-compatible execution. Each iteration taught the team what worked and what didn’t. The Base migration represents the culmination of those lessons: instead of fighting for liquidity on standalone rails, leverage Ethereum’s security and ecosystem while operating as a focused application chain.

What’s Next: Staking and Confidential Compute

The immediate roadmap includes ZEN staking reintroduction, allowing token holders to earn network rewards. In early 2026, Horizen will launch its Confidential Compute Environment—a framework using Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to encrypt and isolate computation directly on-chain. Developers get privacy-preserving execution without mastering complex cryptography, expanding the types of applications that can launch on the network.

The Takeaway

Horizen’s mainnet launch on Base demonstrates a maturing strategy in Layer-3 design: specialize in what you’re good at (privacy), leverage a proven base layer (Ethereum via Base), and build real applications rather than hoping the technology sells itself. The combination of familiar developer tools, genuine ecosystem depth, and practical privacy features positions Horizen as a meaningful addition to Base’s rapidly expanding rollup landscape.