GnosisDAO Votes to Convert Gnosis Chain Into Ethereum Rollup
GnosisDAO has approved a proposal to transition Gnosis Chain from a standalone layer-1 network into a ZK-proven Ethereum Economic Zone (EEZ) rollup, Cointelegraph reported.
The proposal, GIP-153, received 123,158 GNO in support, 115 against and 151 abstentions across 54 voters, according to a Gnosis Chain post on X. Total turnout of 123,425 GNO exceeded the required 75,000 quorum.
Under the plan, Gnosis Chain’s validator set would be retired, and the network would settle transactions directly on Ethereum, effectively converting it into a layer-2 network that relies on Ethereum’s validators for settlement. An initial launch is targeted for late 2026 or early 2027, pending readiness of the required EEZ technology.
The upgrade would let Gnosis Chain-native smart contracts call Ethereum and use the result within the same transaction, giving the network access to Ethereum mainnet assets and liquidity, a capability the proposal states is not currently available on existing layer-2 networks. Gnosis Chain would retain its existing applications, balances and xDAI gas token while becoming the first deployed instance of the EEZ framework, which was developed by Gnosis and ZisK with funding from the Ethereum Foundation.
The initiative aims to address fragmentation across Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem by allowing smart contracts on different rollups to execute synchronously without bridges. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has previously flagged centralized sequencers and trusted bridging mechanisms as weak points in some layer-2 designs.
According to L2Beat data cited by Cointelegraph, 22 Ethereum rollups currently secure $27.82 billion, with total value secured across rollups, validiums and optimiums reaching $34.88 billion.
Geoffrey Kendrick, global head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, said in a May report shared with Cointelegraph that the EEZ could reduce reliance on bridges, where hacks tend to occur, and increase usability of assets across EVM chains by enabling greater composability between networks.
Based on reporting by cointelegraph.com.
