Zilliqa, Gnosis and Ronin move toward Ethereum as solo chain costs grow

Three layer-1 chains head to Ethereum

The layer-1 blockchains Zilliqa, Gnosis and Ronin are joining the Ethereum ecosystem, Cointelegraph reported on 12 November 2026. A layer-1 is a base blockchain that settles its own transactions rather than relying on another network.

According to the report, the costs of operating independently have grown for smaller chains, while the security and liquidity available through Ethereum have become harder to pass up.

What the report does and does not say

Cointelegraph frames the moves as a test of whether alternative layer-1 networks, often called alt-L1s, still make sense as standalone projects. It cites security and cost as the drivers behind the three networks' decisions.

The report does not give a timeline for the transitions, the terms of any integration, or figures for the costs the chains faced. It also does not say whether the three networks will stop running their own chains entirely or keep them alongside Ethereum-based activity.

None of the three projects had issued a statement carried in the report about the scope of the change.

Open questions

What the moves mean for each network's native token, validators and existing applications is not addressed in the report. Cointelegraph's account leaves the technical path for each chain, and any conditions attached to joining the Ethereum ecosystem, unstated.