Key Takeaways:
Zano’s Hard Fork 6, targeted for Q2 2026, introduces Gateway Addresses enabling trustless bridging of native ZANO to EVM, TON, and Solana networks. The Bridgeless protocol uses Threshold Signatures, so no single validator controls a transfer, cutting centralized custodian risk entirely. wZANO on Base opens a Coinbase fiat on-ramp, giving new users a direct path to Zano’s full privacy stack without niche exchange accounts. Zano Targets Q2 2026 Hard Fork to Push ZANO Cross-ChainThe protocol holds the funds, not a person. On the destination chain, an equivalent amount of wZANO is minted and sent to the user’s wallet. Bridging back burns the wZANO and unlocks the native ZANO.
The platform is currently in an alpha, proof-of-concept phase, and its native token, BRIDGE, has not yet been listed. One tradeoff users should understand: Gateway Addresses are transparent by design.
Amounts moving through them are visible onchain. However, sender identity stays protected through Zano’s stealth addresses and ring signatures, which hide user addresses and prevent outside observers from tracing which output was spent.
Native ZANO has been rejected by several tier-1 trading platforms due to its default transaction privacy. As a transparent asset, wZANO does not carry the same compliance friction, making it more viable for listings on well-known centralized platforms.
Launching wZANO on Base is part of Zano’s rollout plan. Any token in the Base ecosystem is purchasable with fiat through the Coinbase app, giving new users a direct entry point. A user can buy wZANO with a bank card, withdraw to a wallet and bridge to native ZANO in a few steps.
The testnet for Gateway Addresses is already running ahead of the Q2 2026 Hard Fork 6 target.
