EVM compatibility is officially rolling out to the Zilliqa mainnet as part of update v9.0.0, opening up the network to EVM dApps and bringing greater accessibility and functionality to the Zilliqa ecosystem. This network upgrade will be deployed at 08:00 UTC on Tuesday, April 25.
Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is the software platform used to build applications on Ethereum and other protocols that have implemented EVM compatibility.
This upgrade to the Zilliqa network will add support for dApps written in Solidity and other EVM-compatible languages while also allowing users to transfer ZIL using popular EVM wallets such as MetaMask.
Developers are also now able to experiment with deploying EVM smart contracts to the Zilliqa mainnet using user-friendly development tools such as Hardhat and Truffle.
It is important to note that once update v9.0.0 is deployed at 08:00 UTC, the Zilliqa network will experience downtime of up to 24 hours. This downtime is necessary to facilitate the process of upgrading the network.
During this period, no transactions will be processed by the network. We recommend that mainnet deposit and withdrawal services be temporarily suspended during the network upgrade.
The network will resume processing transactions as normal once the update rollout has been completed.
Find out more about network downtime due to mainnet updates here.
What you need to know about EVM
EVM compatibility was first deployed on the Zilliqa testnet in December 2022 and has undergone an extended period of testing and refinement before being rolled out to the Zilliqa mainnet.
This first implementation of Zilliqa’s EVM compatibility offers a number of features, including the ability to transfer ZIL natively without complex conversion processes, making it superior to many layer-2 protocol implementations.
EVM compatibility will continue to be developed and the functionality will be upgraded in future to include full interoperability between Scilla and Solidity smart contracts. As with the current deployment, this will first be phased in on the testnet before later being deployed on the Zilliqa mainnet.
To find out more about the benefits of EVM compatibility for Zilliqa and our plans to add full interoperability between Scilla and Solidity smart contract standards, read our blog post breaking down what to expect from EVM on Zilliqa.
For a more detailed breakdown of the EVM functionality currently supported by the network in update v9.0.0, read our frequently asked questions.
Development of EVM compatibility continues alongside the broader overhaul of Zilliqa’s blockchain infrastructure as part of the journey to Zilliqa 2.0.
The goals that drive the development of Zilliqa 2.0 encompass everything from improving efficiency, cost, and scalability to providing a more flexible platform for developers across all industries and enabling dynamic updates to eliminate any downtime related to protocol upgrades.
Learn more about the strategy behind the implementation of EVM compatibility and the road to Zilliqa 2.0 in our interview with Zilliqa CTO Richard Watts.
Stay tuned to the Zilliqa blog and our socials for updates on EVM compatibility and more information on how to make the most of the exciting changes coming to the Zilliqa network!