Question 1

What is ZIL, and how is it related to Zilliqa?

Accepted Answer

ZIL is the native token of the Zilliqa Layer 1 blockchain. It is used to pay for products and services on the Zilliqa network and can be used to interact with wallets, decentralized applications, and applications on the EVM execution layer. Accordingly, Zilliqa refers to the network and its infrastructure, while ZIL refers to the native asset that serves payment, usage, and optional staking roles within that network; they are not the same concept.

Question 2

How is ZIL used in the network and applications?

Accepted Answer

When using products, services, or applications on Zilliqa, ZIL can serve as the relevant payment asset; the official description also identifies it as the native token for interacting with wallets, dApps, and EVM execution-layer applications within the network. Whether a specific operation requires ZIL, and how much it requires, depends on the fee rules and transaction conditions of that network or application. Such use differs from staking: the former involves paying or using tokens to complete a network or application interaction, while the latter involves depositing tokens into a staking contract and delegating them to a validator to support PoS consensus.

Question 3

What did Zilliqa’s transition to PoS change?

Accepted Answer

Zilliqa has transitioned from proof of work (PoW) to proof of stake (PoS). Under the former PoW model, nodes participated in network security through high-computing-power hardware; under PoS, validators participate in consensus with staked ZIL as collateral. This change altered the basis for selecting and constraining validators: consensus security is supported more by the total amount staked by validators than by simply relying on a large number of mining nodes. The official description identifies improving throughput, finality, operating costs, and energy efficiency as its goals.

Question 4

After delegating ZIL, how do rewards and stake withdrawals work?

Accepted Answer

Users can deposit ZIL into a staking contract and delegate it to a validator; delegation increases the stake of that validator node, and validators participate in block production and witnessing to maintain the network. Validators receive rewards for this role, and delegators can share the corresponding rewards. Rewards are not unconditional fixed income: the official documentation states that a delegator’s share is first reduced by the validator commission. Reward shares can be claimed immediately, but withdrawing delegated stake or redelegating it to another validator requires the network-specified unbonding period.

Question 5

How is transaction finality achieved on Zilliqa?

Accepted Answer

Zilliqa’s consensus layer uses Pipelined Fast-HotStuff. Under normal conditions, a block reaches finality after two consecutive blocks are produced after it; the official average block time is approximately 2 seconds, corresponding to final confirmation in approximately 5 seconds under common conditions. The process relies on validator votes and quorum certificates: the leader of the next view aggregates votes reaching a supermajority to form a certificate and attaches it to the new block. If adjacent views meet the rules, an earlier block is considered final.

Question 6

What is the difference between the PoS and PoA choices for x-shards?

Accepted Answer

Zilliqa’s customizable interconnected shards (x-shards) can choose PoS or PoA consensus. When PoS is selected, the corresponding Fast-HotStuff configuration is used; when PoA is selected, validators are chosen according to eligibility criteria set by that x-shard, voting power is not stake-weighted, and a supermajority consists of two-thirds of validators. This does not mean that all mainnet activity automatically uses PoA; it is a configuration choice available when an x-shard is created, and it can serve application scenarios that require specific, qualified validators.

Question 7

What do EVM compatibility and the Zilliqa upgrade mean for ZIL use?

Accepted Answer

Zilliqa introduced EVM compatibility to its mainnet in 2023, making wallets and applications on the EVM execution layer part of the use cases for ZIL. In 2025, the Zilliqa upgrade went live, which the official description presents as a stronger foundation for credentialed, institution-grade infrastructure capabilities. The two changes operate at different levels: EVM compatibility concerns interoperability with EVM tools and applications, while the upgrade is a subsequent evolution of core network capabilities. The availability of an application or the launch of an upgrade alone cannot establish that all applications have adopted it or that demand for ZIL will necessarily increase.

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