Zano has activated Hard Fork 6 on mainnet at block 3,833,000, a release the project describes as the biggest network upgrade in its seven-year history. The update adds Gateway Addresses, a new address type intended to make the privacy-focused blockchain easier for centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges to support.
The new system does not replace Zano’s existing address format. Standard addresses remain in place with the same privacy model, while Gateway Addresses are introduced as an additional option for services that need simpler balance tracking and faster synchronization.
A new address type for integrations
According to the project, Gateway Addresses use an account-based design that gives integrated services a single directly tracked balance and instant synchronization. Zano says that should reduce complexity for exchanges, bridges and DEXs that have typically faced extra work when connecting to privacy-preserving networks.
The project said the aim is to improve interoperability without removing privacy from the base chain. Users who continue to use standard Zano addresses keep the existing privacy protections, while Gateway Addresses are designed for service integrations that require more transparent operational handling.
Native ZANO can now move out to public chains
One of the main changes in Hard Fork 6 is that native ZANO can now bridge non-custodially from Zano to transparent networks for the first time. The chains specifically named by the project are Ethereum, Solana and TON.
Zano said assets moved onto those external networks become public there, then recover Zano’s privacy protections if bridged back into the Zano network. Before this upgrade, the flow worked in the opposite direction for some assets, with BTC, ETH and SOL able to move into Zano and gain privacy features. Hard Fork 6 extends that model to two-way, non-custodial cross-chain movement while leaving standard Zano addresses unchanged.
Security, wallet and infrastructure updates
Beyond interoperability, Hard Fork 6 includes a package of security and reliability changes. Zano said the release brings stronger consensus with tighter validation rules and a more decisive fork-choice rule, alongside hardened wallet encryption and more resilient mining pools.
The upgrade also adds a way to dry-run a block before finalizing it so that bad transactions can be dropped instead of causing the process to stall. Each output now includes its own payment ID, which the project says should help exchanges and merchants reconcile payments while still preserving recipient privacy.
Other changes listed in the release include anti-DoS limits, SOCKS5 proxy support for Tor routing, and a hardened RPC interface for third-party services.
What comes next for the network
Zano said Gateway Addresses give the token a clearer route to DEX liquidity and broader exchange access, and that discussions with several platforms about post-HF6 integrations are already underway. The statement did not name any of those platforms or provide launch dates.
The project also positioned Hard Fork 6 as a prerequisite for Zano Execution Layer, or ZEL, an upcoming EVM-compatible chain intended to add smart contract functionality to the ecosystem while maintaining privacy. Looking further ahead, Zano said Zenith, its next consensus protocol, is planned for 2027 as a pure proof-of-stake design built on the network’s privacy foundations.
Source: news.bitcoin.com