GnosisDAO approved GIP 153 on Aug. 19, authorizing Gnosis Chain to transition from a standalone layer one network into a ZK-proven Ethereum Economic Zone (EEZ) rollup. The proposal received 123,158 GNO in favor, 115 GNO against, and 151 GNO abstaining across 54 voters, easily clearing the required quorum of 75,000 GNO.
The decision grants Gnosis developers a mandate to begin designing the architectural change, though it does not immediately convert the network into a layer two. The initial EEZ deployment targets late 2026 or early 2027, subject to technology readiness.
Shifting Settlement and Security to Ethereum
Currently, Gnosis Chain operates its own proof-of-stake consensus system and independent validator set. Following the transition, the network will publish proofs and settle transactions on Ethereum, relying on Ethereum validators for settlement security. The existing Gnosis validator set will eventually be retired, and staking subsidies paid from the GnosisDAO treasury will be phased out in favor of network fees.
The proposal's authors noted that fee revenue currently covers only a small part of the chain's security costs, and that Gnosis issuance dilutes non-staking holders by approximately 2.3% annually while the DAO supports infrastructure and liquidity incentives.
The Ethereum Economic Zone Framework
The EEZ is a rollup framework developed by Gnosis and ZisK with Ethereum Foundation funding, aimed at addressing fragmentation in Ethereum's layer two ecosystem. Under the planned design, Gnosis Chain is expected to become the first production EEZ instance, allowing a contract on Gnosis to call an Ethereum contract and use its result within a single transaction.
Existing applications, account balances, contract addresses, and the chain identifier are expected to remain unchanged, meaning users will not need to migrate to a separate blockchain. However, RPC endpoints may change, and a final decision is still pending regarding the network's dollar-pegged gas token.
Phased Rollout and Technical Considerations
Gnosis co-founder and proposal author Friederike Ernst noted that the initial network version will use a centralized sequencer due to technical requirements. A forced inclusion system to allow users to submit transactions through Ethereum if the sequencer stops processing or censors transactions will not be present in the first release, but will be added subsequently.
The first EEZ release targets a launch around the turn of 2026 and 2027, aiming to deliver about 80% of the intended synchronous composability functionality. A complete EEZ specification is expected during 2027, with developers needing to finalize the proving system, fee token design, settlement contracts, and operational structure before deployment.
