What is Zora Network ?

Zora Network is a layer 2 platform built on the Ethereum blockchain, part of the Zora ecosystem. This platform allows users to buy, sell, and create NFT collections without transaction fees. In particular, Zora Network focuses on the interests of content creators and artists, allowing them to decide on royalties for their works. Zora Network has an interface like a website, so users can browse and learn about artists' NFT collections.

=> Read more: What is Layer 2? All about Layer 2

Zora Products and Services

Zora V3 – NFT Marketplace

Zora V3 is an improved NFT Marketplace with many new features, most notably the ability to ensure that royalty payments to artists are processed completely on-chain. This version introduces the “ Finder Fees ” feature to pay commissions to NFT brokers via referral links.

Tools to support content creation

• Nouns Builder : A tool that helps content creators create DAOs in minutes.
• Create : Support for deploying NFT collectibles for projects and artists using ERC-1151 and ERC-721 standard smart contracts.
• API : Helps content creators get data from the NFT marketplace and track and analyze on-chain events like NFT transfers, mints, and sales data from NFT Marketplaces like Zora, OpenSea, LooksRare.
• Zora Development Kits (ZDK) : A toolkit that helps developers access Zora's API without needing any knowledge of GraphSQL.
• NFT Hooks : Tools to interact and retrieve data with Zora API .
• NFT Rendering : Supports multiple types of tools to render different NFTs such as text, images, videos and audio.
• Bridge : helps users transfer money from L1 networks to Zora 's L2 network

Operate on-chain and optimize transaction fees

All of Zora V3 ’s operations are on-chain , including NFT trading and listing. Users can check this information on the Ethereum blockchain. This is what sets Zora V3 apart from OpenSea and Rarible , where most of their operations are off-chain. In addition, these operations on Zora V3 also save significantly on gas fees compared to the aforementioned competitors.

Listing non-custodial items

In other NFT Marketplaces , when users want to list an item, they need to give permission to the protocol holding their NFT to be put up for sale. However, at Zora, they can list NFTs without having to hand over the NFT to the exchange. This is called “non-custodial listings”, which allows sellers to still hold the NFT in their personal wallet until they successfully sell them, giving users complete control over their NFTs.

Finder Fee

Finder Fee is an incentive mechanism for users and content creators to find buyers for NFT collectibles. This mechanism can be implemented when a content creator lists an NFT on the Zora V3 Marketplace. Referrers will receive a commission from the protocol if they find a buyer for the NFT through their referral link. This is a strong incentive for projects and businesses to integrate NFTs on the Zora protocol.

Zora Network Administration

The Zora Network is run by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), which is responsible for protocol upgrade decisions, fund management, and ecosystem development. This structure consists of governance smart contracts deployed on the Blast network and powered by Optimism's OP Stack. NFT owners can delegate voting rights to others through smart contracts.

Benefits and Highlights of Zora Network

Optimize performance and cost

Zora Network is designed to handle large volumes of transactions on the Ethereum blockchain , thereby increasing efficiency and significantly reducing costs for investors. With its high scalability, the platform better supports cryptocurrency holders and content creators.

Deployed on Open Source OP Stack

Zora Network uses OP Stack , an open source codebase maintained by Optimism Collective . This helps build trust and transparency into the project, attracting new developers. All transactions are executed on-chain, which saves significant gas costs.

Support multiple payment methods

Zora Network allows payments in a variety of tokens beyond ETH , including USDC and several other ERC-20 tokens, providing flexibility and convenience for investors.

Royalties and artist benefits

Zora Network features an instant on-chain royalty payment mechanism, specifically supporting the EIP-2981 standard. Artists and content creators can decide their own royalty payment mechanism on the Zora Marketplace . This helps ensure that they receive the royalties they deserve for each of their NFT collections.

Zora Token Information

Token Metrics

• Token Name : Zora
• Ticker : ZORA
• Blockchain : BASE
• Token type : Governance and Utility
• Total supply : 10,000,000,000 ZORA
• Circulating supply : Updating…

Currently Zora will launch token on 4/23/2025 and has had 2 snapshots:

• Snapshot 1 07:00:00 January 1, 2020 to 21:00:00 March 3, 2025 Vietnam Time
• Snapshot 2 21:00:00 March 3, 2025 to 07:00:00 April 20, 2025 Vietnam time

=> Read more : Instructions for participating in hunting for Zora project Airdrop

Zora Token Allocation

• Community Airdrop (10%) : 1,000,000,000 $ZORA
  • For the community, including creators , collectors , developers , and users who have interacted with the project .
  • Distributed via airdrop, based on two snapshots:
    • Snapshot 1 : Recorded at snapshot time 03/03/2025.
    • Snapshot 2 : Takes place on April 20, 2025 (three days before the token launch date of April 23, 2025 ).
  • Meaning : Rewarding the community that has contributed to the development of Zora, especially the more than 2.4 million collectors and 618,000 creators. Taking two snapshots not only recognizes the contributions of loyal users but also creates opportunities for new users to join the ecosystem.
• Community Incentives Fund (20%) : 2,000,000,000 $ZORA
  • This is what the information calls “Community Incentive Fund”, while support.zora.co calls “Treasury”. Both have the same purpose: supporting community initiatives, ecosystem development, and on-chain marketing campaigns.
  • Meaning : Ensure the long-term growth of Zora Network, supporting similar campaigns like Coinbase's “Stand With Crypto” (165,000 mints) or Base's “Job's Not Finished” (2 million mints in 24 hours).
• Strategic Contributors (26.1%) : 2,610,000,000 $ZORA
  • For strategic advisors and investors who have supported Zora financially and strategically during its growth.
  • Meaning : Ensuring the companionship of important partners, especially in the context of Layer 2 competition (Arbitrum and Optimism account for 60% market share in 2024).
• Team (18.9%) : 1,890,000,000 $ZORA
  • For Zora's current and future team.
  • Meaning : Recognize the team's contributions to building the crypto innovation economy, while ensuring they are motivated to stay with the project long term.
• Liquidity (5% ) : 500,000,000 $ZORA
  • For maintaining liquidity on exchanges (CEX and DEX) and supporting market makers.
  • Meaning : Ensure $ZORA has good liquidity right after launching on Base, avoiding liquidity shortage on exchanges like Uniswap.
• Remaining portion (20%) : 2,000,000,000 $ZORA
  • Not mentioned in detail in the source ( support.zora.co ).
  • Prediction : This section may be devoted to:
    • Ecosystem rewards.
    • Reserves (reserves for emergencies or future expansion).
    • Other incentives for users or partners.

Initial Circulating Supply

• At TGE (April 23, 2025) :
  • Community Airdrop : 1,000,000,000 $ZORA (10%) fully unlocked.
  • Liquidity : It can be assumed that the majority of 500,000,000 $ZORA (5%) will be unlocked immediately to provide liquidity, but exact figures are not available.
  • Initial Circulating Supply (estimated) : Approximately 1-1.5 billion $ZORA (10-15% of total supply) , depending on the amount of liquidity tokens used at TGE.
• The remaining parts ( Community Incentives Fund, Team, Strategic Contributors ) are locked for at least 6 months, so they do not contribute to the initial circulating supply.

Meaning and context of tokenomics

• Community memecoin properties:
  $ZORA is not a governance token, but rather described by Zora as a memecoin with an “entertainment-focused” purpose. The token does not give its holders control over the protocol, but rather has a more community-based element, in line with the trend of recent NFT projects such as Pudgy Penguin (PENGU), Milady (CULT), and Magic Eden (ME).
• Community Focus:

  • The 10% airdrop (1 billion $ZORA) unlocked at TGE shows that Zora prioritizes rewarding the community, especially creators and collectors. Zora has attracted over 548,180 active wallet addresses and recorded over 83.7 million transactions since its launch in 2023.

    

  • Taking two snapshots (March 3, 2025 and April 20, 2025) not only recognizes the contributions of loyal users but also opens up opportunities for new people to join the ecosystem, reflecting Zora's strategy of attracting a broad user base.
• Long-term development:
  • The Community Incentives Fund (20%) unlocks in 4 years and the Team/Strategic Contributors (18.9% + 26.1%) unlocks in 3 years, showing that Zora wants to ensure stability and sustainable development, avoiding large selling pressure right after TGE.
  • This is in line with the trend of other Layer 2 projects like Arbitrum and Optimism (which will account for 60% of the Layer 2 market share in 2024).
• Initial Liquidity:
  Liquidity (5%) ensures $ZORA can be traded immediately after launch on Base, leveraging Base's large user base (TVL increase of 30% in Q1 2025).
• Zora Ecosystem Background:
  • Zora Network is a decentralized NFT protocol that allows artists and creators to turn their works (art, music, videos, podcasts, etc.) into NFTs and trade them directly with users. Zora is not only an NFT marketplace but also provides royalty optimization tools for creators.
  • Recently, Zora expanded into token issuance, allowing each post on the platform to be minted as an ERC-20 and automatically listed on Uniswap. This allows users to trade tokens instantly without going through complicated steps, instead of using the previous NFT 1155 standard.

Zora Token Allocation Schedule

Zora Token Utility

Roadmap & Updates

• January 1, 2021: Zora officially launches on Ethereum.
• January 27, 2021: ZoraOS open source announced.
• January 2022: Introducing Zora V3.
• June 2022: Host ZORA API Hackathon and launch Zora Development Kits.
• July 2022: Zora partners with ETHGlobal to organize the Metabolism Hackathon event.
• February 2023: Base Blockchain uses Zora as its minting platform for NFT Collectibles “Base, Introduced”.

Zora Network Team and Investors

Zora Network is led by two talented co-founders, Jacob Horne and Tyson Battistella. Jacob Horne has many years of experience in product management and previously worked at Coinbase. Tyson Battistella also has over 4 years of experience as a software developer at Coinbase and Telmediq.

The project has successfully raised $60 million from three rounds of funding, with participation from well-known investment funds such as Coinbase Ventures, Kindred Ventures, and Haun Ventures.

Featured partners and projects in the Zora Network ecosystem

Rabby Wallet

Rabby Wallet is a non-custodial wallet that uses blockchain technology, allowing owners to manage their own private keys and is EVM compatible. This wallet is capable of storing, managing, and trading a variety of tokens and NFTs across multiple chains, bringing convenience and security to investors.

LayerZero

LayerZero is an omnichain interoperability protocol that allows blockchains to communicate directly with each other. The platform simplifies the process of sharing and transmitting information between blockchains, ensuring security and network performance.

Sound.xyz

Sound.xyz is a music NFT marketplace project that allows artists to upload and monetize songs. Fans can buy NFTs, comment, and interact with artists. Sound.xyz has successfully raised $25 million from investors such as A16z, Flamingo, The LAO, Scalar Capital, Coinbase Ventures.

Summary

Zora Network solves the problem of transaction processing speed on Ethereum with Optimism's OP Stack technology. The platform not only provides a favorable environment for investors but also protects the interests of content creators and artists. With outstanding features and diverse support, Zora Network is becoming an attractive option in the NFT market. However, users should note that withdrawal times can last up to seven days.