Key Takeaways:
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) invested an additional $55M in LayerZero’s ZRO tokens with a three-year lock-up, reaffirming long-term support.
- LayerZero’s cross-chain messaging protocol continues gaining traction amid growing demand for interoperable Web3 infrastructure.
- The investment follows earlier rounds, maintaining LayerZero’s $3B valuation and positioning it strongly against competitors like Wormhole and Stargate.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has deepened its investment in LayerZero, a cross-chain messaging protocol, with a $55 million purchase of its native token, ZRO.
The investment, announced by a16z general partner Ali Yahya on April 17, comes with a three-year lock-up period and reflects a16z’s belief in LayerZero’s role in enabling a more interconnected, on-chain financial system.
I’m excited to announce that we’ve invested an additional $55M in @LayerZero_Core tokens (ZRO), with a 3-year lockup.
— Ali Yahya | alive.eth (@alive_eth) April 17, 2025
Our global financial system is evolving, and it's great to see the protocol enabling many new businesses and complex workflows to move onchain. pic.twitter.com/uyDHaSsKyR
This move builds on a16z’s previous support, including its March 2022 seed round and April 2023 Series B investment—when LayerZero was valued at $3 billion.
LayerZero, based in Canada, enables blockchain interoperability, allowing decentralized apps and users to transfer assets and data across networks.
The company launched its ZRO token in June 2024 and reached a settlement with the FTX estate in January 2025 over a previous legal dispute.
LayerZero competes with other major protocols like Wormhole, Stargate, and Connext, with Wormhole emerging as a key rival after raising $225 million in 2023.
As demand for chain-agnostic infrastructure grows, platforms like Phantom and Magic Eden are expanding beyond Solana to support multiple blockchains including Ethereum and Bitcoin, signaling a broader industry shift toward omnichain capabilities.
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