What's New in Aventurine: Paving the Way for Zilliqa 2.0 Mainnet

The launch of the Aventurine proto-mainnet marks a pivotal step toward the arrival of Zilliqa 2.0, bringing transformative updates that lay the groundwork for a next-generation blockchain. 

This release introduces significant features and enhancements that streamline the transition to Zilliqa 2.0, while offering a glimpse of the powerful capabilities the full mainnet upgrade will deliver.

Key Changes Introduced in Aventurine

The Aventurine release is the final milestone before the mainnet release of Zilliqa 2.0, delivering several important improvements in this early version of the Zilliqa 2.0 network.

The Aventurine release for Zilliqa 2.0 comprises two test networks, a proto-testnet and a proto-mainnet. The proto-testnet is a new testnet version of the Zilliqa 2.0 network that imports the history of transactions from the Zilliqa 1.0 testnet. 

The proto-mainnet is a test network that imports the transaction history of the current Zilliqa mainnet, allowing builders to test existing dApps and tokens now running on the improved Zilliqa 2.0 protocol.

One of the most impactful changes introduced in Aventurine is interoperability between Zilliqa's Scilla smart contract language and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This compatibility allows ZRC-2 tokens issued on Zilliqa to function seamlessly as EVM-compatible ERC-20 tokens. 

Notable tokens such as $FPS, $XCAD, $XSGD, $HRSE, and $SEED are now integrated into the proto-mainnet, significantly expanding their potential use cases and accessibility. Additionally, Aventurine lays the groundwork for a bridge to Binance Smart Chain (BSC), ensuring a future of seamless cross-chain token transfers.

Delegated staking contracts have also been introduced, offering validators the opportunity to test staking functionalities, including support for liquid staking. This prepares the network for a new, user-friendly staking portal that will accompany the mainnet launch of Zilliqa 2.0. The portal will simplify the process of staking for users and further incentivise network security through attractive reward mechanisms.

Developers and users will also benefit from the dual-network system deployed with Aventurine. By creating a new proto-testnet and a new proto-mainnet that import historical data from the current Zilliqa testnet and mainnet respectively, the release ensures a smoother transition for applications ahead of the mainnet migration. 

Current dApps such as PlunderSwap DEX and the Safe multi-signature wallet that are available on Zilliqa mainnet have been migrated to the Aventurine proto-mainnet, allowing their teams to make these applications available for public testing on the new protocol.

Building and staking on Aventurine

The release of Aventurine signals an important opportunity for validators to join the network and test their node configurations before the mainnet launch of Zilliqa 2.0. Once mainnet Zilliqa 2.0 is live, validators will be able to stake $ZIL and earn rewards for helping to secure the network.

Several validators joined the previous Jasper proto-testnet phase, and we hope to see even more join the Aventurine proto-mainnet to prepare to benefit from the significant staking incentives offered by the upcoming mainnet launch. 

To connect to the Aventurine proto-testnet and proto-mainnet, please use the endpoint information below:

Zilliqa 2.0 Aventurine proto-testnet:

• Name: proto-testnet
• ChainID: 33103
• RPC Server Address: https://api.zq2-prototestnet.zilliqa.com/ 

Zilliqa 2.0 Aventurine proto-mainnet:

• Name: proto-mainnet
• ChainID: 32770
• RPC Server Address: https://api.zq2-protomainnet.zilliqa.com 

Developers exploring Aventurine should take note of the following when experimenting on the new network:

• API Backward Compatibility: All Zilliqa 1.0 APIs have been implemented for backward compatibility, but some return values (e.g., those related to DS blocks) are placeholders, as Zilliqa 2.0 does not support all Zilliqa 1.0-specific features.
• Historical Querying: The entire Zilliqa 1.0 block history can be queried. However, transactions are not re-executed to generate historical logs or traces, and some fields in the returned blocks or transactions may differ between Zilliqa 1.0 seed nodes and Zilliqa 2.0 API nodes. If this affects your dApp, reach out and let us know.
• EVM Interoperability: If EVM contracts deployed on Zilliqa 1.0 that use EVM-Scilla interoperability, such as those wrapping ZRC-2 tokens in ERC-20 contracts, experience issues on Zilliqa 2.0, contact us to whitelist them for compatibility.
• Public API Limitations: Public API nodes operated by Zilliqa limit response sizes to 10MB. This means dApps querying large Scilla contract states, such as the SSNList, will need to connect to a dedicated RPC node to function properly.

Note that the Aventurine release of Zilliqa 2.0 also introduces reference implementations of staking and delegation contracts written in Solidity. On the Zilliqa 2.0 network, staking is decentralised and integral to the security of the network. 

Upon the migration to the Zilliqa 2.0 mainnet, delegators will need to manually migrate their staked ZIL to these new staking contracts. 

A dedicated staking portal managed by the Zilliqa core team will be deployed first on Aventurine and later the Zilliqa 2.0 mainnet to simulate and then facilitate the seamless migration of staked ZIL to the new staking and delegation contracts.

Find out more about the Aventurine release for Zilliqa 2.0 in the developer documentation.

Paving the way for Zilliqa 2.0

Aventurine introduces exciting capabilities that will shape the future of Zilliqa 2.0. The proto-mainnet ensures compatibility with EVM standards, prepares for liquid staking and a seamless dApp transition, and reinforces Zilliqa’s commitment to interoperability.

These advancements are more than technical milestones—they represent Zilliqa’s vision for scalability, security, and usability in the next phase of blockchain evolution. With the upcoming launch of x-shards for flexible scalability and smart accounts to simplify user experiences, Zilliqa 2.0 is poised to empower developers and businesses with a blockchain tailored to their needs.

As Aventurine takes Zilliqa closer to the mainnet launch, it invites developers, validators, and the community to explore its new capabilities. Together, we are building the foundation for a scalable, interoperable, and user-centric Web3.

Learn more on the Zilliqa roadmap website and read the developer documentation to start building on Zilliqa 2.0.