Zano is scheduled to launch the public testnet for Zano Execution Layer (ZEL), an independent EVM sidechain connected to its privacy chain, in Q3 2026, according to a post from Zano.
The testnet provides a validation stage for adding EVM functionality to the Zano ecosystem. Its practical significance will depend on whether testing shows that the planned smart-contract layer can operate as intended and move toward deployment.
Availability on a public testnet would demonstrate access to the proposed functionality, but it would not by itself establish production readiness, sustained usage, or adoption of the sidechain.
Zano’s answer to smart contracts is ZEL, an independent EVM sidechain connected to the privacy chain through a threshold-signature bridge. L1 keeps ownership, transfers and Confidential Assets private. ZEL runs its own validators, consensus and finality, with…