GnosisDAO Votes to Pivot Gnosis Chain into Ethereum Layer 2

The proposal, GIP 153, addresses long-standing concerns regarding the sustainability of the current network model, where fee revenue covers only a fraction of security costs. By moving to a rollup architecture, Gnosis Chain will leverage Ethereum validators for settlement, ending the current staking subsidy funded by the DAO treasury. Developers argue this change will allow Gnosis to tap into Ethereum’s liquidity pools synchronously, bypassing the friction typically associated with cross-chain bridges.

While the mandate is firm, the technical transition remains a work in progress. The first iteration of the rollup is tentatively scheduled for late 2026 or early 2027, contingent upon the maturation of the Ethereum Economic Zone framework. Co-founder Friederike Ernst confirmed that the initial release will rely on a centralized sequencer, lacking immediate forced-inclusion mechanisms to protect against censorship. Despite these early trade-offs, the network intends to preserve existing account balances, contract addresses, and chain identifiers, ensuring continuity for current users. Future milestones will focus on finalizing the proving system and operational structure, as Gnosis prepares to become the first production instance of the EEZ design.