Author: sisi, LiChris
With the emergence of the Ordinals protocol, standards and protocols such as BRC20 and ARC20 have emerged. However, problems such as high transaction fees and slow transaction speeds in the Bitcoin mainnet have become increasingly prominent, becoming a major problem that hinders the further development of Bitcoin ecosystem Layer 2 projects. At the same time, another issue that cannot be ignored - the security risks of asset management - has also attracted more attention. The reason is that Bitcoin's own script mechanism is difficult to directly have Turing completeness. Against this background, the Bitcoin Layer 2 solution came into being.
However, since the Bitcoin ecosystem currently has only a few gameplay methods such as inscriptions, runes, and swaps, there has not been a continuous explosion of attractive phenomenal applications like the DeFi Summer in 2020. In addition, the high transaction fees mentioned above have made many users less familiar with the actual interactive operations of Bitcoin Layer 2, including Zulu Network. Therefore, this article will introduce the development history of Zulu Network to make more users familiar with the interactive process and ultimate vision of Zulu Network, so that some people can first enter the grand ecological map of Bitcoin.
1. What is Zulu Network? What problem does it solve?
The Zulu Network team was established in 2023. After a year of steady development, it has now gained a certain influence in the Bitcoin Layer 2 track. In early April 2024, the Zulu Network test network was successfully launched and has been running smoothly ever since. Currently, the Zulu test network has more than 700,000 registered users and has processed more than 12 million transactions. At the same time, Zulu Network also successfully completed a $3 million Pre-Seed round of financing that month, with investors including well-known investment institutions such as Cryptogram Venture and D11 Labs.
The reason why Zulu Network is favored by the capital market is that it is the most representative of many Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions. Zulu Network is the first Bitcoin second-layer platform to implement a two-layer architecture (L2 and L3). Zulu Network is building a new infrastructure to solve the many limitations of the Bitcoin network we mentioned earlier. It uses a programmable, scalable and innovative approach to optimize the Bitcoin ecosystem and is committed to opening the door to the Bitcoin ecological economy for all developers and users.
2. Still can’t tell the difference between Zulu Network, Zulu Prime, and Zulu Nexus L3?
A simple explanation in one sentence: Zulu Network is the industry's first Bitcoin second-layer platform that implements a two-layer architecture (L2 and L3) built by the Zulu team. It is an innovative solution based on the main problems currently facing the Bitcoin ecosystem; and ZuluPrime and ZuluNexus L3 are two important functions adopted by Zulu Network to solve the problems. The relationship between the three can be briefly explained by the following figure.
Specifically, ZuluPrime (EVM) is an EVM-compatible L2 platform that aims to build a new BitFi (Bitcoin DeFi) ecosystem through smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). As the foundation of Zulu Network, ZuluPrime is a second-layer solution on the Bitcoin network, built on the Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (ZKEVM) developed by zkSync's zero-knowledge (ZK) stack. Its main goal is to introduce Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility to the Bitcoin network and provide stable and mature DeFi applications and financial services.
ZuluNexus (UTXO) is an L3 platform that integrates the scalability of UTXO and focuses on the innovation of Bitcoin's original ecosystem and native assets. ZuluNexus introduces a new virtual machine (VM) architecture that does not support EVM compatibility but supports both UTXO and account types. This design retains the basic functions of Bitcoin while introducing new features, providing space for developers to innovate.
As an innovation layer, ZuluNexus is designed for seamless interaction with ZuluPrime. The verification of its state changes depends on the verification network and the Bitcoin network, which must be completed in conjunction with ZuluPrime's proof. The key to ZuluNexus's innovation lies in the virtual machine (VM), which not only integrates the asset types (UTXO and accounts) of BTC and ETH, but also enhances the functionality of the UTXO model, making the development of smart contracts based on UTXO possible. ZuluPrime and ZuluNexus are connected through an official bridge, enabling rapid asset transfer.
3. What are Zulu - BitVM Bridge and Zulu - BitVM Swap?
If you are a veteran on-chain interactive player, you should be able to figure out the purpose of these two applications from the names above. That's right - Zulu-BitVM Bridge and Zulu-BitVM Swap are mainly used for cross-chain Bitcoin assets. The difference is that Zulu-BitVM Bridge provides a 1:1 direct correspondence for Bitcoin network asset values on the second layer through a two-way anchoring mechanism. As we mentioned above, the Bitcoin script mechanism is difficult to have Turing-complete characteristics, so BitVM Bridge is most suitable for a fixed amount of large amounts of BTC.
In contrast, Zulu-BitVM Swap, through the cooperation of ZuluNexus and ZuluPrime, is much more flexible and applicable to any amount of BTC, and can provide cross-chain services for daily users. The principle is that by improving the programmability of Bitcoin, Zulu's BitVM enables Bitcoin to interact with its second layer (L2) using zero-knowledge proof (ZKP), greatly improving the efficiency of cross-chain assets.
4. How to earn Zulu Genesis Points (ZGP)?
On May 17, the Zulu Network testnet activity Lwazi released version V4. The core of this upgrade introduced additional rewards for Twitter links and valid friend invitation rewards. It also optimized existing tasks, updated the interface layout, and optimized the bridge history records to make user operations smoother and more efficient.
How to enter the event page?
Log in to the Zulu Network official website (https://zulunetwork.io/) and enter the [Lwazi] event page;
What tasks need to be completed?
After entering the [Lwazi] event page, follow the prompts to complete the tasks of connecting your wallet, visiting and following Zulu Network’s X account, joining Zulu Network’s Discord and Telegram, etc. to get ZGP points rewards.
What new tasks are there to earn ZGP?
In addition to the above regular tasks, users can also earn ZGP by trading on AdamSwap on Zulu Network or providing/removing liquidity activities. Up to 500 ZGP can be earned per day. Please click the link for detailed participation tutorials.
In addition, for more latest tasks, please follow Zulu Network’s official X account and Discord
https://twitter.com/zulu_network and https://discord.com/invite/ZVaQPjhxTG
5. How to add Zulu Testnet network in TP Wallet?
Users first need to add the Zulu Testnet network in TP Wallet. The specific steps are as follows:
Open TP Wallet, click the button in the upper left corner to display the wallet list, and click the “+” button.
The "Select Network" interface appears, scroll to the bottom and click "Add Custom Network".
Enter the following information in the Custom Network field and click Save:
Network Name: Zulu Testnet
Node link (RPC): https://rpc-testnet.zulunetwork.io
Chain ID：90104
Native currency symbol: ZULU
In Select Network, click Zulu Testnet you just saved. If you don’t have a wallet, click “Create Wallet” and follow the prompts to create your wallet.
After the wallet is created, you can see your wallet information in the Zulu Testnet network.
6. How to receive ZULU test coins
Users can connect to Zulu’s Discord and claim ZULU test tokens from our “faucet”.
Join Zulu Network’s Discord: https://discord.com/invite/ZVaQPjhxTG
In the Zulu Community section of Discord, you will find the #testnet-faucet channel.
To use the faucet, just send this message: @Zulu Testnet Faucet [your wallet address].
Example:
7. How to add tokens to the Zulu Testnet network
In the Zulu Testnet wallet, click the plus sign on the right and select “Custom Tokens”.
Taking zbtc as an example, enter the token contract of zbtc, click "Save", and click "Add".
The contract information for adding tokens is as follows (name: address):
sats: 0x400F2D07FB6D910Db8494d68EB792E4757D11337
ordi: 0x3AbC143b36e0F3451efF5b98F91E2ECC803103E3
rats: 0x6D0f4478a2545dBC262BbF55E7fC0E917046542C
mice: 0x9d1A568b53910c9909CA68821052EAEfFC1aB619
.com: 0x923bF4A716B802BE362104Dc6C65970598667686
zbtc: 0x11ea382E04d54B73610e7A96f259303e385C5e8a
8. How to use the Zulu Bridge test network (taking TP Wallet as an example)
Open the Zulu Bridge test network website on your mobile phone: https://testnet.zulunetwork.io/bridge
Click "Connect Wallet" on the top right, select "Zulu Testnet", and click "ALL Wallets" at the bottom. Select TP Wallet in ALL Wallets.
Select Open this page in TP Wallet, the page will jump to TP Wallet, follow the prompts and select "Connect Wallet".
After the page jumps back to the Zulu Bridge testnet webpage, wait a few seconds to complete the wallet connection.
Withdraw: From Zulu Testnet to Bitcoin Testnet
Click the drop-down list on the right side of the Amount dialog box, select zbtc, enter the Amount, and fill in the BRC-20 address where the user receives the cross-chain asset, and click "Withdraw". Then select "Open" in the pop-up prompt.
Select "Confirm" in the transaction details that pop up, enter the wallet password, and click "Confirm" to complete the transaction.
About Zulu Network
Zulu Network is the first Bitcoin Layer 2 with a two-layer architecture. ZuluPrime is EVM-compatible for scaling and BitFi; ZuluNexus provides UTXO programmability, a unique solution that continues to support Bitcoin-native innovations (cheaper, faster, scalable, and programmable).
