Nethermind, a major Ethereum engineering company, has discontinued its operations as a decentralized verifier network provider for LayerZero and joined the Chainlink Network as a node operator and strategic technology provider. The firm will help secure Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol and Data Feeds while supplying engineering tools, infrastructure services, and integration support to blockchain developers.

The announcement, made on August 19, 2026, stated that the decision followed an extensive review. Nethermind will concentrate its cross-chain activities on Chainlink’s CCIP. Financial terms of the arrangement and a precise timeline for completing the migration were not disclosed. The company said it would provide further updates as the process advances.

Shift in Cross-Chain Infrastructure Role

Within LayerZero’s model, decentralized verifier networks independently confirm the authenticity and integrity of messages traveling between blockchains. Applications select which verifiers to use and determine how many approvals are required before a transaction can proceed. Nethermind had operated as one of the available infrastructure providers under that system and previously listed LayerZero verifier services among its cross-chain offerings.

Under the new arrangement, Nethermind will run nodes that support Chainlink’s network. Chainlink’s CCIP relies on independent node operators, transaction limits, and a separate risk-management network to oversee cross-chain activity. Nethermind will also contribute technical expertise drawn from its work on Ethereum infrastructure.

Founded in 2017, Nethermind develops one of Ethereum’s primary execution clients. The firm employs more than 200 people focused on client development, cryptography, blockchain security, formal verification, and institutional infrastructure. Its software supports more than 16,000 Ethereum validators and over $5 billion in delegated assets. Partners and clients have included EtherFi, Gnosis, Lido, StarkWare, World, and Arbitrum.

Context of Recent Cross-Chain Migrations

Nethermind’s move occurs several months after an April 2026 incident in which attackers drained approximately 116,500 rsETH, valued at about $292 million at the time, from Kelp DAO’s LayerZero-powered bridge. The attack involved a forged cross-chain message and a single-verifier configuration. Kelp DAO later migrated its rsETH operations to Chainlink CCIP while disputing aspects of LayerZero’s account of the security setup.

LayerZero stated that the protocol had initially used a multi-verifier arrangement before a change to a single verifier, a configuration it said it had not recommended for production use. After the incident, LayerZero indicated it would cease approving messages for applications secured by only one verifier and would encourage affected projects to adopt multi-verifier setups. The company attributed the event to a compromised verifier rather than a core protocol flaw.

Nethermind did not state whether the Kelp incident prompted its review and did not identify any specific security failure at LayerZero.

Other organizations have also moved cross-chain operations to Chainlink in the intervening period. BitGo selected Chainlink as the exclusive cross-chain provider for Wrapped Bitcoin, replacing LayerZero across an ecosystem then valued at roughly $7.3 billion. Aave adopted CCIP as the default system for multiple cross-chain functions. Wyoming’s Frontier Stable Token, or FRNT, completed a migration from LayerZero to Chainlink after a state security review, with Chainlink becoming the exclusive cross-chain provider under a multiyear agreement. Publicly disclosed migrations of this type have collectively involved value approaching $15 billion.

Focus on Institutional Infrastructure

Nethermind described the change as a long-term infrastructure decision aligned with its approach of making deliberate commitments to systems it believes can support on-chain financial services. The firm will operate infrastructure for CCIP and Data Feeds while offering tooling and integration services intended to assist teams building secure applications.

Neither Nethermind nor Chainlink released details on the commercial terms of the partnership. Nethermind’s announcement focused on its role in helping secure the network as part of efforts to support institutional participation in on-chain systems.

The transition removes a significant third-party verifier from LayerZero’s available network of operators and adds Nethermind’s engineering capacity to Chainlink’s node operator set. Updates on the progress of the migration are expected as Nethermind continues the process.