Horizen is in the process of decommissioning its dedicated layer-three network, establishing a strict timeline for holders to secure their digital assets. According to NewsBTC, the final opportunity to transfer funds via the official bridge expires on November 4 at 13:00 UTC. This move shifts the project's primary operational focus to the Base ecosystem, marking a significant infrastructure change for the community.

Exclusions in the recovery plan

Not all assets held on the current network will be automatically returned through the final DAO process. The Defiant noted that USDC.e is explicitly left out of the recovery scope. Horizen clarifies that the later-stage return procedure applies only to ZEN and certain ETH balances. Additionally, the protocol requires specific actions for smart-contract wallets and sets a minimum ETH threshold, meaning users must verify their individual eligibility rather than assuming a blanket refund for all holdings.

Technical reasons for the closure

The decision to accelerate the wind-down stems from technical incompatibilities arising from Base’s Denim upgrade. NewsBTC reported that the new block cadence and data structures introduced by Base broke assumptions underlying the Horizen layer-three architecture. Rather than patching these dependencies, the team opted to migrate the ecosystem entirely to Base, avoiding the long-term maintenance burden of supporting a fragmented infrastructure.

Next steps for holders

Users must act before the November 4 deadline to initiate transfers, as the bridge will cease functioning afterward. It is important to distinguish between submitting a transaction and completing the transfer, as final confirmation depends on the receiving chain's status. While staking interfaces may become inaccessible during the transition, this does not imply the loss of principal funds. Holders should rely on on-chain transaction records and official project communications to track the status of their assets during this migration period.