Horizen is an EVM-compatible Layer 3 blockchain built on Base using the OP Stack. Its token, ZEN, is used for governance, staking and applications across the Horizen ecosystem.
What Is Horizen (ZEN)? Horizen Coin Review
Horizen is an EVM-compatible Layer 3 blockchain built on Base using the OP Stack. Its token, ZEN, is used for governance, staking and applications across the Horizen ecosystem.
The project started as ZenCash in 2017 and was renamed Horizen on August 22, 2018. ZEN kept the same ticker after the rebrand. On July 23, 2025, ZEN moved from the legacy Horizen mainchain and EON to Base as an ERC-20 token. Horizen later launched its Layer 3 mainnet on Base.
ZEN is no longer a privacy coin. Horizen now focuses on privacy at the application and infrastructure level, while the ZEN token itself does not provide private transactions.
August 22, 2026 marks eight years since the ZenCash to Horizen rebrand.
Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Check the ZEN contract address, network and receiving wallet before sending funds.
ZEN is the governance and utility token of the Horizen ecosystem. It launched in 2017 as the native coin of the original network and moved to Base as an ERC-20 token in July 2025.
ZEN has a fixed maximum supply of 21 million tokens. It can be transferred on Base and bridged to Horizen Mainnet for staking and use with supported applications.
The official ZEN contract on Base is:
0xf43eB8De897Fbc7F2502483B2Bef7Bb9EA179229
Horizen Mainnet is an EVM-compatible Layer 3 built on Base. Transactions on Horizen use ETH for gas, while ZEN has a separate role as the ecosystem token.
| Property | Horizen Mainnet |
|---|---|
| Network type | Layer 3 |
| Built on | Base |
| Technology | OP Stack |
| EVM compatible | Yes |
| Chain ID | 26514 |
| Gas token | ETH |
| Ecosystem token | ZEN |
| RPC | https://horizen.calderachain.xyz/http |
| Explorer | https://explorer.horizen.io/ |
ZEN staking opened on Horizen Mainnet in July 2026, with reward distribution starting on July 27. Users need ZEN on Horizen Mainnet and a small amount of ETH for gas. ZEN held on Base can be bridged to Horizen before staking.
Under the current staking setup, users can claim rewards without withdrawing their principal and can unstake ZEN without a lock-up period.
No. ZEN can no longer be mined.
The legacy Horizen mainchain used the Equihash Proof-of-Work algorithm. Miners produced blocks and received ZEN rewards, which is why older Horizen coin reviews contain instructions for GPU mining, Equihash hardware and ZEN mining pools.
That model ended after ZEN moved to Base and the legacy chains were discontinued. Current ZEN exists as an ERC-20 token on Base and can be bridged to Horizen Mainnet for staking.
The maximum supply remains capped at 21 million ZEN.
ZEN can be bought or exchanged through services that support the current ERC-20 version of ZEN on Base. ChangeNOW supports Horizen coin swaps on Base without requiring a traditional order book.
To get ZEN through ChangeNOW:
Check the network before sending funds. Legacy Horizen addresses belong to the discontinued network and should not be used for the current Base version of ZEN.
The Horizen price changes with the market. ChangeNOW shows the current exchange rate and estimated ZEN amount before an exchange is confirmed, so there is no need to rely on a fixed Horizen coin price quoted in an article.
Users who already hold ZEN can exchange it for other supported cryptocurrencies through ChangeNOW.
The right Horizen coin wallet depends on which network the ZEN is on.
ZEN on Base can be stored in EVM-compatible wallets that support the Base network. MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet are among the wallets supported in Horizen's current staking flow, alongside WalletConnect-compatible wallets.
Users who want to move ZEN to Horizen Mainnet for staking need to add the Horizen network to their wallet:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Network name | Horizen Mainnet |
| Chain ID | 26514 |
| RPC | https://horizen.calderachain.xyz/http |
| Currency symbol | ETH |
| Explorer | https://explorer.horizen.io/ |
ZEN uses different contract addresses on Base and Horizen Mainnet. Check which network the wallet is connected to before importing the token or sending funds.
Horizen no longer uses the network model described in older ZEN mining and privacy coin guides. ZEN now runs as an ERC-20 token on Base, while Horizen operates as an EVM-compatible Layer 3 built on Base.
ZEN can be bought, swapped and held on Base or bridged to Horizen Mainnet for staking. Before sending ZEN, check the network, token contract and receiving address.
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