Ethereum is facing an unusual form of risk in 2026 that sits at the system level and links directly to validator economics. A research paper from the Bank of Italy highlights how an extreme decline in Ethereum’s native incentives could affect settlement reliability, creating a scenario where hundreds of billions of dollars in tokenized assets could remain locked on-chain.

At the same time, ZKP is being assessed through its market structure rather than short-term price action. Based on official documentation, 8 billion ZKP tokens, equal to 3% of the total supply, are reserved for liquidity across major decentralized and centralized exchanges. This approach focuses on steady access, controlled onboarding, and lower volatility in early trading, while the network’s privacy-first compute framework continues to mature.

Why Ethereum’s Settlement Model Is Under Review?

Ethereum operates as a multi-asset settlement layer, but its reliability is tied to the economics of its native token. Validators face real-world operating costs, yet their rewards are paid on-chain. In a severe market stress event, this imbalance could reduce validator participation below safe operating levels.

The size of the ecosystem explains why this concern matters:

• More than 1.7 million assets exist on Ethereum, with value heavily concentrated in a smaller group of major tokens.

• Total capitalization secured on the network has exceeded 800B, including two major dollar-backed stablecoins with a combined value near 140B.

How Asset Lockups Become a Practical Risk

Ethereum produces blocks continuously, but secure settlement still depends on a sufficient number of honest validators. The risk increases because large portions of value are already embedded in on-chain systems that cannot coordinate instantly during stress events:

• Around 85B locked in DeFi contracts, based on DeFiLlama data, which can slow exits during settlement disruption.

• Built-in design limits such as validator exit caps of roughly 3,600 per day, which can restrict how quickly the network adjusts during panic conditions.

Understanding ZKP’s Infrastructure Approach

ZKP is a privacy-first Layer-1 blockchain designed for verifiable computation in the artificial intelligence era. It enables data and AI workloads to be processed without revealing raw inputs, using zero-knowledge cryptography to prove results while keeping information private.

Unlike many crypto launches, ZKP was developed before public distribution, with over $100 million self-funded into infrastructure, a four-layer blockchain architecture, and dedicated hardware support. Tokens are released through a transparent daily crypto presale auction, positioning ZKP as an infrastructure-focused network rather than a speculation-driven launch.

How ZKP’s Liquidity Model Aims for Market Stability

ZKP’s liquidity framework is deliberately built to limit short-term imbalance. Rather than adding all liquidity at once, part of the 8B ZKP allocation is locked and released in stages over a 12 to 18 month period, which lowers the chance of sudden supply pressure.

This structure helps support:

• Price stability during early trading
• Consistent access across DEXs and CEXs
• Lower volatility during onboarding periods

By staging liquidity instead of pushing it upfront, ZKP places orderly market development ahead of fast turnover.

Why Gradual Liquidity Matters in Early Markets

Early markets are often exposed to thin depth and rapid price swings. ZKP’s choice to phase liquidity reflects a focus on long-term market health rather than short-lived volume, with the aim of supporting steady trading conditions in the network’s early stages.

By locking part of liquidity and releasing it on a clear schedule, ZKP limits sudden selling pressure, improves confidence around visible supply, and reduces exposure to pump and dump behavior. This method aligns with the project’s wider focus on verification-first systems, where reliability and consistency matter as much as participation.

Is Capital Attention Moving Toward ZKP?

ZKP’s liquidity structure works alongside its core technology. While zero-knowledge systems allow verification without exposure, the economic layer ensures that market access stays smooth and controlled as adoption expands.

The result is a setting where:

• Markets can develop without extreme volatility

• Participants can enter without rushing against artificial scarcity

• Infrastructure growth is not overshadowed by unstable pricing

• Liquidity supports long-term use rather than brief attention spikes

Bottom Line

Ethereum’s warning shifts the discussion toward infrastructure risk rather than short-term price movement. With more than 800B in value tied to on-chain settlement, resilience and incentive design are becoming central to how investors judge network strength.
ZKP’s liquidity approach shows a clear choice to favor stable access over speculative surges. By setting aside 8B ZKP, equal to 3% of total supply, for liquidity and releasing it steadily over 12 to 18 months, the project lowers early volatility while encouraging wider participation. As privacy-first computation and verifiable systems gain importance, this strategy positions ZKP as a network focused on sustainable onboarding instead of short-term price action.

Explore ZKP:

Website: https://zkp.com/

Auction: http://buy.zkp.com/ 

X: https://x.com/ZKPofficial

Telegram: https://t.me/ZKPofficial