This post is a public reference for the NIL token migration. It explains what is changing, why we’re doing it, and includes the planned Cosmos nilChain halt time and the official contract links.
What is happening
NIL is migrating from nilChain (Cosmos-based) to Ethereum (ERC-20) as part of Nillion’s move to an Ethereum L2 architecture.
Why we’re doing this
Nillion is migrating to an Ethereum L2 architecture because Ethereum is the main coordination layer of crypto, it’s where most applications and markets live, and where systems are settled and governed in the open.
Moving NIL to Ethereum (as an ERC-20) puts the token in that environment, and sets Nillion up the next phase of the network where participation is run in the open: staking, verification, and node operation can be coordinated through $NIL, while the computation Nillion powers stays private by default.
Key info (UTC)
- Planned nilChain halt time: March 23rd, 2026, 13:00 UTC (exact time tentative)
- Swap ratio: 1:1
- Ticker: NIL
Note: Exchanges may pause deposits and withdrawals around the migration. Exact timings depend on the exchange.
How the migration works
Whilst both networks are live, transfers simply occur via our IBC bridge, After NilChain halts, distribution will continue via a trust-minimized Merkle-claim contract on Ethereum keyed to the canonical NilChain ownership set.
At a predetermined halt height (or finalized snapshot block immediately prior), we will export the chain state and derive a deterministic ledger on all NIL balances by Cosmos account.
From this dataset we compute a Merkle tree whose leaves bind a Cosmos public key (or its hash) to an allocation amount (and index), and publish the Merkle root on Ethereum.
To claim, a user submits:
- A merkle inclusion proof demonstrating entitlement, and
- A signature produced by corresponding Cosmos private key over a domain separated message specifying the Ethereum recipient address and claim parameters.
The contract verifies the proof against the immutable Merkly root, validates the Cosmos key signature onchain, then enforces single use claims (e.g. via bitmap/index tracking), and releases the equivalent ERC-20 NIL 1:1 to the user-designated Ethereum address.
This design cryptographically proves control of the original NilChain account without requiring the source chain to remain live, prevents unauthorized redirection of funds, and allows permissionless claims in perpetuity after NilChain shutdown.
Official token links
New NIL contract (Ethereum ERC-20)
- Contract address: 0x7Cf9a80db3B29eE8efE3710AadB7b95270572d47
- Explorer link: https://etherscan.io/token/0x7cf9a80db3b29ee8efe3710aadb7b95270572d47
Old NIL contract (nilChain)
Old $NIL was the native token on nilChain (Cosmos), so it does not have an Ethereum contract address. Use this explorer link as the reference: Mintscan
Related links
- Migration portal
– From Cosmos to Ethereum
– Official Nillion Bridge
Recent updates