Nethermind pivots to Chainlink after dropping LayerZero role

Nethermind is trading one bridge for another. The Ethereum engineering heavyweight just ditched its role as a verifier for LayerZero to join the Chainlink network as a node operator. It's a calculated move to secure Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and its widely used price feeds. By joining the network, Nethermind puts its technical weight behind the industry's most dominant oracle provider. The firm's engineers will now focus on maintaining the data integrity that thousands of DeFi protocols rely on daily. While LayerZero loses a high-profile validator, Chainlink gains a partner with deep roots in the Ethereum ecosystem. It isn't just a change in title; it's a bet on which infrastructure will actually hold up the next wave of institutional finance. Will other major infrastructure firms follow Nethermind's lead toward a single dominant standard?