# ZABAL Update #12

*Post-Launch Info & Learnings*

By [The ZAO Newsletter](https://paragraph.com/@thezao) · 2026-01-02

---

Yesterday, **January 1st, 2026**, ZABAL officially launched.

The launch happened live on the ZABAL leaderboard with the community present in real time. The token was deployed using **Empire Builder on the Clanker protocol**. Huge shoutout to the Empire Builder team for helping make this happen and supporting the launch.

If you missed it, you can watch the full youtube video here:

[![](https://paragraph.com/editor/youtube/play.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fae5JcV4vUc)

* * *

### What Happened on Day 1

On launch day:

*   A live Songjam audio space was open before launch
    
*   People onboarded and asked questions in real time
    
*   Wallets connected to the leaderboard
    
*   Leaderboard activity reflected actual participation
    
*   Builders and contributors engaged because the flow was clear
    

This is what ZABAL is designed for: coordinated participation rather than passive speculation.

* * *

### Buying ZABAL — Important

If you are buying ZABAL, **do not swap ETH directly to ZABAL**.

You should route your swap as follows:  
**ETH → SANG → ZABAL**

Most platforms are currently routing **ETH → ZABAL through the wrong pools**, which can lead to bad pricing or failed swaps. Going through **SANG first** ensures correct routing and proper liquidity access.

This is due to **front-end and routing limitations in current Web3 interfaces**. The **SANG/ZABAL pair is brand new**, and because the launch occurred during a holiday period, it has not yet been fully whitelisted or indexed across all interfaces.

Until that process is complete, routing through SANG is the correct path.

**Contract Addresses:**  
SANG CA: `0x4FF4d349CAa028BD069bbE85fA05253f96176741`  
ZABAL CA: `0xbB48f19B0494Ff7C1fE5Dc2032aeEE14312f0b07`

* * *

### Incented Campaign + Dappable Builder Challenge

**Incented** is the program.  
**Dappable** is the tool builders use.

The Incented campaign tracks and evaluates submissions. Dappable is used to build the actual apps.

We are running a **one-week builder challenge**:

**Best ZABAL App Built with Dappable**

Build a working app that supports the ZABAL or ZAO ecosystem.  
It does not need to be perfect.  
It does need to work.

Examples include:

*   Token-gated pages
    
*   Community or onboarding tools
    
*   Event or ticket pages
    
*   Dashboards
    
*   ZABAL or WaveWarZ helpers
    

If it helps people use or understand the ecosystem, it qualifies.

Builders submit through the **Incented program**.  
Apps are built using **Dappable**.

Voting is done with **$LOANZ** and determines how the **$50 USDC reward** is split.  
Dappable memberships and additional rewards are selected by the ZAO team based on usefulness and effort.

Start building here:  
[https://www.dappable.ai](https://www.dappable.ai)

Live demo (build walkthrough with Asaf from Dappable):

[![](https://paragraph.com/editor/youtube/play.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqp9JhJZlhM)

* * *

### ZOLs — ZABAL Opinion Leaders (December 2025)

ZOLs were finalized based on **December 2025 participation**.

These are community members who consistently showed up, contributed, and helped orient others during the lead-up to launch.

**ZOL Results**

Gold ZOL  
@GodFactorID — 261,659 points

Silver ZOL  
@wildermetax — 213,849 points

Bronze ZOL  
@Preshzinobabe — 174,348 points

All ZOLs received the **ZOL Hat on the ZABAL Tree**, which will:

*   Grant permissions for ZOL group chats
    
*   Enable future coordination and access
    
*   Serve as onchain recognition of contribution
    

ZOLs will also be **interviewed by me directly** to talk about who they are, what they are building, and their brands.

ZOL Hats Tree:  
[https://app.hatsprotocol.xyz/trees/10/25](https://app.hatsprotocol.xyz/trees/10/25)

* * *

I appreciate everyone who showed up on Day 1 — listeners, builders, voters, and contributors. ZABAL only works when people participate with intention, and that is exactly what happened.

**– Zaal, from the ZABAL**

---

*Originally published on [The ZAO Newsletter](https://paragraph.com/@thezao/zabal-update-12)*