A zero address (or null address) is a special blockchain address consisting entirely of zeros (e.g., 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 on Ethereum). It is commonly used as a burn address — tokens sent to it are permanently removed from circulation.
Uses
Token Burning: Projects send tokens to the zero address to permanently reduce circulating supply.
Token Creation: On Ethereum, new tokens minted by smart contracts show as transfers "from" the zero address in block explorers.
Contract Deployment: Smart contract creation transactions are sent to the zero address.
Why It Works as a Burn Address
No one possesses the private key for the zero address (generating a private key that produces an all-zero address is mathematically impossible with current technology). Therefore, any tokens sent to it are permanently inaccessible — effectively destroyed.