Nature Chemistry, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02185-8 Few nickel enzymes have been discovered to date, limiting understanding of nickel-catalysed chemistry in nature. Now, a unique family of nickel pincer mononucleotide-utilizing enzymes has been identified through bioinformatics and characterized through biochemical and structural studies, expanding the known repertoire of nickel enzymes.