zkSync Era at a glance.
zkSync Era opened its mainnet alpha in March 2023, becoming one of the first EVM-compatible ZK rollups available to the public. In June 2024, Matter Labs distributed the ZK governance token to early users and ecosystem contributors.
$17.5M
Value locked in DeFi protocols on zkSync Era. Updated Jun 2, 2026. Source: DefiLlama.
ZK
Used for fees and securing the network. See the live ZK price.
How zkSync Era works.
zkSync Era batches transactions off-chain and generates SNARK validity proofs that are submitted to Ethereum for verification. The Ethereum mainnet contract checks each proof, ensuring the state can only advance with valid transitions. Native account abstraction is built into the protocol rather than added as a layer, so smart contract wallets are first-class citizens without a separate ERC-4337 mempool.
zkSync Era batches transactions off-chain and generates SNARK validity proofs that are submitted to Ethereum for verification. The Ethereum mainnet contract checks each proof, ensuring the state can only advance with valid transitions. Native account abstraction is built into the protocol rather than added as a layer, so smart contract wallets are first-class citizens without a separate ERC-4337 mempool.
Native account abstraction
Every account on zkSync Era is a smart contract by default. This allows for features like social recovery, spending limits, and paying gas in tokens other than ETH, without needing separate wallet extensions.
ZK validity proofs
Batches are proven valid before they are accepted on Ethereum, providing cryptographic finality rather than a challenge period. This removes the multi-day withdrawal delay of optimistic rollups.
EVM compatibility
Most Ethereum contracts compile and run on zkSync Era, though some low-level opcodes behave differently. Matter Labs provides tooling to help developers identify and handle these edge cases.
ZKsync ecosystem
Matter Labs is building ZK Stack, a framework that lets other teams launch their own ZK-powered chains that share the zkSync security model, creating a network of interoperable ZK chains.
What zkSync Era is used for.
zkSync Era has attracted a broad DeFi ecosystem including DEXs, lending protocols, and native applications that use account abstraction features for improved user experience.
DeFi with low fees
Swapping, lending, and providing liquidity cost a fraction of mainnet Ethereum, settled with ZK proof security.
Smart wallet applications
Apps that need advanced wallet features, like session keys or gas sponsorship, build natively on zkSync's account abstraction without bolting on separate standards.
NFTs and gaming
Collections and games deploy on zkSync Era to minimize transaction costs while inheriting Ethereum settlement.
ZK Stack chains
Teams can launch application-specific chains using ZK Stack, settling into zkSync's shared security model while keeping their own fee structure.
Hold, swap and spend ZK.
zkSync Era is integrated in the Zypto App. Hold ZK in self-custody, swap it to any supported asset, and use it across Zypto’s features.
Be the reason zkSync Era ships next.
zkSync Era isn’t in the Zypto App yet. Post the request to your followers, chains with the most demand get prioritised.
Request on XCommon questions.
What is the ZK token?
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