ZKsync Lite, the primary zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup network launched on Ethereum, can be deprecated next yr because it has served its purpose, in line with the team.
“In 2026, we plan to stop using ZKsync Lite (aka ZKsync 1.0), the unique ZK rollup we launched on Ethereum,” ZKsync wrote to X on Sunday. “This is a planned, orderly sunset for a system that has served its purpose and has no impact on other ZKsync systems.”
It added that ZKsync Lite was “a groundbreaking proof-of-concept and validated critical ideas related to constructing ZK production systems.”
“It served its purpose: to prove what is feasible and to pave the best way for the following generation.”
Technology company Matter Labs launched ZKsync Lite in 2020, designing it for fast transfers and minting of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). However, it didn’t support smart contracts, which limited its use.
Source: ZKsync
The network was the primary to make use of proof of validity, which immediately proved whether a transaction was valid before batching transactions and sending them to the Ethereum mainnet for final validation.
Matter Labs halted development of ZKsync Lite in early 2023 after launching its zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) that powered smart contracts, ZKsync Era.
ZKsync said that no immediate motion was required from ZKsync Lite users and the network was operating as usual. “Funds will remain secure and withdrawals on L1 will proceed to work throughout the method,” it added.
The other products are also not affected, and the team said it is going to release “concrete details, data and migration notes soon” for ZKsync Lite.
According to DefiLlama, slightly below $50 million is currently being transferred to the network, but L2BEAT data shows that there have been just over 330 user operations up to now day.
In comparison, DefiLlama shows that ZKsync Era has a complete value in decentralized finance of $36.4 million, with L2BEAT showing that over 22,000 user operations were recorded up to now day.
The ZKsync blockchain may undergo further changes. Last month, co-creator Alex Gluchowski proposed an overhaul of its governance token ZKsync (ZK) to prioritize “economic utility” and peg the token to the network’s fees.
