Ethereum’s first ZK-rollup, ZKsync Lite, to be retired in 2026
Analysis
Price Impact
LowThe deprecation of zksync lite is an orderly sunset of an outdated proof-of-concept l2 that already sees minimal usage and tvl compared to its successor, zksync era. this move signifies strategic focus on the more advanced zkevm. therefore, direct price impact on the zk token is expected to be low as it's a planned, non-disruptive transition.
Trustworthiness
HighThe announcement comes directly from the official zksync team (matter labs) via their social channels, detailing a planned and orderly retirement with ample notice, making the information highly reliable.
Price Direction
NeutralWhile the retirement of an older product might initially sound negative, in this context, it's a streamlining of resources towards the more capable zksync era. this transition demonstrates project maturity and focus, which can be seen as a long-term positive, but has no significant immediate bullish or bearish catalysts given zksync lite's already low relevance.
Time Effect
LongThe deprecation is planned for 2026, providing a long lead time. the immediate market reaction is negligible. the long-term effect is a clearer focus on zksync era, which could contribute to the overall health and adoption of the zksync ecosystem over time.
Original Article:
Article Content:
Jesse Coghlan 4 minutes ago Ethereum’s first ZK-rollup, ZKsync Lite, to be retired in 2026 ZKsync says its first Ethereum zero-knowledge rollup blockchain will have an “orderly sunset” next year as it has served its purpose. Listen 0:00 News COINTELEGRAPH IN YOUR SOCIAL FEED ZKsync Lite, the first-ever zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup network to launch on Ethereum, will be deprecated next year, its team says, as it has fulfilled its purpose. “In 2026, we plan to deprecate ZKsync Lite (aka ZKsync 1.0), the original 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 does not affect any other ZKsync systems.” It added that ZKsync Lite “was a groundbreaking proof-of-concept and validated critical ideas related to building production ZK systems.” “It did its job: prove what’s possible and pave the way for the next generation.” Technology company Matter Labs launched ZKsync Lite in 2020, designed for fast transfers and minting non-fungible tokens (NFTs). However, it didn’t support smart contracts , which limited its use. Source: ZKsync The network was the first to use validity proofs that instantly proved if a transaction was valid, before transactions were bundled up and sent to the Ethereum mainnet for final validation. Matter Labs stopped development on ZKsync Lite in early 2023 after launching its zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) that supported smart contracts, ZKsync Era. ZKsync said that no immediate action was required from ZKsync Lite users, and the network is operating as usual. “Funds remain safe, and withdrawals to L1 will keep working through the process,” it added. Its other products are similarly unaffected, and the team said it would share “concrete details, dates, and migration guidance soon” for ZKsync Lite. Related: Privacy tools are rising behind institutional adoption, says ZKsync dev Just under $50 million is currently bridged to the network, according to DefiLlama, but L2BEAT data shows it has only seen just over 330 user operations in the past day. By comparison, ZKsync Era has a total value locked of $36.4 million and has seen over 22,000 user operations over the past day. It comes as the blockchain could be undergoing more changes. Last month, ZKsync co-creator Alex Gluchowski proposed overhauling its ZKsync ( ZK ) governance token to prioritize “economic utility,” tying the token to the network’s fees. Magazine: What are native rollups? Full guide to Ethereum’s latest innovation # Blockchain # Business # Ethereum # Layer2 # zk-Rollup Add reaction