ZKsync Lite, recognized as Ethereum’s first zero-knowledge rollup, is set to be phased out in 2026, according to its development team. The project served to validate key concepts and has successfully completed its mission.

“In 2026, we plan to deprecate ZKsync Lite (aka ZKsync 1.0), the original ZK-rollup we launched on Ethereum. This is a planned, orderly sunset for a system that has served its purpose and does not affect any other ZKsync systems.”
“It proved what’s possible and paved the way for the next generation.”

Translation: “In 2026, we plan to deprecate ZKsync Lite (aka ZKsync 1.0), the original ZK-rollup we launched on Ethereum. This is a planned, orderly sunset for a system that has served its purpose and does not affect any other ZKsync systems.”
“It proved what’s possible and paved the way for the next generation.”

Matter Labs introduced ZKsync Lite back in 2020, primarily geared towards efficient transfers and the minting of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but it lacked smart contract support.

The network was notable for being the first to utilize validity proofs, enabling it to confirm transaction validity instantly before bundling them for Ethereum mainnet.

Developments halted for ZKsync Lite in early 2023 as the team focused on its zkEVM to integrate smart contracts. Users of ZKsync Lite are not required to take immediate action, with the network continuing to operate as normal.

Current reports indicate nearly $50 million bridged to ZKsync, but its user activity has recently dipped.

Recent updates show that Alex Gluchowski has proposed updates to the governance token to enhance its utility linked to network fees.