Ethereum Upgrade: Cheaper Gas Fees and Scaling Progress

zkSync is **sunsetting its Lite product** after determining it fulfilled its original mission. The team is now shifting focus to **Prividium**, a new settlement and coordination layer designed specifically for institutional finance on Ethereum. The new direction emphasizes: - Private execution and selective disclosures - Settlement anchored to Ethereum - Adoption from financial institutions zkSync positions this pivot as building infrastructure for "programmable settlement" as traditional finance evolves, with the $ZK token underpinning network activity. Full details: [zkSync blog post](https://www.zksync.io/blog/zksync-lite-sunset)

**Transaction Submission Paused** ZKsync has halted transaction submissions as the Security Council verifies the final state root before activating the claim contract. **Key Timeline** - Withdrawals: Enabled after verification completes - Expected verification time: Approximately 4,872 hours (~203 days) - Claims: Will only go live after verification is complete **Important Reminders** - Funds not withdrawn before May 4 are **not lost** - All funds remain fully claimable through upcoming tools - Read-only API will stay online for at least one year - Funds remain protected under governance The team will share updates once claiming becomes available.

Users with funds on Lite can now claim their balances on Ethereum L1 through a new dedicated withdrawal portal. **Key Features:** - Independent verification tools published for transparency - First 100,000 withdrawals will be sponsored - Withdrawal mechanism placed under Token Assembly governance - Process designed to reduce dependence on single operators All funds remain safely accessible and claimable on the Ethereum mainnet.

**ZKsync Lite officially ceased block production on May 4, 2026**, marking the end of an era for one of Ethereum's pioneering Layer 2 solutions. **Key Points:** - ZKsync Lite was the first mainnet proof-of-concept for ZK rollups, demonstrating zero-knowledge scaling in production - The platform onboarded millions of users and helped scale Ethereum during a critical period - This is a **planned and orderly sunset** that was previously communicated to users - The shutdown **does not affect ZKsync Era** or any other ZKsync Chains - Users were advised on how to safely withdraw their funds before the deadline ZKsync Lite served as a payments-focused rollup that proved the viability of ZK technology for Ethereum scaling. Its legacy continues through ZKsync Era and other chains in the ecosystem.

ZKsync has submitted its v31 protocol upgrade proposal (ZIP-16) to the governance forum for community review. **Key Features:** - **ZKsync Connect**: Native interoperability between ZKsync Chains using $ZK token - **Stage 1 Support**: Enhanced capabilities for L1-settling chains - **Expanded Compatibility**: Broader ZKsync OS support The upgrade focuses on improving cross-chain communication within the ZKsync ecosystem. Native interop allows different ZKsync chains to interact seamlessly while denominating transactions in $ZK. The proposal is currently open for governance discussion, allowing the community to review and provide feedback on the technical specifications and implementation timeline.