zkSync

The $ZK Staking Pilot Program has reached **305 million $ZK tokens staked** as of April 12, 2026. **Key Details:** - Target APR increased from 9% to **10%** (announced March 30) - Uses a **Delegate-to-Stake mechanism** - Rewards require active delegation to be eligible - Current active delegation stands at approximately 1.1B $ZK **Why It Matters:** Higher staking participation strengthens governance resilience for critical decisions including proposals, protocol upgrades, and emergency responses. The delegate-to-stake model ties rewards directly to active participation in the network's governance process.

**Five US regional banks** representing over $600 billion in deposits have joined the [Cari Network](https://www.zksync.io/blog/five-us-banks-are-moving-to-zksync), launching the first tokenized deposits network powered by ZKsync's Prividium technology. **Key developments:** - Partnership with **BitGo** provides banks a turnkey solution for issuing, transferring, and settling tokenized deposits onchain - **ZKsync Connect** introduced as the first interoperability protocol built specifically for institutions - Banks can integrate without building complex internal systems **Why it matters:** Small and mid-sized banks are transforming to compete in the digital assets economy. Tokenized deposits enable efficiency gains in intrabank and interbank settlement, creating a new money layer. The solution runs on **Prividiums** - private, enterprise-controlled chains that allow regulated institutions to maintain compliance while accessing blockchain benefits. This represents a shift from 2025's foundation-building to 2026's focus on real-world use cases.

**Cari Network is building the first tokenized deposits network in the United States**, developed alongside five regional banks: Huntington Bank, First Horizon, M&T Bank, KeyBank, and Old National. Together representing $600B in deposits, these institutions are leveraging ZKsync's Prividium technology to bring bank-issued digital deposits onchain. **Key differences from stablecoins:** - Tokenized deposits are direct bank liabilities, not synthetic assets - Integrated with core banking systems - Eligible for FDIC insurance - Operate within existing regulatory frameworks **What Prividium enables:** - Private, enterprise-controlled blockchain infrastructure - Real-time settlement while maintaining compliance - Security anchored to Ethereum - 24/7 programmable money within banking regulations The network aims to modernize deposit infrastructure for the $8.3T held by regional banks, allowing them to compete in the digital assets economy while preserving privacy and regulatory safeguards. [Read the full case study](https://www.zksync.io/case-studies/cari-network)

**ZKsync representative @gluk64 will speak at the Digital Chamber's DC Blockchain Summit on March 18.** - **Topic**: The role of tokenized deposits in next-generation financial markets - **Focus**: Bridging policy and banking infrastructure - **Time**: 1:35 PM - **Location**: Washington, D.C. The presentation addresses privacy, compliance, and institutional adoption in the evolving landscape of digital finance.

**The shift to instant settlement is reshaping finance.** Stablecoins have already begun transforming payment systems, and tokenized deposits are positioned to be the next major development. **Key developments:** - Tokenized deposits will allow institutions to issue regulated digital money - These digital assets can move in real time across markets and international borders - Industry experts predict tokenized deposits could become the fastest growing onchain asset class **Why this matters for banks:** Tokenized deposits offer financial institutions a way to remain competitive in the evolving digital assets economy. Unlike stablecoins, which operate outside traditional banking systems, tokenized deposits enable banks to issue their own regulated digital currency while maintaining compliance frameworks. **The broader context:** This development follows the success of stablecoins as onchain settlement tokens. The technology represents a move toward more efficient, integrated financial infrastructure that can operate 24/7 without the delays of traditional settlement systems. Institutions are beginning to recognize that real-time settlement capabilities will be essential for competing in digital finance.

**Institutional-Grade Security Through Zero-Knowledge Technology** Financial institutions are demanding protocol-level security that protects against invalid transactions, according to Ozhar, VP of Business Development, speaking on a recent panel. **Key Requirements:** - Banks require rigorous security verification at the protocol level - ZK technology provides both privacy and execution integrity - Institutions prioritize math, audits, and track records over narratives **Compliance-First Approach:** The latest ZK implementations include verification hooks that enable: - Private transactions with maintained audit trails - Protection of trade strategies and prevention of front-running - Compliance department approval through transparent verification This cryptography-first approach has been battle-tested at scale, offering privacy without compromising security—addressing the core concerns of institutional capital entering the crypto space.

The **UAE Dirham is now operational** on ADI Chain's DDSC platform, marking a significant milestone for regulated digital finance in the region. **Key Details:** - Initiated by IHC and First Abu Dhabi Bank - Approved and licensed by the UAE Central Bank - Built on ZKsync infrastructure for high-value transactions - Part of ADI Chain's goal to onboard 1 billion users by 2030 The platform targets underserved markets across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, providing blockchain access to regions with limited financial infrastructure.

**ZKsync's Season 1 Staking Pilot is now live**, introducing a delegate-to-stake mechanism built with Tally that ties $ZK rewards to active governance participation. **Key mechanics:** - Rewards only flow when $ZK is delegated to an *active* Delegate - No active delegation = no rewards eligibility - Designed to prevent passive farming and align incentives with real participation **Program structure:** - Season 1: 10M $ZK reward cap, targeting +200M active voting power - Season 2: Conditional 25M $ZK cap, targeting +500M active voting power - Each season runs three months **Why it matters:** Governance serves as ZKsync's security layer for shipping upgrades and managing protocol risk. The pilot tests infrastructure that will support future decentralized sequencer operations while strengthening voting reliability. Over 55M $ZK already locked in the [staking portal](https://vote.zknation.io/dao/stake/direct). Participants must select Delegates marked with an "Active" tag to qualify for rewards.

ZKsync has launched its Delegate-to-Stake portal, with over 55 million $ZK tokens already locked in ahead of Season 1's February 9th start. **Key Details:** - Participants must delegate $ZK to an active Delegate to earn rewards - Season 1 offers 10M $ZK reward cap with a governance target of +200M active voting power - Season 2 (conditional) will offer 25M $ZK rewards targeting +500M voting power - Portal built by [Tally](https://www.tally.xyz/gov/zksync/stake/direct) The ZKnomics Staking Pilot Program aims to test infrastructure for the future decentralized sequencer while strengthening governance participation. Rewards only flow when staked tokens are delegated to active Delegates, aligning incentives with real governance engagement. Stake your $ZK at [vote.zknation.io](https://vote.zknation.io/dao/stake/direct) before Season 1 begins.

ZKsync continues advancing its **Airbender zkVM**, maintaining breakthrough performance in zero-knowledge proof generation for Ethereum. **Key Performance Metrics:** - Proves Ethereum blocks in under 50 seconds on a single GPU - Achieves ~1 second proving time for ZKsync chain blocks - Holds #1 position on the EthProofs leaderboard **Technical Significance:** The team built Airbender as a RISC-V based zkVM from scratch, moving away from older zkEVM architectures. This architectural choice aligns with Vitalik Buterin's suggestion that Ethereum may transition to RISC-V. Real-time ZK proving represents a major advancement - what previously required hours now completes in seconds. This breakthrough enables extended verifiability for blockchain infrastructure. View the latest benchmarks: [ethproofs.org/blocks](https://ethproofs.org/blocks)