zkSync

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)

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.

**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4,872 hours (~203 days) - Claims: Will only go live after verification is complete **Important Reminders** - Funds not withdrawn before May 4 are **not lost** - All funds remain fully claimable through upcoming tools - Read-only API will stay online for at least one year - Funds remain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.

**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.

After years of blockchain pilots and billions in institutional investment, **ZKsync has become the first architecture to pass the complete institutional finance checklist**. - Traditional finance institutions move deliberately, with each requirement representing a past failure point - Previous blockchain solutions consistently failed to meet at least one of the four critical banking requirements - ZKsync's zkRollup technology addresses all institutional concerns that prevented earlier adoption This milestone could mark a turning point for institutional blockchain adoption, as the industry finally has a solution that meets the rigorous standards banks demand for production deployment.

**ZKsync has launched a new dedicated portal for its native token $ZK** at zksync.io/token, providing a centralized resource for token information. This follows the recent integration of $ZK on Revolut, making the token accessible to over 15 million users across the UK and EEA. Key features include: - Direct access within Revolut's retail app - Zero foreign exchange fees (0% FX) - Seamless fiat onramps for easy purchasing The Revolut listing represents a bridge between retail users and institutional infrastructure already adopting the ZKsync network. Users can now access $ZK through one of Europe's most established fintech platforms. The new token portal serves as a comprehensive hub for information about $ZK, the native asset of the ZKsync Layer 2 network. Learn more at [zksync.io/token](https://www.zksync.io/token)

**ZKsync Lite is shutting down on May 4, 2026.** Block production will stop and the network's final state will be permanently frozen. **Withdrawal Options:** - **Before May 4 (Recommended):** Use the standard withdrawal process - the simplest and fastest option - **EOA wallet holders:** Withdraw at [lite.zksync.io](https://lite.zksync.io) - **Other wallets:** Visit [withdraw.zksync.io](https://withdraw.zksync.io/) **After Shutdown:** - Funds are **not lost** if you don't withdraw before May 4 - Claiming tools will be released post-shutdown - Read-only API stays online for at least one year - Funds remain protected under governance This planned deprecation affects only ZKsync Lite (the original proof-of-concept payments rollup). **ZKsync Era and other ZKsync Chains are not affected.**

A major infrastructure failure resulted in **$290 million in losses** - not from bugs, but from fundamental design flaws in operator-attested systems. **Key takeaway:** The protocol functioned exactly as designed, yet the money is still gone. This highlights a critical vulnerability in current infrastructure approaches. **Why it matters:** - Operator attestation relies on trust rather than cryptographic proof - Even perfectly functioning code can't prevent losses in trust-based systems - Institutional adoption requires cryptographic enforcement, not operator promises **The solution:** Moving from application-level to protocol-level infrastructure, where verification runs as native chain functionality. This approach drives verification costs toward zero at scale while eliminating trust assumptions. This incident demonstrates why the industry must shift from trust-based operator attestation to cryptographically enforced security for responsible institutional adoption.

ZKsync has proposed **ZIP-16**, a major protocol upgrade to version 31, now available for community discussion on the governance forum. **Key features of the v31 upgrade include:** - **ZKsync Connect** - Native interoperability between ZKsync chains, enabling seamless cross-chain communication - **Stage 1 support** for Layer 1-settling chains, advancing decentralization goals - **Expanded ZKsync OS compatibility** for broader ecosystem integration The proposal represents a significant step toward creating an interconnected network of ZKsync chains with native bridging capabilities. [Read the full ZIP-16 proposal](https://forum.zknation.io/t/zip-16-v31-interop-bundles-upgrade/979)