Simply put
- ZKsync has announced it will phase out its Lite network by 2026 as part of an ongoing transition.
- Current estimates from L2BEAT indicate that Lite’s funding is around $50 million.
- The focus of all future development will be on the zkEVM system and ZK stack.
ZKsync, an Ethereum scaling solution by Matter Labs, revealed plans on Sunday to retire ZKsync Lite, which was introduced in June 2020 as the first zero-knowledge payments rollup for Ethereum.
“This is a planned and orderly retirement of a system that has served its purpose and does not impact other ZKsync systems,” the team noted.
This Lite iteration was described as a “proof of concept” and a significant milestone for Matter Labs in the rollout of zero-knowledge technology.
These early developments contributed to the systems currently powering ZKsync Era and ZK Stack.
“It did its job: proving what was possible and paving the way for the next generation,” the team reflected.
This announcement formalizes a transition that began with the founding of Matter Labs. In February 2023, they shifted from ZKsync 1.0 to ZKsync Lite, subsequently halting updates to Lite a month later in favor of ZKsync Era and a broader ZK stack.
Anthony Rose, the head of engineering at Matter Labs, mentioned that ZKsync Era was still in an “alpha version,” although it was progressing well.
He also mentioned that ZKsync Era would serve as the foundational layer of Matter Lab’s zkEVM ecosystem, predicting about two to three years of further engineering work would be necessary.
Lite was initially designed for simple tasks like money transfers and NFT mints, but it lacked support for smart contracts, which restricted its long-term viability as zkEVM designs emerged.
With the full launch of Era anticipated in 2023, developers began integrating more fluid solutions and new tools. Currently, many wallets and decentralized applications have phased Lite out, with reports indicating a drop to less than 200 daily operations this month.
Lite currently holds around $49 million, which consists of bridged assets that can be retrieved through the network’s L1 contract.
ZKsync confirmed that withdrawals to Ethereum would remain operational throughout the deprecation process and plans to share timelines and procedures next year.
This announcement arrives just a year after Matter Labs disclosed that 24 employees were laid off. The CEO, Alex Gluchowski, remarked that these decisions were made amid a significant rise in demand for ZK Chain.
Efforts have been made to reach out to Matter Labs and the Ethereum Foundation for additional comments.
