In the fast-evolving world of blockchain technology, zkSync Era stands out as a powerful solution for scaling Ethereum. As a Layer 2 protocol using zero-knowledge rollups, it makes transactions faster, cheaper, and more secure. It does this without compromising Ethereum’s core strengths.
Across the broader Elastic Network that zkSync anchors, the team reports $4B+ TVL secured and 700M+ transactions processed. However, on zkSync Era specifically, DeFiLlama shows roughly $40-50M DeFi TVL as of October 20, 2025. Meanwhile, L2BEAT tracks approximately $1.0B in Total Value Secured (TVS).
This article explores recent updates, adoption metrics, and why zkSync Era is becoming a go-to choice. Whether you’re new to crypto or a seasoned enthusiast, we’ll break it down in simple terms while highlighting key facts.
What is zkSync Era? A Beginner-Friendly Overview
Imagine Ethereum as a busy highway during rush hour. It’s reliable but often slow and expensive due to high traffic. zkSync Era acts like a high-speed express lane built on top of it. It’s a Layer 2 scaling solution that bundles multiple transactions into one “rollup.” It uses zero-knowledge proofs (ZK proofs) to verify them efficiently on Ethereum’s main network.
Zero-knowledge proofs are like magic tricks in cryptography. They prove something is true without revealing the details. For example, zkSync can confirm a batch of 1,000 transactions is valid. Ethereum doesn’t need to check each one individually. This reduces gas fees to fractions of a cent. It speeds up processing to seconds, compared to minutes or hours on the main chain.
Understanding how ZK rollups work is key to appreciating zkSync Era’s innovation. Launched by Matter Labs, zkSync Era went live in 2023 as an EVM-compatible platform. This means it works seamlessly with Ethereum’s tools and smart contracts. Developers can build decentralized apps (dApps) using familiar languages like Solidity. Users enjoy features like gasless transactions via paymasters—where apps cover fees for you. It’s part of the broader “Elastic Network,” a collection of interconnected chains. These chains emphasize privacy, compliance, and high performance.
For beginners, think of it this way: If Ethereum is the secure foundation of a house, zkSync Era is the efficient upper floors where most activity happens. This setup is crucial for real-world adoption. It matters especially in areas like decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and tokenized assets.
Key Recent Updates in zkSync Era
zkSync Era has seen a flurry of upgrades in late 2024 and 2025. The focus has been on speed, security, and institutional appeal. These aren’t just technical tweaks. They’re designed to make the network ready for massive scale.
Atlas Upgrade: Boosting Performance to New Heights
In October 2025, zkSync announced the Atlas upgrade to its ZK Stack framework. Official materials describe a high-performance sequencer and approximately 1-second ZK finality. Reported throughput ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 TPS, though figures vary by source.
Why does this matter? For users, it means smoother experiences in high-demand apps like trading platforms. For developers, it supports enterprise-grade chains with better interoperability. The upgrade builds on zkSync’s goal of creating a “network of sovereign chains” secured by cryptography. This paves the way for global economic applications.
Airbender: The World’s Fastest RISC-V Prover
Introduced publicly in mid-2025, Airbender is zkSync’s open-source zkVM prover. It’s designed for sub-second proof generation using commodity GPUs. The team describes proof costs as “a fraction of a cent.” By October 2025, zkSync materials highlight near real-time settlement to Ethereum. This reinforces use cases like cross-border payments and high-frequency trading.
Prividium: Privacy-Focused Infrastructure for Institutions
Prividium is presented by zkSync as an Ethereum-secured platform for private, compliant blockchains. It’s aimed at banks and enterprises. The latest design and public materials emphasize selective disclosure and policy controls. This aligns with the institutional push for blockchain adoption.
A concrete example: Memento’s collaboration with Deutsche Bank to build a ZK Chain for asset tokenization. The partnership focuses on fund management using zkSync technology. It has been publicly discussed as part of the broader Project Guardian efforts.
Network Upgrade and Hard Fork in October 2025
Exchanges including Binance announced temporary suspensions for deposits and withdrawals. This was for a zkSync Era network upgrade and hard fork scheduled for October 22, 2025. Earlier 2025 governance items included the V28 precompile upgrade in June 2025. There was also a Protocol Defense ZIP in December 2024. These are documented in zkSync forums and documentation.
Other notable updates include compiler and interpreter work. The EVM Interpreter (v27) added EVM bytecode equivalence on testnets in April 2025. V28 delivered new precompiles to reduce gas for on-chain cryptography. These improvements enhance the developer experience significantly.
zkSync Era Adoption: Metrics and Real-World Impact
Adoption is where zkSync Era truly shines in 2025. From institutional integrations to community growth, the numbers tell a compelling story. For a broader perspective on Layer 2 solutions in 2025, zkSync Era stands among the leading networks.
Impressive Metrics
Network scope versus Era-only: zkSync public pages cite $4B+ TVL secured and 700M+ transactions across the Elastic Network. Meanwhile, zkSync Era’s DeFi TVL is approximately $44M. Its TVS is approximately $1.0B as of October 20, 2025.
Real-world asset (RWA) adoption: Cointelegraph reported $214.8M in institutional funds as part of RWA activity on zkSync. Multiple sources, including RWA trackers and press releases, attribute $1.7B-$2B+ of tokenized private credit to Tradable. This supports the institutional adoption narrative.
Ecosystem revenue and operator payments: Messari’s “State of zkSync” reports cover fee and revenue dynamics into 2025. They provide independent analytics on the network’s economic activity.
Partnerships and Use Cases
Chainlink Integration: Matter Labs joined Chainlink SCALE and integrated CCIP. This enables cross-chain apps and oracle data across ZK Stack chains. The integration brings reliable, tamper-proof data feeds to zkSync Era applications.
Enterprise Adopters: Tradable publicly disclosed $1.7B tokenized, with later coverage citing “a couple of billion.” Deutsche Bank’s Memento ZK Chain has been highlighted in media and partner write-ups. These partnerships demonstrate growing institutional confidence in zkSync technology.
Gaming and Interoperability Chains: XPLA’s Creator Chain and zkXPLA align with the Elastic Network via ZK Stack. zkCandy’s mainnet launch in April 2025 brought gaming-focused infrastructure to the ecosystem. This showcases the versatility of zkSync’s technology.
Data and Oracles for RWAs: RedStone and other oracle providers support real-world asset integration on zkSync Era. They provide the price feeds and data necessary for tokenized securities and commodities.
Aggregators: Rubic has zkSync integrations and ongoing multi-chain aggregation. This makes it easier for users to access zkSync Era’s liquidity.
Benefits for Beginners and Experts Alike
For newcomers, zkSync Era lowers entry barriers with features like passkeys (passwordless logins) and session keys. It also offers paymasters for gasless participation. These user-friendly features make blockchain technology more accessible to mainstream users.
Experts appreciate its EVM-native support, open-source code with audits, and bug bounties up to $1M+. Programs like HackerOne facilitate these security initiatives. A real April 2025 incident involving a compromised admin key was disclosed transparently. Funds were recovered. This demonstrates the team’s commitment to security and accountability.
When comparing zkSync vs competitors like StarkNet, zkSync’s ZK focus offers strong privacy guarantees and fast finality. This is particularly attractive for regulated sectors like finance and healthcare. It also competes favorably with solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum.
Challenges and Future Outlook
No technology is perfect. zkSync faces competition from other Layer 2 solutions. It must navigate token price volatility. ZK token weakness in early 2025 has been widely reported. However, the network continues to develop regardless of market conditions.
Hardware dependencies for proofs and integration complexities remain hurdles. Updates like Airbender and the Atlas stack address them. The 2025 governance track also includes V28 and V29 upgrades. Work toward the ZKsync Gateway is underway.
Vitalik Buterin’s broader push for ZK efficiency and improved metrics is a live theme across the Ethereum ecosystem. It aligns with zkSync’s direction. This reinforces the importance of zero-knowledge technology for Ethereum’s future.
By 2026, expect broader RWA adoption and AI integrations. This will solidify zkSync Era as a cornerstone of Ethereum’s scalability strategy.
Why zkSync Era Matters in 2025
zkSync Era isn’t just another Layer 2. It’s a bridge to blockchain’s mainstream future. With updates like Atlas and Airbender driving performance, adoption is soaring. This includes RWAs (Tradable, Memento/Deutsche Bank), Chainlink CCIP/SCALE integration, and gaming chains (zkCandy, XPLA, Creator Chain). It’s empowering everything from DeFi to institutional finance.
For beginners, it’s an accessible entry to crypto with user-friendly features and low costs. For experts, it’s a robust tool for innovation with strong privacy guarantees and enterprise-grade performance.
As Ethereum evolves, zkSync Era’s focus on privacy, speed, and compliance positions it for explosive growth. The key is understanding the distinction between network-wide Elastic statistics and Era-only TVL/TVS metrics. Once you grasp that, the story becomes even more compelling.
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