ZKsync to Deprecate Lite in Early 2026

Matter Labs, the developer behind the ZKsync protocol, announced plans over the weekend to deprecate ZKsync Lite, Ethereum's pioneering zero-knowledge rollup, in early 2026. The move represents an orderly phase-out of the network's initial version, which launched in 2020 as a proof-of-concept to test scaling technologies on the Ethereum blockchain.

ZKsync Lite debuted as the first zero-knowledge rollup on Ethereum, enabling low-cost token transfers, atomic swaps, and non-fungible token minting while reducing fees and congestion through off-chain transaction bundling and cryptographic validity proofs submitted to Ethereum's mainnet. However, it lacked support for smart contracts, limiting its applications compared to more advanced Layer 2 solutions. The network processed transactions off-chain for efficiency, inheriting Ethereum's security while addressing early challenges like high gas fees and slow speeds.

Development on ZKsync Lite halted in March 2023 following the release of ZKsync Era, a more robust zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machine that introduced full smart contract compatibility and expanded support for decentralized applications. ZKsync Era now serves as the...