ZKsync (ZK): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- ZKsync Era is a zero-knowledge rollup: batches are proven with a validity proof that is verified on Ethereum
- Maximum supply
- Programmed supply cap of 21 billion ZK; not all of it has been minted
- Risks and caveats
- ZKsync's own risk disclosure says multisig key holders can change parameters of ZKsync smart contracts, which it calls a material risk.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- ZK
- Official site
- zksync.io
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is ZKsync
ZKsync is a network of Ethereum-secured chains built with Matter Labs' zero-knowledge technology; its first and main public chain, ZKsync Era, is a ZK rollup on Ethereum. The ZK token is used to govern the ZKsync protocol.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | ZKsync Era is a zero-knowledge rollup: batches are proven with a validity proof that is verified on Ethereum |
| Network | ZKsync Era (chain ID 324, gas in ETH) is the first of a dozen mainnet chains in the Elastic Network |
| Smart contracts | Era runs EraVM; Solidity and Vyper contracts deploy with minimal changes, and standard EVM bytecode runs via an interpreter |
| Proving | Era uses the Boojum prover; a verifier contract on Ethereum checks proofs and finalises state |
| Sequencer | Batches wait at least 3 hours before execution on Ethereum, using a Validator role the ZKsync team controls; the team monitors each block |
| Launched | ZKsync Era mainnet launched in March 2023 |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | Programmed supply cap of 21 billion ZK; not all of it has been minted |
| Inflation | Supply can be increased through a protocol governance upgrade |
| Initial distribution | Token Assembly 29.27%, ecosystem initiatives 19.90%, airdrop 17.50%, investors 19.78%, Matter Labs team 13.55% |
| Unlocks | Investor and team tokens unlock over four years, June 2024 to June 2028, with a one-year cliff; at most 0.8% of supply a month after June 2025 |
| Issuance | Tokens are minted just in time by capped minter contracts, each with a maximum it may mint |
What ZK is used for
- Governance: delegates vote on protocol upgrades and token programmes
- Funding ecosystem growth programmes through Token Program Proposals
- Gas on ZKsync Era is paid in ETH, not ZK
Who develops and governs ZKsync
- Developer
- Matter Labs is the company that builds ZKsync and its enterprise platform Prividium
- Founders
- Alex Gluchowski is CEO of Matter Labs
- Foundation
- The ZKsync Foundation, a Cayman foundation, provides grants; governance is anchored in the non-profit ZKsync Association
- Governance
- On-chain governor contracts on ZKsync Era; ZK holders and delegates approve protocol upgrades and token programmes
- Upgrade keys
- Emergency Upgrades need the Security Council, the Guardians and the ZKsync Foundation; the Security Council can freeze the protocol
- Open source
- Source code is published under the Matter Labs GitHub organisation; governance contracts in the ZKsync Association repo
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 2023 | ZKsync Era mainnet launches. |
| June 2024 | ZK token launches with an airdrop; investor and team unlock period starts. |
| 12 September 2024 | ZKsync Governance Procedures are first published. |
| June 2025 | 3.6% of supply unlocks from team and investor allocations. |
Security and audits
- ZKsync publishes audit reports and runs a bug bounty programme in its protocol security docs.
- Execution of batches on Ethereum is delayed by at least 3 hours so that exploits can be detected and the protocol frozen via governance.
Security incidents
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 13 April 2025 | Key compromise: A ZK Nation governance proposal by the ZKsync Security Council says that on 13 April 2025 a compromised admin key was used to mint about 111.8 million ZK tokens from expired airdrop distributor contracts. Funds returned: The same record says the Security Council negotiated a 90% return of the exploited funds, now held in Security Council multisigs on ZKsync Era and Ethereum. | forum.zknation.io |
Further incidents are reported by third parties (press, incident databases) but are not confirmed in the company’s own channels, so they are not listed here.
Official ZK contracts
| Network | Contract address |
|---|---|
| ZKsync Era | 0x5A7d6b2F92C77FAD6CCaBd7EE0624E64907Eaf3E |
ZK is deployed on ZKsync Era and can be transferred to Ethereum mainnet.
Risks and caveats
- ZKsync's own risk disclosure says multisig key holders can change parameters of ZKsync smart contracts, which it calls a material risk.
- The ZKsync team controls the Validator role that executes batches on Ethereum through a time-locked contract.
- ZK supply can be increased by a governance upgrade, and team and investor unlocks continue until June 2028.
- Matter Labs now focuses on Prividium, private chains for banks; ZKsync Era remains the public hub chain.
Official links
- Website: www.zksync.io
- Docs: docs.zksync.io
- Governance: www.zknation.io
- Governance docs: docs.zknation.io
- Governance forum: forum.zknation.io
- Source code: github.com/matter-labs
- Developer: matter-labs.io
Questions and answers
What is ZKsync?
ZKsync is a network of Ethereum-secured zero-knowledge chains built by Matter Labs; its main public chain, ZKsync Era, is a ZK rollup launched in March 2023.
Who created ZKsync?
Matter Labs, whose CEO is Alex Gluchowski, builds ZKsync; governance runs through ZK Nation, the ZKsync Association and the ZKsync Foundation.
What is the maximum supply of ZK?
The programmed cap is 21 billion ZK, minted over time by capped minters; governance can raise supply through a protocol upgrade.
What is the ZK token used for?
ZK is ZKsync's governance token for protocol upgrades and ecosystem programmes; gas on ZKsync Era is paid in ETH.
Who can upgrade ZKsync?
Standard upgrades go through token-holder governance; emergency upgrades need the Security Council, the Guardians and the ZKsync Foundation.
Sources
- ZKsync — Home
- ZKsync Docs — ZKsync Network
- ZKsync Docs — About ZKsync Era
- ZKsync Docs — Elastic Network chains
- ZKsync Docs — Withdrawal delay
- ZK Nation — ZK Token
- ZK Nation — ZK Token FAQs
- ZK Nation — Governance Procedures overview
- ZK Nation — Risk factors and disclaimers
- Matter Labs — Home
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