[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › ZKsync

# 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

## Key facts

- **Ticker**: ZK
- **Official site**: [zksync.io](https://www.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](https://forum.zknation.io/t/gap-3-authorization-for-security-council-to-convert-recovered-eth-into-zk/662) |

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](https://era.zksync.network/token/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](https://www.zksync.io/)
- Docs: [docs.zksync.io](https://docs.zksync.io/)
- Governance: [www.zknation.io](https://www.zknation.io/)
- Governance docs: [docs.zknation.io](https://docs.zknation.io/)
- Governance forum: [forum.zknation.io](https://forum.zknation.io/)
- Source code: [github.com/matter-labs](https://github.com/matter-labs)
- Developer: [matter-labs.io](https://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](https://www.zksync.io/)
- [ZKsync Docs — ZKsync Network](https://docs.zksync.io/zksync-network)
- [ZKsync Docs — About ZKsync Era](https://docs.zksync.io/zksync-network/zksync-era)
- [ZKsync Docs — Elastic Network chains](https://docs.zksync.io/zksync-network/environment)
- [ZKsync Docs — Withdrawal delay](https://docs.zksync.io/zksync-protocol/security/withdrawal-delay)
- [ZK Nation — ZK Token](https://docs.zknation.io/zk-token/zk-token.md)
- [ZK Nation — ZK Token FAQs](https://docs.zknation.io/zk-token/faqs/zk-token-faqs.md)
- [ZK Nation — Governance Procedures overview](https://docs.zknation.io/zksync-governance-procedures/zksync-governance-procedures-overview.md)
- [ZK Nation — Risk factors and disclaimers](https://docs.zknation.io/legal/risk-factors-and-disclaimers.md)
- [Matter Labs — Home](https://matter-labs.io/)

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Page updated: 2026-10-31

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Source: https://revain.org/projects/zksync/