zkSync is a Zero Knowledge (ZK) rollup designed for EVM compatibility within the Ethereum blockchain. If you've built EVM-based dApps, you can transition to zkSync with significantly reduced gas fees and increased transactions per second, while inheriting Ethereum's security and decentralization features.
zkSync Era represents a significant advancement in Layer 2 solutions:
- EVM Compatibility: It supports generalized EVM smart contracts, making it incredibly easy for existing dApps to migrate to zkSync Era.
- Aligned with Decentralization: Commitment to open-source and decentralization, with a roadmap towards fully decentralizing sequencer and proof generation.
- Certainty of Security: Utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to ensure the security of transactions.
- Future Proof: Adopting zkSync Era means your project will automatically benefit from future advancements without needing to alter your code.
zkEVM is the name of the architecture that enables zero-knowledge proof generation for the execution trace of smart contracts originally written for EVM. It encompasses a zkVM (a RISC-like virtual machine optimized for ZKP), a compiler based on LLVM (including Solidity and Vyper frontends), and special-purpose circuits for intensive operations. This architecture ensures compatibility while introducing significant improvements over the EVM.
While maintaining maximum compatibility with EVM, zkSync Era introduces notable enhancements:
- Efficiency and Optimization: Thanks to the LLVM-based compiler, zkSync Era can significantly optimize execution and allow integration of code written in modern programming languages.
- Account Abstraction: Implemented natively, improving UX for multisig wallets, enabling transactions fees in any token, and much more.
Unlike Optimistic Rollups, which rely on game theory for security and have a fixed settlement time, zkSync Era offers immediate certainty through mathematical proofs, significantly shorter settlement times, and scalability beyond current limitations.
The zkSync Era API lets your applications connect to a zkSync Era node on the network. You can interact with onchain data and send different types of transactions by using the API endpoints. The API follows the JSON-RPC standard, a stateless, lightweight, remote procedure call (RPC) protocol encoded in JSON.
Explained in the zkSync Era API Quickstart Guide.
When accessing the zkSync Era network via a node provider like Alchemy, you use an API key to send and receive transactions from the network.
For the best development experience, we recommend that you sign up for a free API key.
zkSync Era supports all Ethereum-based wallets like Metamask, BitKeep, TrustWallet, and Zerion, among others. You can manually add the zkSync Era network to Metamask by following specific instructions.
zkSync Era uses ETH for transaction fees and gas costs within the network. Since zkSync Era operates as a Layer 2 solution over Ethereum, you must first bridge your ETH from the Ethereum mainnet to the zkSync Era network. Once bridged, your ETH can be used for transactions, including paying gas fees, with the benefits of lower fees and faster processing times.
Use the zkSync Era Sepolia testnet. By connecting to this testnet, you can launch smart contracts, execute transactions, and test applications on the zkSync Era network.
You can find the list of all the methods Alchemy supports for the zkSync Era API on the zkSync Era API Endpoints page.
For testnet funds, you can use the Alchemy Sepolia facuet to claim SepoliaETH, which you can bridge to zkSync Era testnet using the zkSync bridge
Transactions on zkSync Era typically complete within 5 minutes. You can view all transaction details on the zkSyn Block Explorer.
The current storage limit for smart contracts is set, and the block gas limit is roughly 2^32 gas. These values are subject to change as zkSync Era continues to evolve.
Yes, withdrawals back to Ethereum are supported through a two-way bridge, typically taking around 24 hours depending on network usage.
A testnet regenesis in zkSync Era refers to a restart of the blockchain to introduce upgrades and return to the initial state.
For Windows users, it's recommended to use WSL 2 and ensure that projects are located in the Linux filesystem for optimal performance.
If you have any questions or feedback, contact us at [email protected] or open a ticket in the Alchemy Dashboard.