ZKsync Consolidation: Lite Network to Close as Focus Shifts to ZK Stack

ZKsync has announced plans to shut down its original ZK-rollup, ZKsync Lite, in 2026, marking the end of the network’s earliest production system and signaling a complete transition toward its newer stack. The team described the move as an organized phaseout of a framework that validated its early zero-knowledge work.

While the decision sets the stage for broader migration across the network, the company stated that nothing changes for users at present. ZKsync Lite continues to operate, user balances remain intact, and withdrawals to Ethereum are functioning normally.

The announcement places a firm timeline on a shift that began two years ago. Matter Labs rebranded ZKsync 1.0 as ZKsync Lite in February 2023 and redirected engineering resources a month later to ZKsync Era, the newer zkEVM-based system. The earlier rollup has since seen limited updates and reduced network usage. According to L2BEAT figures, roughly $50 million in user assets remain bridged to ZKsync Lite, and the network now processes fewer than 200 transactions per day.

ZKsync stated that a full deprecation schedule, including dates, technical steps, and migration instructions for both users and developers, will be published in 2026. Until that guidance is released, the older system remains operational. The team reiterated that withdrawals to Layer 1 will continue throughout the wind-down period.

Matter Labs stated that the transition centers on its newer architecture, pointing to the ZK Stack framework and Prividiums as the infrastructure that will support development, enterprise deployments, and future network expansions.

ZKsync Era, launched in March 2023, introduced a zkEVM designed to run existing Ethereum smart contracts and has served as the company’s primary focus since its release. The team noted that the 2026 deprecation applies to ZKsync Lite and does not impact Era or other systems built on the stack.

The update arrives during a period of broader adjustments within the ZKsync ecosystem. The project recently ended its Ignite liquidity rewards initiative, citing unfavorable market conditions. Additionally, the Aave DAO is currently evaluating whether to deprecate its ZKsync Era deployment, following reports of limited revenue on the network.