ZKsync (ZK) is the native token of ZKsync Era, a ZK-rollup Ethereum Layer 2 network built by Matter Labs.
ZKsync Era batches transactions off-chain and uses zero-knowledge proofs to validate them before settling on Ethereum, aiming to increase throughput and reduce fees while relying on Ethereum for security. The ZK token exists natively on ZKsync Era, with a mirrored contract on Ethereum Layer 1 used for bridging and governance. The network supports smart contracts, DeFi applications, and institutional tokenization projects built on its underlying ZK Stack technology.
ZKsync differentiates itself through high-throughput proving technology and institutional partnerships rather than retail DeFi volume alone.
The October 2025 "Atlas" upgrade introduced ZKsync OS and an Airbender prover, reportedly enabling over 15,000 transactions per second with proving costs near $0.0001 per transfer. The network has pursued institutional adoption, exemplified by Deutsche Bank's "Memento" ZK Chain, live on mainnet since May 2025 as part of the multi-bank "Dama 2" tokenization initiative spanning 24+ financial institutions. DeFi activity native to ZKsync Era remains modest, with total value locked near $13.98 million. ZK token holders govern how this ecosystem develops.
ZK functions primarily as a governance token rather than a required fee-payment or staking asset.
A substantial share of total token allocation sits in a Token Assembly-controlled treasury, and ZK holders help direct those funds toward ecosystem initiatives and grants through the network's governance process.
ZK has a maximum supply of 21 billion tokens and a circulating supply of approximately 10.4 billion tokens.
Investor and team allocations were locked for one year post-launch and vest gradually from June 2025 through June 2028. Roughly 6.38 billion tokens of the max supply remain unminted and can be minted at governance discretion, making net emission potentially inflationary.
ZK launched via airdrop on June 17, 2024, with claims opening June 24, 2024, and running through January 3, 2025.
The airdrop distributed 3,675,000,000 ZK (17.5% of total supply) to 695,232 eligible wallets based on a March 24, 2024 snapshot of ZKsync Era and ZKsync Lite activity; about 89% went to users and 11% to ecosystem contributors. Airdropped tokens were liquid immediately with no vesting. The token launch occurred roughly six years after Matter Labs' 2018 founding, and Matter Labs had raised approximately $458 million in venture funding before the token existed.
ZK is deployed natively on ZKsync Era, a ZK-rollup Ethereum Layer 2 built by Matter Labs, with a mirrored contract on Ethereum Layer 1 for bridging and governance.
ZKsync Era batches transactions off-chain and generates zero-knowledge validity proofs that are verified on Ethereum, inheriting Ethereum's underlying consensus and security for final settlement rather than operating an independent validator-based consensus mechanism.
ZKsync Era was built by Matter Labs, founded in 2018 by CEO and co-founder Alex Gluchowski.
Alex Vlasov, who holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering, is identified as a core technical figure. Matter Labs is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and press coverage describes the company as keeping a low public profile, with mainly the CEO and a small number of C-level staff representing it publicly. In September 2024, Matter Labs restructured and laid off approximately 16% of its team alongside a broader roadmap pivot.
Matter Labs, a Berlin-based company founded in 2018, develops ZKsync Era's core protocol technology, including the ZK Stack.
Token issuance and ecosystem direction operate through the zkSync Foundation under the "ZK Nation" framework. Matter Labs has raised approximately $458 million across venture funding rounds, including a $50 million round in 2021 led by a16z and a $200 million Series C in November 2022 co-led by Blockchain Capital and Dragonfly, with participation from Variant, a16z, and Lightspeed.
ZKsync is governed through the "ZK Nation" framework, launched in 2024, which splits authority across three independent bodies.
The ZKsync Token Assembly, made up of ZK holders and delegates, proposes and votes on protocol upgrades, parameter changes, and treasury resource allocations. The ZKsync Security Council, composed of engineers and security professionals, reviews upgrades and holds emergency power to freeze the protocol against active threats. The ZKsync Guardians hold veto power over proposals to ensure alignment with the protocol's stated values, so no single body can unilaterally change it.
ZKsync shipped its "Atlas" upgrade in October 2025, introducing ZKsync OS with an Airbender prover and sequencer.
Atlas reportedly enables over 15,000 (up to roughly 25,000-43,000 depending on transaction type) transactions per second, proving costs near $0.0001 per transfer, and about one-second ZK finality. Deutsche Bank's "Memento" ZK Chain went live on mainnet in May 2025 under the multi-bank "Dama 2" tokenization initiative. ZKsync's 2026 roadmap reportedly repositions the ZK Stack around "real-world infrastructure," letting ZK Stack chains share liquidity, execution, and services, while Aave V3 has expanded its presence on ZKsync Era.
ZKsync/Matter Labs maintains a continuous audit process rather than relying on a single audit.
OpenZeppelin has provided security review since 2022, including a ZKsync Era Contracts Precompile Audit and a ZKsync OS Audit (2024-2025); Trust Security audited ZKsync Era Contracts in October 2024, and Spearbit conducted a Protocol Security Review in April 2025. Reported aggregate figures cite 819 issues found across 48 audits since September 2022, including 11 Critical and 31 High severity findings. On the token's Ethereum L1 bridged contract, a small fraction of total supply, the top 10 addresses hold 50% of that bridged amount.