Ethereum’s First ZK-Rollup zkSync Lite to Shut Down in 2026. Is This the End of an Era?

In a stunning decision that will shake the entire Ethereum ecosystem, zkSync announced that it will close zkSync Lite, the first-ever zero-knowledge rollup in the history of Ethereum, by 2026. The Layer 2 solution, released in December 2020, was revolutionary in scaling Ethereum and making transactions faster, but it is currently being decommissioned as zkSync looks at the future.

End of an Era for Ethereum’s First ZK-Rollup

The first rollup on Ethereum was zkSync Lite, which was created to address the long-standing problem of high costs and slow transactions in the blockchain. It enabled off-chain transactions, where cryptographic evidences are relayed to the mainnet of Ethereum to be verified. This technology preconditioned the scaling revolution in Ethereum, yet almost three years later, the technology is being phased out in favor of zkSync Era, a much more sophisticated one.

Although zkSync Lite will not be shut down immediately, the shutdown will be a major change in the roadmap of Ethereum. Users can trust that their funds are not lost and that they will continue working as usual, even on the Ethereum Layer 1. But the community is on high alert because the time to 2026 is starting, and zkSync Lite will be completely shut down.

zkSync Era and the Future of Ethereum Scaling

Since zkSync Lite was launched, Ethereum has experienced rapid scaling solution improvements. In March 2023, zkSync moved to zkSync Era, releasing the first publicly available zkEVM. This upgrade led to the explosive expansion of the network, which reached the ZKsync 3.0 update in June 2024. This change made zkSync an Elastic Network, a dynamic network of interconnected ZK chains that share liquidity and security with cryptographic proofs and do not rely on traditional bridges.

Ethereum’s co-founders tweet on the value of ZKsync work

As the zkSync Lite goes away, the Ethereum community is hype over the next stage, the zkSync Era, which has already gained the attention of huge institutions. Among the giants that are trying the technology of zkSync to tokenize assets are Deutsche Bank and UBS, and this is a good indicator of a promising future for the platform. Tradable has tokenized 2.1 billion dollars of its own private credit on zkSync and is contributing to establishing the network as the leader in the real-world asset protocol space.

Security Breaches Stir Concerns, But zkSync Remains Resilient

ZkSync has also experienced major security issues despite its success. In 2025, a hacker took advantage of a hack to steal millions of ZK tokens. This was preceded by a phishing attack on official zkSync accounts. Such events have caused panic in the crypto community as the sector deals with a new wave of hacks that has never been witnessed before.

As zkSync navigates this transition, the crypto world will be watching closely to see how the platform handles the challenges ahead, both technical and security-related, and whether it can fulfill its promise of scaling Ethereum into a faster, more efficient blockchain for the future.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.