The developers of ZKsync have announced plans to discontinue support for ZKsync Lite, an Ethereum-based rollup utilizing zero-knowledge proofs.
📌In 2026, we plan to deprecate ZKsync Lite (aka ZKsync 1.0), the original ZK-rollup we launched on Ethereum.
This is a planned, orderly sunset for a system that has served its purpose and does not affect any other ZKsync systems.
— ZKsync (@zksync) December 7, 2025
“This is a planned, orderly decommissioning of a system that has fulfilled its purpose and does not affect any other ZKsync systems,” project representatives stated.
The team noted that they will share specific details, dates, and migration recommendations next year.
ZKsync Lite was launched in June 2020 as a Layer 2 solution focused on payments. The network supported token transfers, atomic swaps, and NFT issuance, but lacked smart contract functionality. This limited its capabilities compared to later, more advanced rollup implementations.
Essentially, the first version of the protocol served as a testing ground for Ethereum-based ZK technologies.
“ZKsync Lite was an important proof of concept and confirmed key ideas related to creating scalable ZK systems,” the developers noted. “It fulfilled its purpose: demonstrating what is possible and paving the way for next-generation solutions.”
According to L2BEAT, approximately $50 million in user funds remain engaged on ZKsync Lite, although the network processes fewer than 200 transactions daily.
“Funds are safe, and withdrawals to L1 will continue to function,” project representatives emphasized.
Matter Labs ceased active development of ZKsync Lite in March 2023 following the launch of ZKsync Era, a fully functional zkEVM supporting the execution of any smart contracts. At the time, some analysts described the system as the “holy grail of Ethereum scaling” because it allows existing applications to be transferred without compromising security.
ZKsync noted that discontinuing support for Lite will not affect other products.
“The next steps involve systems based on ZK Stack, Prividiums, and the broader ZKsync network,” the team explained, referring to the modular framework and business-oriented private blockchains.
The announcement followed a series of challenges for the project’s development. In March, the ZKsync DAO halted the Ignite rewards program due to the “bear market.”
The largest lending protocol, Aave, announced a potential withdrawal from its multichain strategy, which could lead to the cessation of support for the Era network alongside Metis and Soneium.
In October, the ZKsync team introduced the Atlas update, which aims to increase throughput to 30,000 TPS.