zkSync Announces Planned Shutdown of Pioneer zkSync Lite Network in 2026

The team behind zkSync has announced the planned deprecation and shutdown of its pioneering zkSync Lite service, Ethereum's first zero-knowledge rollup, scheduled for sometime in 2026. The announcement was made via a post on X, with the team framing the move as a "planned, orderly sunset for a system that has served its purpose."

Launched in June 2020 (originally as zkSync 1.0), zkSync Lite was a payments-focused Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution that enabled fast, cheap token transfers, atomic swaps, and basic NFT minting. It served as a critical proof-of-concept, validating the use of zero-knowledge technology for scaling Ethereum. However, it lacked smart contract functionality, which limited its utility compared to modern successors.

The shutdown is a result of technological evolution. zkSync Era, launched in March 2023 by Matter Labs (the company behind zkSync), is a full-featured zkEVM capable of running arbitrary smart contracts, making it a superior and more advanced platform. Maintaining two parallel networks is deemed inefficient. The team stated that retiring Lite allows them to consolidate all development, security, and innovation resources onto the single, more powerful zkSync Era chain.

Approximately $50 million in user funds remain bridged to the zkSync Lite network, which now processes fewer than 200 daily operations. The zkSync team assured users that "funds remain safe" and that withdrawals to Ethereum's mainnet (Layer 1) will continue to function throughout the process. The team will share concrete shutdown dates, timelines, and detailed migration guidance in the coming year, giving users ample time to move assets to zkSync Era or back to Ethereum Mainnet.

The deprecation does not affect the operations of the zkSync Era network or the functionality of the ZK token. The announcement emphasizes that the core promise of zkSync Lite—scaling Ethereum with zero-knowledge proofs—is being fulfilled on a grander scale by its successor. The move signals a maturing technology stack, with early prototypes making way for production-ready solutions like zkSync Era, which competes with other general-purpose ZK rollups like Starknet and Polygon zkEVM.