"Layer 2" as a popular term is widely circulated in the blockchain field, especially with solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum attracting a lot of attention. However, with the continuous advancement of technology and the introduction of new solutions, zero-knowledge (zk) rollups are gradually attracting more attention. In particular, the recent support of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) by zkSync has sparked widespread discussion and ushered in a new wave of enthusiasm for zk-rollups.

What is zkSync? zkSync is a Layer 2 solution for Ethereum designed to address the high transaction fees and slow speed of Ethereum. It bundles transactions off-chain through zero-knowledge rollups (zk-rollups) to reduce costs, and then pushes the transaction proofs back to the Ethereum mainnet. This approach maintains the security and decentralization of the Ethereum mainnet while improving transaction efficiency and scalability.

The core concept of zero-knowledge proofs is the ability to verify the legitimacy of transactions without disclosing their details. This technology cleverly moves a large amount of computation off-chain, requiring proof verification only on the mainnet, thus achieving efficient processing.

zkSync Core and zkSync Lite: zkSync Lite is the predecessor of zkSync Era, primarily used for basic payment solutions. It achieves fast and low-cost transfers and exchanges through the zk-rollup architecture, but lacks compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine. While this version is simple, it effectively addresses the issues of transaction fees and speed. However, due to the lack of smart contract support, the application scope of zkSync Lite is limited. The success of this stage has laid the foundation for the development of zkSync Era.

zkSync Era: zkSync Era is an upgraded version of zkSync, supporting zkEVM rollup, which can smoothly interact with zk-proofs and execute smart contracts. This feature eliminates the previous limitations of zk-rollups in smart contract support, providing developers with a more powerful and flexible development environment. The EVM compatibility of zkSync Era means that developers can seamlessly migrate existing dApps to the zkSync platform, enjoying lower costs and higher efficiency.

Comparison with other Layer 2 solutions: Security and verification: Unlike Optimistic Rollups, which use "fraud proofs," zkSync uses "validity proofs" to ensure the legitimacy of transactions. The former relies on game theory to verify transactions, while the latter directly verifies through mathematical proofs, making zk-rollups generally considered more secure.

Transaction costs: zk-rollups generally have cost advantages over Optimistic Rollups because they only need to publish validity proofs, saving data availability costs. Although Optimism recently reduced fees by about 40% through the "Bedrock" upgrade, zk-rollups still have cost advantages.

Capital efficiency: Due to the limitations of game theory, Optimistic Rollups require a mandatory 7-day settlement period, during which users cannot withdraw immediately. In contrast, zkSync can complete settlements within a few hours, providing higher capital efficiency.

zkPorter: zkPorter is an innovation by Matter Labs, which further enhances the scalability of zkSync through off-chain data storage. zkPorter allows off-chain data storage while ensuring data security through a "guardian" mechanism. These guardians use zkSync tokens to sign and confirm the availability of data blocks, and operate under a proof-of-stake (PoS) model. Although they cannot access user funds, they can freeze zkPorter states to ensure data security and integrity.

In summary, zkSync provides faster and cheaper transactions through its zk-rollup technology, while improving efficiency by maintaining the security of the Ethereum mainnet through zero-knowledge proofs. The EVM compatibility of zkSync Era expands its application scope, enhances smart contract support, and provides higher security and capital efficiency. Matter Lab's zkPorter further enhances the scalability of zkSync through off-chain data storage, bringing revolutionary improvements to the scalability and usability of Ethereum.

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