zkSync Era Mainnet Launch: Analysis of Unique Architecture and Ecological Applications

Recently, a highly anticipated Layer 2 scaling solution announced significant progress. On the evening of March 24, the zkSync Era Alpha Mainnet was officially opened for use by all users. This news triggered a strong market reaction, with zkSync's transaction volume reaching approximately 2,025,135 transactions for the week, and the 7-day average transaction volume hitting an all-time high, currently surpassing 20 million transactions.

Matter Labs, the parent company of zkSync, has completed multiple rounds of financing, raising a total of up to $458 million. Company executives stated that about one third of the tokens will be allocated to employees and investors, while the remaining portion will be used for the construction of the zkSync ecosystem. It is worth noting that the launch of zkSync Era does not mean an immediate token issuance. Matter Labs CEO Alex Gluchowski explained that since the network is currently still primarily centralized, the token issuance may need to wait until the sorter is decentralized, which is expected to take about a year.

Four Major Innovative Architectures of zkSync Era

The zkSync Era network underwent a year-long testing phase and multiple security audits before its mainnet launch. Compared to zkSync Lite, the Era network introduces four significant architectural innovations:

1. Local Abstract Account: Allows users to pay fees using any token, and may even enable zero-fee transactions on certain protocols.

2. LLVM-based EVM language compiler: enhancing performance and developer experience.

3. Status Difference Release: Brings advantages such as data compression, more frequent oracle updates, etc.

4. Super Chain: Implementing a fractal-like zkEVM instance that supports custom consensus and validator sets.

In addition, zkSync Era has introduced a block execution delay mechanism to enhance network security. Each L2 block submitted to L1 has a 24-hour time lock before execution and final confirmation, allowing the team to monitor and address anomalies.

Overview of zkSync Era Ecosystem Applications

Currently, there are over 240 applications based on or about to be deployed on the zkSync chain, covering various fields such as DeFi, GameFi, infrastructure, and social. Here are some of the major applications that have been deployed on the zkSync Era network:

• Argent: Smart contract wallet, providing low gas fees and fast transactions.
• Mute: Decentralized exchange, supports trading, staking mining, and bonds.
• Trustless Protocol: DeFi protocol that emphasizes censorship-resistance and community ownership.
• mintsquare: NFT trading platform, currently supports collectibles such as zkAPE and ZK domain names.
• Tevaera: A decentralized gamified metaverse platform.
• SpaceFi: A cross-chain Web3 platform that connects Cosmos and Layer 2.
• Rhino: Multi-chain DeFi aggregator that provides services such as trading, staking, and cross-chain.

In addition, several cross-chain bridges such as Celer, Orbiter, and multichain have also supported the zkSync Era network.

Conclusion

The launch of zkSync Era's Mainnet marks an important advancement in Layer 2 scaling technology. However, the network is currently still in the Alpha stage, and its risks are not yet fully understood. Users should exercise caution when interacting with ecosystem applications, control the scale of their funds, and be mindful of identifying official channels to prevent asset loss.

For users interested in potential token airdrops, the current stage may not be the best time. The token issuance plan for the zkSync network has not yet been determined, and large-scale participation in the short term may lead to high gas fees and a poor user experience. In contrast, focusing on native applications with tokens that have not yet been issued may be a wiser strategy.

With the further development and decentralization of the zkSync Era network, we have reason to expect more innovative applications and a more mature ecosystem to emerge in the future.