ZKsync Lite to Shut Down in 2026 as Matter Labs Moves On

Matter Labs plans to deprecate ZKsync Lite, the first iteration of its Ethereum layer-2 network, the team said in a post on X over the weekend.

The company framed the move, happening in early 2026, as a planned sunset for an early proof-of-concept that helped validate their zero-knowledge rollup design choices before newer systems went live.

ZKsync Lite, which debuted in 2020, was built for basic token transfers, but took a back seat after developers released ZKsync Era in March 2023, a more advanced zkEVM rollup, which now anchors the project’s broader ZK Stack roadmap.

The Lite network will continue operating for now, with funds remaining safe and withdrawals to Ethereum mainnet still available, the team said. A detailed migration plan and timetable for the shutdown will be published next year.

“ZKsync Lite was a ground breaking proof-of-concept and validated critical ideas related to building production ZK systems. It did its job: prove what’s possible and pave the way for the next generation,” the team wrote on X.

Read more: Matter Labs Opens zkSync Era to Users, Claiming First in ‘Zero Knowledge’ Tech on Ethereum

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/12/08/zksync-lite-to-shut-down-in-2026-as-matter-labs-moves-on