{"id":77384,"date":"2023-04-18T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=77384"},"modified":"2025-09-10T23:01:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T20:01:59","slug":"arbitrum-nova-and-zksync-ultra-low-fees-and-the-prospect-of-a-generous-airdrop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/arbitrum-nova-and-zksync-ultra-low-fees-and-the-prospect-of-a-generous-airdrop\/","title":{"rendered":"Arbitrum Nova and zkSync: ultra-low fees and the prospect of a generous airdrop"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Layer 2 solutions (<a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/what-is-a-layer%e2%80%912-solution-in-blockchain\">L2<\/a>) are rapidly gaining traction <a href='https:\/\/l2beat.com\/scaling\/tvl'>\u043d\u0430\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u043b\u044f\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/a>. They significantly speed up transactions and reduce fees, a virtue especially relevant amid high on-chain activity as markets recover.<\/p>\n<p>Major platforms such as <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/what-is-aave\">Aave<\/a> or Curve support a range of new networks. This approach makes DeFi applications more attractive and accessible to users who do not have substantial means.<\/p>\n<p><span data-descr=\"total value locked in the smart contracts of decentralized applications\" class='old_tooltip'>TVL<\/span> Arbitrum project <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/what-is-arbitrum\">Arbitrum<\/a> recently <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/arbitrum-network-stalls-amid-arb-token-airdrop\">\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0435\u043b \u0430\u0438\u0440\u0434\u0440\u043e\u043f<\/a>, through which more than 600 000 market participants collectively <a href='https:\/\/dune.com\/0xroll\/arbitrum-airdrop'>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0437\u0430 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u044e \u0430\u043a\u0442\u0438\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c ~1,16 \u043c\u043b\u0440\u0434 ARB<\/a>. The event generated significant buzz in the community and contributed to inflows of <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/users-move-8m-in-assets-to-the-zksync-network-in-anticipation-of-an-airdrop\">\u0441\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0432 \u0432 \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u043e\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044b<\/a>, where there is not yet a utility token.<\/p>\n<p>In this article we briefly examine the features and ecosystems of the popular L2 projects \u2014 Arbitrum Nova and zkSync.<\/p>\n<div class='wp-block-text-wrappers-keypoints article_keypoints'>\n<ul class='wp-block-list'>\n<li>The new platform from Arbitrum&#8217;s developers differentiates itself with very low fees and fast transactions. It is &#8220;tuned&#8221; for gaming and social applications.<\/li>\n<li>zkSync is positioned as the first <span data-descr=\"Ethereum Virtual Machine\" class='old_tooltip'>EVM<\/span>-compatible Layer-2 solution based on ZK Rollups. Built on a DeFi ecosystem, it is rapidly developing, increasing liquidity.<\/li>\n<li>Many market participants expect future drops of utility tokens for Arbitrum Nova and zkSync and therefore try to be active in these ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class='wp-block-heading'>Arbitrum Nova network: faster and cheaper than Arbitrum One<\/h2>\n<p>This L2 network <a href='https:\/\/medium.com\/offchainlabs\/introducing-nova-arbitrum-anytrust-mainnet-is-open-for-developers-9a54692f345e'>is positioned<\/a> by developers as \u201cthe optimal solution for gaming and social applications\u201d, while Arbitrum One \u201cremains home for DeFi and many NFT projects\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Arbitrum Nova is built on the Arbitrum AnyTrust technology, optimized for \u201cultra-cheap transactions with strong security guarantees.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class='wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow'>\n<p>\u201cThe key technical difference is that Arbitrum One continuously stores transaction data on Ethereum, while Nova uses a <span data-descr=\"Data Availability Committee (DAC)\" class='old_tooltip'>Data Availability Committee<\/span>\u201d, \u2014 Offchain Labs explained.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to information on the project&#8217;s site, the DAC includes notable platforms, including ConsenSys, Offchain Labs, Google Cloud and Reddit. The latter in August last year announced the migration of tokens involved in the Community Points program to Arbitrum Nova.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='305' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Committee-1024x305.png' alt='1-Committee' class='wp-image-204441' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Committee-1024x305.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Committee-300x89.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Committee-768x229.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Committee.png 1250w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/nova.arbitrum.io\/'>nova.arbitrum.io<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On-chain operation (&#8220;rollback to the Rollup&#8221;) is performed only if the DAC cannot handle its job.<\/p>\n<blockquote class='wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow'>\n<p>\u201cInstead of performing <span data-descr=\"process of batching multiple transactions into one\" class='old_tooltip'>batched<\/span> <span data-descr=\"Sequencer \u2014 the mechanism that determines the order of transactions in the blockchain.\" class='old_tooltip'>sequencing<\/span> and placing <a href='https:\/\/dev.to\/ratracegrad\/storage-vs-memory-vs-calldata-understanding-data-locations-in-solidity-52ff#:~:text=Calldata%20is%20a%20non%2Dmodifiable,the%20state%20of%20that%20variable.'>calldata<\/a> in L1, the system shares data with the committee. The latter then signs data availability certificates (DA Certs) for transaction parties&#8221;, \u2014 Offchain Labs noted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The network&#8217;s operating algorithm is as follows:<\/p>\n<ul class='wp-block-list'>\n<li>First, the sequencer batches and compresses incoming transactions;<\/li>\n<li>then it sends the data to the DAC and requests a DA Cert;<\/li>\n<li>after this, the sequencer publishes the certificate to Ethereum, \u201cpromising to ensure data availability\u201d;<\/li>\n<li>if a DA Cert cannot be generated, the network performs a &#8220;rollback to the Rollup&#8221; and posts the compressed calldata to Ethereum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Interacting with Arbitrum Nova implies &#8220;minimum trust&#8221; from users in the system. In particular, it is assumed that at least two members of the committee are honest.<\/p>\n<p>This somewhat centralized approach yields significant reductions in transaction costs \u2014 compared with Arbitrum One and many other L2 solutions, fees are lower by a factor.<\/p>\n<p>Arbitrum Nova is an EVM-compatible network. To add it to a popular Web3 wallet <a href='https:\/\/chainlist.org\/?search=Arb'>MetaMask<\/a>, you can use Chainlist.<\/p>\n<p>Click the Connect Wallet in the top-right corner, then type the network name in the Search Networks field. After selecting the network, click Add to MetaMask.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='355' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1_1-5-1024x355.png' alt='1_1-5' class='wp-image-204443' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1_1-5-1024x355.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1_1-5-300x104.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1_1-5-768x266.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1_1-5.png 1054w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/chainlist.org\/?search=Arb'>ChainList<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After that, you need to transfer ETH from the Ethereum mainnet to Arbitrum Nova. This can be done via the official <a href='<a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/what-are-cross-chain-bridges\">\u043a\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0447\u0435\u0439\u043d-\u043c\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/a>&#8216;>bridge<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2-official-bridge.webp' alt='2-official-bridge' class='wp-image-204444'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/bridge.arbitrum.io\/?l2ChainId=42161'>bridge.arbitrum.io<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The cost of this operation can vary significantly depending on the current gas price in the Ethereum network. You can track it on <a href='https:\/\/etherscan.io\/gastracker'>Etherscan<\/a> or with the browser extension <a href='https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/cointool-gas-price\/ehbppccdhiehpnnhjmahlkpfgnkejngb\/related?hl=ru'>CoinTool<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There are other cross-chain bridges as well \u2014 for example, Orbiter. The latter allows transferring ETH or the stablecoin USDC from many other networks.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/4-Orbiter.webp' alt='4-Orbiter' class='wp-image-204445'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/www.orbiter.finance\/?source=Polygon&#038;dest=Arbitrum%20Nova'>orbiter.finance<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Arbitrum Nova-based ecosystem is still very young, so its TVL remains relatively small \u2014 about $6.5 million (as of 09.04.2023). However, since the airdrop announcement in the second half of March, the metric has been rising rapidly. Likely many market participants hope the network will also launch its own utility token.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='425' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova-1024x425.png' alt='5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova' class='wp-image-204446' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova-1024x425.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova-300x125.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova-768x319.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova-1536x638.png 1536w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-DeFi-Llama-Arb-Nova.png 1647w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/defillama.com\/chain\/Arbitrum%20Nova'>DeFi Llama<\/a> (\u043f\u043e \u0441\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f\u043d\u0438\u044e \u043d\u0430 09.04.2023).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The ecosystem is represented by only a handful of <span data-descr=\"\u0434\u0435\u0446\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f\/\u043d\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0431\u0438\u0440\u0436\u0430\" class='old_tooltip'>DEX<\/span>. The biggest include the well-known SushiSwap and the young Arbswap trading platform. The latter&#8217;s interface is largely similar to other such platforms \u2014 all the same exchange and liquidity-adding-to-pool features. There is also a Predictions section \u2014 for forecasting the ARB token price.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/6-Arbswap.webp' alt='6-Arbswap' class='wp-image-204447'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/arbswap.io\/swap'>Arbswap<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the top of the site, the banner reads \u201cArbswap airdrop is live!\u201d. Clicking it takes you to a page with activities required to obtain an ArbEgg NFT. <\/p>\n<p>There is also a Farms section, but it is currently inactive \u2014 farming may become available after the airdrop.<\/p>\n<p>Fees in Arbitrum Nova are indeed very low. For example, approving USDC for trading on Arbswap cost less than a cent (0,00000068251 ETH).<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/7-Nova-explorer.webp' alt='7-Nova-explorer' class='wp-image-204448'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/nova.arbiscan.io\/'>\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0437\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c Arbitrum Nova<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The on-exchange fee for swapping 100 USDC for ~0,054 ETH was about $0,04. The transaction went through almost instantly.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/8-swap.webp' alt='8-swap' class='wp-image-204449'\/><\/figure>\n<p>Similarly, the operation on Arbitrum One would have cost about $0.16, and on Ethereum \u2014 $4.05.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/9-L2-Fees.webp' alt='9-L2-Fees' class='wp-image-204450'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/l2fees.info\/'>L2 Fees<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Providing liquidity to the USDC-ETH pool on the Arbswap exchange in the Arbitrum Nova network cost $0.05, which is also fairly cheap. <\/p>\n<p>The high speed and cheap transactions of the new network come with centralization risks. For instance, fraud proofs are carried out by ecosystem participants from a whitelist.<\/p>\n<blockquote class='wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow'>\n<p>\u201cFunds may be stolen if none of the selected verifiers checks the published state\u201d, \u2014 L2BEAT analysts noted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Also, they say, the system uses a &#8220;privileged sequencer&#8221; that can prioritise transactions at its own discretion. This centralization carries MEV front-running risks within MEV.<\/p>\n<h2 class='wp-block-heading'>zkSync: EVM and ZK-Rollups in one package<\/h2>\n<p>This L2 protocol <a href='https:\/\/github.com\/matter-labs\/zksync'>is positioned<\/a> as a mechanism for scaling and privacy for Ethereum. At its core lies the ZK-Rollups technology, on which Vitalik Buterin <a href='https:\/\/hacken.io\/discover\/zksync-101-everything-you-need-to-know-about-l2-blockchain\/'>has placed high hopes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Development of zkSync began in the summer of 2020, though the company behind it, Matter Labs, has been working on L2 solutions based on <a href='<a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/what-is-a-zero-knowledge-proof\">\u0434\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0441\u0442\u0432 \u0441 \u043d\u0443\u043b\u0435\u0432\u044b\u043c \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0448\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435\u043c<\/a>&#8216;>zero-knowledge proofs<\/a> since at least 2019. The CEO and co-founder of the project is <a href='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YBEiObuTmsE&#038;ab_channel=forklog'>Alexey Glukhovski<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In June 2020 a beta version of the platform with throughput up to 200 transactions per second was unveiled. Among its distinctive features:<\/p>\n<ul class='wp-block-list'>\n<li>fees denominated in the transferred token rather than gas on Ethereum;<\/li>\n<li>instant trade confirmations and settlement within minutes;<\/li>\n<li>withdrawals to the Ethereum mainnet in under 15 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In early 2021 the Matter Labs <a href='https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/funding_round\/matter-labs-series-c--4d89a67e'>raised $6 million<\/a> from Union Square Ventures, Coinbase, DeFi projects Aave, Balancer and Curve Finance, and venture firms Placeholder, 1kx, Dragonfly Capital and others.<\/p>\n<p>Later that year the startup <a href='https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/funding_round\/matter-labs-series-c--4d89a67e'>announced a Series B round of $50 million<\/a>. It was led by a16z. Other participants included Blockchain.com, Crypto.com, ConsenSys, Bybit, OKEx, Alchemy, Covalent.<\/p>\n<p>In November 2022 the firm <a href='https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/funding_round\/matter-labs-series-c--4d89a67e'>raised $200 million<\/a> in a Series C.<\/p>\n<p>The total amount of investments raised by the project over four rounds stands at $258 million.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img loading='async' decoding='true' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-crunchbase.webp' alt='10-crunchbase' class='wp-image-204451'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/matter-labs\/company_financials'>Crunchbase<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In February 2022 the team <span class='old_tooltip' data-descr='\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0432\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0443\u043b\u0430 zkSync 2.0'>launched zkSync 2.0<\/span> on Ethereum testnet as the first EVM-compatible Layer-2 solution based on ZK-Rollups.<\/p>\n<p>Later that year the startup <span class='old_tooltip' data-descr='\u0430\u043d\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0443\u0441\u043a \u0442\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0435\u0442\u0438 \u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c\u0435\u0433\u043e \u0443\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043d\u044f (L3) Pathfinder \u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0445 Ethereum.'>announced<\/span> the launch of the third-layer test network (L3) Pathfinder atop Ethereum. The developers say the new solution represents an ecosystem of interconnected blockchains based on zkEVM, dubbed \u201chyperchains\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Among other notable advantages of the new system, Matter Labs highlighted the ability to deploy their own HyperBridge bridges.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large is-resized'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='555' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-L3-1024x555.png' alt='11-L3' class='wp-image-204452' style='width:840px;height:455px' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-L3-1024x555.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-L3-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-L3-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-L3-1536x833.png 1536w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-L3.png 1631w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/blog.matter-labs.io\/zksync-l3-pathfinder-to-hit-testnet-in-q1-2023-367a425592db'>\u0431\u043b\u043e\u0433 Matter Labs<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In March 2023 <span class='old_tooltip' data-descr='\u0441\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f\u043b\u0441\u044f \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0443\u0441\u043a'>the launch<\/span> of the alpha version of zkSync Era, which was previously called zkSync 2.0. It introduces account abstraction \u2014 meaning that every address in the network is represented by a separate smart contract.<\/p>\n<p>The developers noted that initially the protocol would not be fully decentralized, to give the team time to fix security issues.<\/p>\n<p>Matter Labs spent $3.8 million on several smart contract audits and rewards for white-hat hackers.<\/p>\n<p>The zkSync rollups provide high privacy for operations and allow scaling of the Ethereum mainnet: many transactions are bundled into a single batch that is confirmed on the L1 blockchain.<\/p>\n<blockquote class='wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow'>\n<p>\u201cThe most notable differences lie in transfers of ETH and ERC-20 tokens with low gas costs. They are fast and cheap relative to L1 and <a href='https:\/\/hacken.io\/discover\/zksync-101-everything-you-need-to-know-about-l2-blockchain\/'>Optimistic Rollups<\/a>,\u201d \u2014 Hacken analysts noted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The screenshot below shows that gas fees for sending ether and token swaps on zkSync are lower than on many other L2 solutions.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/12-L2Fees.webp' alt='12-L2Fees' class='wp-image-204453'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/l2fees.info\/'>L2 Fees<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among other advantages of zkSync, Hacken researchers highlight:<\/p>\n<ul class='wp-block-list'>\n<li><a href='https:\/\/docs.zksync.io\/dev\/contracts\/#programming-model'>smart contract interoperability<\/a> \u2014 facilitates migration of DeFi projects to the new network;<\/li>\n<li>implementation of <a href='https:\/\/docs.zksync.io\/dev\/swaps\/'>atomic swaps and limit orders<\/a>, which is &#8220;crucial for crypto exchanges&#8221;;<\/li>\n<li><a href='https:\/\/docs.zksync.io\/dev\/nfts\/'>native NFT support<\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>fully open-source.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Among drawbacks they cited:<\/p>\n<ul class='wp-block-list'>\n<li>not particularly fast withdrawals to L1 (according to some users&#8217; reviews);<\/li>\n<li>substantial computational power required to verify transaction batches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To use zkSync Lite (formerly zkSync 1.0), go to the project&#8217;s site and connect a wallet \u2014 for example, MetaMask. Then transfer ETH from the Ethereum mainnet to L2 by clicking Top up.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/13-zkSync-Lite.webp' alt='13-zkSync-Lite' class='wp-image-204454'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/lite.zksync.io\/account'>lite.zksync.io<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then at the bottom select zkSync from the cross-chain bridges list.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full is-resized'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/14-zkSync-Bridges.webp' alt='14-zkSync-Bridges' class='wp-image-204455' style='width:490px;height:746px'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/lite.zksync.io\/account\/top-up'>lite.zksync.io<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After this, enter the amount, click Top up and confirm the transaction in your wallet. Within a few minutes the funds will be credited to the zkSync Lite network.<\/p>\n<p>You can also use an unofficial cross-chain bridge like Orbiter. It allows moving funds from any other supported network, not just Ethereum. <\/p>\n<p>As of writing, zkSync Lite is fully functional only on the ZigZag exchange, which in recent weeks has been facing a wave of \u201cairdrop hunters\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='429' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/15-ZigZag-1024x429.png' alt='15-ZigZag' class='wp-image-204456' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/15-ZigZag-1024x429.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/15-ZigZag-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/15-ZigZag-768x322.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/15-ZigZag-1536x644.png 1536w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/15-ZigZag.png 1886w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0418\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0444\u0435\u0439\u0441 \u043d\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0431\u0438\u0440\u0436\u0438 ZigZag. \u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/trade.zigzag.exchange\/?market=ETH-USDC&#038;network=zksync'>zigzag.exchange<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To interact with this DEX you need to connect MetaMask in the top-right corner and select the corresponding network (ZigZag also supports Arbitrum).<\/p>\n<p>To use zkSync Era, first add it to your Web3-wallet. The easiest way is to use ChainList, which you already know.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/16-chainlist-era.webp' alt='16-chainlist-era' class='wp-image-204457'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/chainlist.org\/?search=zks'>ChainList<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After clicking Add To MetaMask, confirm the use of the network in your wallet.<\/p>\n<p>Then you need to move ETH to zkSync Era via the official bridge or via another cross-chain solution.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/17-Era-bridge.webp' alt='17-Era-bridge' class='wp-image-204458'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>The official cross-chain bridge UI for zkSync Era. Data: <a href='https:\/\/bridge.zksync.io\/'>bridge.zksync.io<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Funds are placed in L2 within a few minutes. Withdrawals to the Ethereum mainnet take much longer \u2014 up to 24 hours, due to the nature of the technology. Assets are credited to your wallet automatically \u2014 there is no need to revisit the site and click Claim, as with some other Layer-2 solutions.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike zkSync Lite, the zkSync Era ecosystem is more developed \u2014 it is supported by more than a dozen platforms. TVLs of many are growing rapidly.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='459' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-zkSyncEra-TVL-1024x459.png' alt='18-zkSyncEra-TVL' class='wp-image-204459' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-zkSyncEra-TVL-1024x459.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-zkSyncEra-TVL-300x134.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-zkSyncEra-TVL-768x344.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-zkSyncEra-TVL-1536x688.png 1536w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-zkSyncEra-TVL.png 1634w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>TVL \u044d\u043a\u043e\u0441\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0435\u043c\u044b zkSync Era. \u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/defillama.com\/chain\/zkSync%20Era'>DeFi Llama<\/a> (\u043f\u043e \u0441\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f\u043d\u0438\u044e \u043d\u0430 09.04.2023).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Leading the ecosystem is the non-custodial exchange SyncSwap. In just seven days its TVL grew by more than 90%, approaching $40 million.<\/p>\n<p>The platform&#8217;s functionality is similar to many other DEXs. Let&#8217;s try placing some funds into the ETH-AVAX pool, whose yield at the time of writing is ~45%.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-large'><img loading='lazy' decoding='async' width='1024' height='681' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-SyncSwap-1024x681.png' alt='19-SyncSwap' class='wp-image-204460' srcset='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-SyncSwap-1024x681.png 1024w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-SyncSwap-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-SyncSwap-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-SyncSwap.png 1173w' sizes='auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px' \/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/syncswap.xyz\/pools'>SyncSwap<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To do this, go to the Trade section and swap some ETH into AVAX. Be sure to leave a little ETH on balance to pay fees.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20-swap.webp' alt='20-swap' class='wp-image-204461'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/syncswap.xyz\/swap'>SyncSwap<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the bottom-right corner of the screenshot it states that the operation would cost $0.5 and take less than a second.<\/p>\n<p>After clicking Swap, a window appeared saying that 30-90% of unused gas is reimbursed automatically. MetaMask, meanwhile, displayed an estimated fee of $2.47.<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/21-est-gas-fee.webp' alt='21-est-gas-fee' class='wp-image-204462'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/syncswap.xyz\/swap'>SyncSwap<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After clicking Confirm the transaction indeed went through almost instantly, and the fee was $0.96 (including gas reimbursement).<\/p>\n<figure class='wp-block-image size-full'><img decoding='async' src='https:\/\/u1f987.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/22-Swapped.webp' alt='22-Swapped' class='wp-image-204463'\/><figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>\u0414\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435: <a href='https:\/\/syncswap.xyz\/swap'>SyncSwap<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Costs to unlock cAVAX were $0.23, and the operation took exactly 1 second. The fee for placing tokens into the pool (including gas reimbursement) was $1.80, not insignificant compared with similar transactions on Arbitrum Nova. <\/p>\n<p>All ecosystem projects can be viewed on the <a href='https:\/\/ecosystem.zksync.io\/'>site<\/a>. As with other protocols, zkSync has a block explorer and analytics portal \u2014 <a href='https:\/\/zkscan.io\/'>zkScan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class='wp-block-heading'>Will zkSync&#8217;s token airdrop happen?<\/h3>\n<p>So far Matter Labs has not announced the release and distribution of the project&#8217;s utility token. In CoinDesk&#8217;s comment, Alexey Glukhovski said that such plans do not exist and his team remains focused on further developing the protocol.<\/p>\n<blockquote class='wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow'>\n<p>\u201cThe token only comes into play once the network is sufficiently decentralized, which is still somewhere on the horizon,\u201d the project head emphasised.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, many in the crypto community hope for a generous new coin distribution and thus actively engage with the emerging zkSync ecosystem, sharing airdrop-farming activities on Twitter.<\/p>\n<blockquote class='twitter-tweet'>\n<p lang='en' dir='ltr'>zkSync Dapp Airdrop<\/p>\n<p>Some people earned up to 6 figs with the <a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24ARB&#038;src=ctag&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>$ARB<\/a> airdrop, <a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24ZKS&#038;src=ctag&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>$ZKS<\/a> is likely to be the next big airdrop.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 3 Dapps on zkSync to get an Airdrop. Maximize your <a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24ZKS&#038;src=ctag&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>$ZKS<\/a> Airdrop in a couple easy steps. <\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s dive in ? <a href='https:\/\/t.co\/w6UEN3Wqjn'>pic.twitter.com\/w6UEN3Wqjn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Corleone (@corleonescrypto) <a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/corleonescrypto\/status\/1645787792688173056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>April 11, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async='' src='https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8'><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Many of these \u201crecipes\u201d involve not only using official cross-chain bridges and pools on DEXs but also issuing NFTs.<\/p>\n<h2 class='wp-block-heading'>Conclusions<\/h2>\n<p>Arbitrum Nova and zkSync look promising as Layer-2 solutions; interactions with ecosystems leave a positive impression thanks to low fees and high transactional speed.<\/p>\n<p>TVL of apps built on the above protocols is rising rapidly, largely due to FOMO after generous utility-token airdrops from Arbitrum. The positive trend is especially evident in zkSync Era\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>One might ask whether airdrops are &#8220;air money.&#8221; But a definitive answer is difficult.<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, market participants enthusiastically explore new ecosystems, testing sometimes still-raw DEXs and cross-chain bridges at their own risk. This activity gives decentralized platforms essential liquidity, and the issued token is used for governance on various protocol-development matters initiated by {{AOPEN__24}}\u0414\u0410\u041e<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, some users try to participate in as many potential token distributions as possible. This &#8220;airdrops farming&#8221; involves creating many wallets to interact with different apps in new networks.<\/p>\n<p>Some crypto-community members consider this behavior somewhat unfair, and the heightened activity in new protocols\u2014somewhat unnatural and often economically irrational.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, projects that run airdrops, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/uniswap-launches-uni-governance-token\">Uniswap<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/news\/optimism-team-carried-out-airdrop-of-native-token\">Optimism<\/a>, hold strong positions and are highly valued by many users. Therefore, one can expect the emergence of new protocols with their own utility tokens in the future.<\/p>\n<p>But in competitive terms, those with innovative technologies, a compelling value proposition, and well-thought-out tokenomics are likely to prevail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article briefly reviews the features and ecosystems of the increasingly popular L2 projects \u2014 Arbitrum Nova and zkSync.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"5","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1144],"tags":[1158,1335,1179,1518],"class_list":["post-77384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-longreads","tag-airdrops","tag-arbitrum-arb","tag-layer-2-solutions","tag-zksync"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"24","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"5","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77384"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77386,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77384\/revisions\/77386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/u1f987.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}