Coins Research — ZKsync (ZK) — 20 February 2026

TL;DR

• Idea: ZKsync is an EVM-compatible zkRollup Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, offering low fees and high throughput via zero-knowledge proofs
• Catalyst: Modular architecture (ZK Stack), high-performance prover (Airbender), strong VC backing (a16z, Dragonfly, Blockchain Capital), expanding Elastic Network, upcoming governance revenue model
• Risks: Intense competition from Arbitrum and Optimism, declining TVL and active addresses post-airdrop, future unlocks may increase sell pressure
• Score: 7.00/ 10

Coin

• Name/ Ticker: ZKsync (ZK)
• Segment: Layer 2
• Status: live
• Price: $0.019850

Key Metrics

• Market Cap: $249 026 975
• FDV: $595 029 319
• Circulating Supply: 8 788 754 285
• Total Supply: 21 000 000 000
• Inflation: 9.60%

Sources

1. https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/zksync
2. https://defillama.com/chain/zksync-era

Technology

• USP: First EVM-compatible zkEVM rollup with modular ZK Stack enabling customizable appchains
• Core Technology: Zero-knowledge proofs (zkRollup), Ethereum bridge security, Airbender RISC-V prover for sub-second proofs

Roadmap

• 2025-06-24: Airbender prover launch
• 2025-07-11: solx Beta release
• 2025-10-07: Atlas upgrade introduction
• 2025-12-04: L1 interoperability upgrade
• 2026-01-06: Upbit listing expansion
• 2026-01-13: ZKsync Roadmap 2026 published

Team & Investors

Team

• CEO & Co-Founder — Alex Gluchowski: 15+ years in cryptography and startups, co-inventor of ZKsync
• COO — Zoe Gadsden: 10+ years in growth and product leadership at Google
• CFO — Ankur Rakshit: 15 years in finance, former head of FP&A at Kraken
• CPO — Steve Newcomb: 15+ years as entrepreneur and product manager
• Director of Marketing — Shazia Hasan: Years in finance and crypto communications

Investors

• Blockchain Capital — Series C • 2022-11-16
• Dragonfly Capital — Series C • 2022-11-16
• Lightspeed Venture Partners — Series C • 2022-11-16
• Variant Fund — Series C • 2022-11-16
• a16z — Series C • 2022-11-16

Total funding: $200.00M

Tokenomics

• Utility: Governance, transaction fees, staking, module upgrades
• Vesting: 4-year vesting with 1-year cliff for team and investors, monthly unlocks up to 0.8% of supply until June 2028
• Next Unlock: 2026-03-17 (1.97% of circulating)

Pros & Cons

Strengths

• EVM-compatible zkRollup securing Ethereum-grade security
• Highly modular ZK Stack framework for custom chains
• Fast and low-cost proofs via Airbender prover
• Strong VC backing and governance model
• Expanding Elastic Network with multiple interoperable chains

Weaknesses

• TVL and active addresses have declined since the airdrop
• Fierce competition from other L2s like Arbitrum and Optimism
• High P/F valuation may deter some investors
• Large future unlocks pose sell-pressure risk
• Onchain activity remains below peak airdrop levels

Market Signals (7d)

• TVL trend: -0.84%
• Active addresses trend: -36.4%

Price Scenarios (target: 2026-08-20)

• Bear: $0.015000 — Assumes 20% discount from current price due to continued TVL decline and weak sentiment
• Base: $0.020000 — Assumes stabilization with moderate growth in network activity and adoption
• Bull: $0.030000 — Assumes strong ecosystem growth and governance revenue bolstering demand

How to Buy & Store

CEX

• Binance
• OKX
• MEXC
• Bybit
• Coinbase Exchange

DEX

• SyncSwap (ZKsync Era)
• Uniswap V3 (Ethereum)
• 1inch (ZKsync Era)
• Curve (ZKsync Era)
• Matcha (ZKsync Era)

Storage

• MetaMask
• ZKsync Portal Wallet
• Ledger
• Trezor (via MetaMask)
• imToken

Verdict

ZKsync offers cutting-edge zkEVM technology and strong backing, but faces adoption challenges and onchain activity headwinds; moderate buy.

Official Links

• Whitepaper
• GitHub
• Messari