ZK-Rollups Ethereum: Which second-layer projects are leading the scalability revolution in 2025

Why Ethereum Needs zk-Rollups Right Now

Ethereum remains the foundation of decentralized finance, but as its popularity grows, network bottlenecks have emerged. Gas fees are soaring, transaction speeds are dropping, and users are seeking solutions. While Ethereum 2.0 promises to address scalability issues, it is layer 2 networks—especially zk-Rollups—that already provide practical solutions for efficient decentralized application development today.

ZK Rollups function as automatic parking lots for the blockchain: they process many transactions off-chain, compress them into a single cryptographic proof, and submit it back to Ethereum. This approach can increase throughput by thousands of times, reduce fees, and maintain security.

How ZK Rollups Work: Technology Behind a Simple Facade

The core of zk-Rollups is zero-knowledge proofs (zero-knowledge proofs). They verify the correctness of a batch of transactions without revealing individual details.

Implementation process:

• Transactions are grouped and processed off-chain on a separate virtual machine
• A compact cryptographic proof is generated, confirming the validity of all operations
• This proof is sent to the main Ethereum network
• Validators verify the proof, ensuring data integrity

Key advantage of the zk approach: each transaction is mathematically verified, providing instant finality (unlike optimistic rollups with their challenge periods).

Why ZK Rollups Outperform Competitors

Security and Speed
ZK Rollups offer instant finality on the main chain and do not require trusted intermediaries. They rely solely on cryptographic math, not validator honesty.

Privacy
Details of individual operations remain encrypted within the proof, offering a higher level of privacy than most other L2 solutions.

Ethereum Compatibility
Most zk-Rollups maintain compatibility with EVM, allowing developers to deploy existing smart contracts without rewriting code.

Top 11 ZK Rollup Projects Shaping the Future of Layer 2

1. Manta Pacific: Privacy as a Feature

Statistics: TVL $851M | Launch: September 2023 | Token: MANTA ($33.86M market cap)

Manta Network has chosen a niche—confidential DeFi transactions. Using zk-SNARKs, it enables users to trade and swap crypto privately, encrypting transaction details while keeping them verifiable.

Within months of launch, Manta Pacific became the fourth-largest Ethereum L2 solution by TVL, surpassing even Coinbase’s Base. This signals: the market is willing to pay a premium for privacy in DeFi.

Why it matters: In an ecosystem where most DeFi platforms are fully transparent, Manta creates a privacy layer for all applications operating across various blockchains.

2. Linea: Speed and Simplicity for Developers

Statistics: TVL $202M | Launch: August 2023 | Token: LINEA ($107.43M market cap)

Linea focuses on a classic challenge: how to give developers tools to quickly build applications on L2? The platform uses zk-SNARKs for transaction validation and emphasizes ease of integration.

Key point: Linea announced an airdrop of its own token, indicating readiness to deepen decentralization and actively grow its ecosystem.

Advantage: High throughput with minimal latency—ideal for applications with large volumes of transactions.

3. Polygon zkEVM: Emphasizing Compatibility

Statistics: TVL $115M | Launch: March 2023 | Token: MATIC

Polygon, already a strong player in the L2 ecosystem, created zkEVM—a solution that executes transactions off-chain in an environment compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine, then verifies them with ZK proofs.

This means: all Ethereum smart contracts work on zkEVM without modification. It lowers the entry barrier for developers.

Strength: Built into the Polygon ecosystem, zkEVM benefits from network effects and integration with other L2 solutions.

4. Starknet: Quantum-Resistant Future

Statistics: TVL $170M | Launch: February 2022 | Token: STRK ($396.23M market cap)

Starknet is built on STARKs (Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge)—a more advanced form of zero-knowledge proofs. The main difference: STARKs do not require trusted setup and are resistant to quantum computing.

The platform supports universal computations, meaning it can run any smart contract. This offers maximum flexibility for developers.

Innovation: STARKs provide protection against future quantum threats, positioning Starknet as a long-term solution.

5. zkSync Era: Balancing Performance and Usability

Statistics: TVL $555M | Launch: March 2023 | Token: ZKS

zkSync Era by Matter Labs demonstrates how high throughput can be achieved without sacrificing usability. The project maintains full Ethereum compatibility, allowing developers to deploy Ethereum dApps directly.

Architecture is straightforward: transactions are bundled into a single proof and sent to the main network. Result: minimal fees, high speed, Ethereum security.

Competitive edge: Direct EVM compatibility avoids costly code rewrites when migrating from L1.

6. Scroll: Focus on Performance

Statistics: TVL $63.46M | Launch: October 2023 | Token: none

Scroll positions itself as a solution for applications requiring extreme throughput with minimal latency. Using zk-SNARKs, it aggregates transactions into a single proof.

Particularly attractive for DeFi apps with high trading volumes, where a delay of a few milliseconds can cost money.

Positioning: Scroll targets traders and applications where execution speed is everything.

7. Aztec Protocol: Privacy Built into the Protocol

Launch: 2017 | Token: none (yet)

Aztec offers a hybrid model: operations can be performed publicly or privately. Privacy is optional, opening doors for private trading and anonymous voting.

Key tool: Noir—a programming language for developing zero-knowledge circuits, simplifying the creation of private dApps.

Vision: Aztec aims for full decentralization of all components at mainnet launch, adhering to Ethereum principles—open source and censorship resistance.

8. ZKFair: Fair Trading via ZK Rollups

Launch: December 2023 | Token: ZKF | Market Cap: $163M

ZKFair is designed as a decentralized exchange fighting front-running—the problem where bots jump ahead of your orders and capture profits.

Solution: ZK Rollups process transactions off-chain, preventing manipulation of operation order.

Unique selling point: Fair execution of trades—not just an advantage, but a new standard for decentralized trading.

9. DeGate V1: Small but Promising

Launch: September 2022 | Token: DG | Market Cap: $21.14M

DeGate V1 uses ZK Rollups to create a DEX with minimal slippage. The platform handles large trades with minimal losses—crucial for traders.

Less prominent than competitors, but that’s an advantage: less noise, clear focus on execution quality.

10. ZetaChain: Universal Bridges Between Blockchains

Launch: February 2021 | Token: ZETA ($80.77M market cap)

ZetaChain employs ZK Rollups to build bridges between blockchains. The technology: zk-SNARKs verify transaction validity across networks without revealing sensitive info.

This allows dApps to use assets and data from multiple blockchains simultaneously.

Focus: Interoperability—in the multi-chain era, this becomes a critical feature.

11. Taiko: Decentralized Sequencers Changing the Game

Launch: January 2024 (testnet) | Funding: $37M

Taiko introduces innovation in L2 architecture: a “based” sequencing method, where transaction batching management is handled by the main Ethereum network itself, not a centralized entity.

This solves the classic problem: a centralized sequencer can be a point of failure or censorship. Taiko’s “based” sequencing simplifies the value creation chain and reduces trust assumptions.

Breakthrough: Full Ethereum compatibility plus innovative architecture—a formula for success for a project just starting out.

Major Challenges Still to Overcome

Despite the potential, ZK Rollups face real obstacles:

Cryptography complexity
Implementation and maintenance require deep understanding of advanced mathematics. This limits the number of teams capable of competing in this space.

Transaction type limitations
ZK Rollups are not efficient for all operations. Some computations remain inefficient.

Data availability criticality
If transaction-related data becomes unavailable, the entire system could collapse. Managing this is non-trivial.

Proof generation costs
Creating cryptographic proofs demands significant computational resources, which can create bottlenecks in scaling.

Governance and upgrades
Changing protocols requires consensus among many stakeholders, complicating rapid responses to challenges.

The Future of ZK Rollups: From Technology to Mass Adoption

Current developments show the industry is working on simplifying complexity and improving integration. Ongoing R&D, developer support, and increasing liquidity in the ZK Rollups ecosystem create conditions for this technology to move from niche to mainstream standard.

With sustainable growth and collaboration among projects, ZK Rollups have the potential to transform Ethereum into a high-speed, cost-effective, and secure ecosystem for applications, paving the way for mass blockchain adoption.

Summary

ZK Rollups are not just an improvement to the current system—they are a re-engineering of Ethereum’s entire infrastructure. By processing operations off-chain while maintaining security and data integrity, they enable a scalable, economical, and resilient blockchain ecosystem.

The twenty-four projects listed above demonstrate a variety of approaches: from privacy (Manta, Aztec) to fair trading (ZKFair) and interoperability (ZetaChain). Each is carving out its niche, and together they foster a competitive environment that accelerates innovation.

The future of Ethereum and the entire blockchain industry largely depends on how successfully these layer 2 solutions are integrated into the broader ecosystem.