ZKsync Becomes First ZK Rollup to Achieve Full EVM Equivalence

- ZKsync achieves full EVM equivalence - Protocol version 27 (Era 27) applied to the mainnet [Unblock Media] On May 7, 2025, ZKsync announced through its official Twitter account that "ZKsync has achieved full EVM Equivalence," marking a significant advancement in the blockchain developer ecosystem. This is noted as the first instance where a ZK rollup-based Layer 2 scaling solution has achieved complete EVM equivalence. ZKsync emphasized that with this upgrade, developers can now use major tools like solc, Foundry, and Hardhat, which are commonly used in the existing Ethereum development environment, without any modifications. Previously, developers had to use the zkSolc or hardhat-zksync plugins, but they can now maintain their existing EVM workflows on ZKsync as well. This transition was accomplished with the approval of ZKsync Improvement Proposal 9 (ZIP-9), making it not just a technical upgrade but also a change officially sanctioned through governance procedures. ZKsync passed ZIP-9 through its own governance structure, the Token Assembly, and the proposal was reflected in protocol version 27 (Era 27), which is now applied to the mainnet. ZKsync stated that this functionality will also extend to all ZK chains within the Elastic Network. Protocol 27 includes the following key features: - EVM bytecode emulator: Allows existing Solidity/Vyper-based smart contracts to be executed without modifications. - FFLONK proof system: Reduces on-chain verification costs by approximately 30% compared to the existing Plonk. - Elastic Network-based scalability structure: Integrates multiple ZK chains into a single network to enhance performance and flexibility. With this announcement, ZKsync stated, “EVM Equivalence is just the first step, and we are continuously developing for the future of Ethereum and the EVM.” This message was reposted on the official Twitter account of Ethereum.org, catching the community's attention. Meanwhile, this technical upgrade is expected to improve the developer experience while also impacting practical projects based on ZKsync. Currently, the ZKsync-based ecosystem includes major projects such as: - SyncSwap – DEX based on ZKsync Era - Lens Protocol – Decentralized social graph - Memento – Platform connecting decentralized finance/traditional finance - ZK Candy – Platform supporting the transition of Web2 games to Web3 based on the Elastic Chain ZKsync has expressed its commitment to leading rollup-centered scaling strategies by continuously strengthening features and improving protocols. This upgrade is recognized not only as a performance boost but also as an example of implementing decentralized governance and developer-friendliness simultaneously.