ZKsync unveils “Elastic Chain” network of ZK chains

• ZKsync deployed an upgrade last month that allows it to convert its Ethereum bridge into a shared router to support a network of interoperable ZK chains.
• Twenty other chains are expected to join the elastic chain ecosystem in 2024.

Following an upgrade in June 2024, ZKsync now features multichain support, allowing other chains built with the ZK stack to join its ecosystem of interconnected chains. The upgraded protocol (ZKsync 3.0) will power the Elastic Chain, supporting low-cost interoperability and fostering unified liquidity across multiple chains.

This development is one of several recent efforts by various layer 2 networks to create interoperable layer 2 networks on top of the base Ethereum network.

Optimism is a popular example of another layer 2 chain evolving into a network of chains built using its tech stack. Polygon, another layer 2 evolving into a multichain ecosystem, launched Agglayer in January, which allows developers to connect layer 1 or 2 chains to Polygon’s growing network of interoperable chains.

The Elastic Chain is an ecosystem of autonomous chains interconnected at the protocol level to enable native asset transfers without resistance. Despite being made up of multiple chains, the ecosystem behaves like a single chain.

ZKsync is the first to pioneer an interoperable layer of blockchains using zero-knowledge proofs.