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Technology term

ZK rollup

A rollup that proves every batch is valid using cryptography.

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By the Orca Crypto teamUpdated 2026-09-28How we check this3 min readDefinition
Definition

A rollup that proves every batch is valid using cryptography.

ZK rollups generate a validity proof for each batch. The layer 1 verifies the proof, so there is no need for a challenge period and withdrawals can be fast.

The cost is complexity. Generating proofs is computationally expensive, and building a proving system that handles arbitrary EVM code took years.

In practice

zkSync Era, Starknet, Scroll and Linea are ZK rollups.

What people get wrong

That the proof means there is nothing to trust. The math is checkable, and the sequencer, the upgrade keys and the prover setup are still run by people. Validity proofs remove one large assumption and do not remove all of them.

Common questions

Does zero knowledge mean my transactions are private?
No, and this is the most common confusion about them. In a ZK rollup the cryptography proves the batch is valid. The transactions themselves are still visible.
Why are ZK rollups harder to build?
Proving arbitrary computation is expensive and the tooling is young. That is why they arrived later than optimistic rollups despite having the better withdrawal story.

Where this comes up on the site

The guides that actually use this word, rather than a list of everything we have written.

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