Layer 2 network Mantle to transition into a ZK Rollup with Succinct’s technology

Quick Take

Ethereum Layer 2 project Mantle is set to transition into a ZK rollup in collaboration with Succinct Labs.
The migration will drastically reduce the finality time from one week to about an hour — which is characteristic of ZK rollups.

Mantle, an optimistic rollup network with a total value locked above $440 million, is set to migrate itself into a ZK rollup in collaboration with Succinct Labs. The switch drastically reduces the finality time from a week, as taken by optimistic rollups and validium chains, to about an hour, as characterized in ZK rollups.

This strategic move is powered by Succinct’s SP1 zkEVM framework, with zero-knowledge proofs at the core of this new phase. “In collaboration with Succinct Labs, we’re creating institutional-grade settlement and value transfer — reducing finality from 7 days to 1 hour,” Mantle noted.

A zkVM is a customized blockchain environment that uses zero-knowledge proofs to validate transactions and help scale Layer 2 blockchains while securing them via the Ethereum mainnet.

Mantle was previously developed using Optimism’s OP Stack, and the team collaborated with Succinct so the optimistic rollup could transform into a ZK rollup.

Besides using SP1 zkEVM, the transition also leveraged a software called "OP Succinct." This technology, developed by Succinct Labs, enhances the capabilities of optimistic rollups (specifically those built on the OP Stack) by incorporating zero-knowledge proofs. Using zero-knowledge proofs, OP Succinct eliminates the need for the 7-day fraud-proof window in optimistic rollups. This means transactions can be finalized much faster.

OP Succinct aims to maintain compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, allowing existing Ethereum applications to be easily deployed on OP Stack rollups such as Mantle with ZK-powered validity proofs.

The improvement aims to boost the usability of Mantle’s liquid staking derivative assets, such as mETH and fBTC, in the Layer 2 ecosystem. “Performance benefits will enable the native DeFi ecosystem to expand significantly,” Mantle developers said.

In 2023, Mantle merged with its backer, BitDAO, one of the largest decentralized autonomous organizations in terms of treasury assets.

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