No, Matter Labs Is Not Abandoning zkSync for
Published 6/17/2026, 9:19:56 AM
The claim that Matter Labs is abandoning zkSync for a privacy blockchain called Prividium is false. Prividium is not a replacement for zkSync — it is an enterprise-focused extension built on the same ZK Stack technology that powers zkSync Era.
What Prividium Actually Is
Prividium is a privacy-preserving, permissioned blockchain platform built on ZKsync — not a competing blockchain. Key characteristics:
- Technology: Uses the same ZK Stack underlying zkSync Era
- Purpose: Provides bank-grade privacy for institutional digital asset adoption
- Target users: Banks, regulated financial institutions, enterprises requiring compliance-sensitive workflows
- Anchoring: Still secured by Ethereum through zero-knowledge proofs
The Dual-Track Strategy
Matter Labs is pursuing both tracks simultaneously:
| Product | Target | Type |
|---|---|---|
| zkSync Era | General users, DeFi, Web3 | Public L2 scaling solution |
| Prividium | Banks, regulated finance | Private, permissioned validium |
Evidence of Continued zkSync Development
- Atlas upgrade (October 2025): Targeting 15K+ TPS with ~1-second ZK finality [Source: ZKsync.io blog; X @zksync announcement Oct 7, 2025]
- Airbender prover (June 2025): 6x faster than competing zkVMs [Note: "6x faster" claim not independently confirmed]
- 18 chains in the network, $4B+ TVL secured, 700M+ transactions processed [Note: "$4B+ TVL" claim contradicted by DefiLlama data showing $15.42m current TVL]
- Q1 2026 deliverables: Continued development of Boojum proof system, ZK Gateway, Bridgehub, Smart Sign-On
- June 2026: Joined Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust
The ZKsync Lite Sunset (Misunderstood)
The only "sunset" is ZKsync Lite (launched June 2020), which is a planned deprecation in early 2026. This is a natural product evolution — Lite was an early proof-of-concept lacking smart contract functionality, superseded by ZKsync Era since March 2023. This is not abandonment of the ecosystem.
Institutional Momentum
- Deutsche Bank: Production deployment via DAMA2 tokenized fund platform [Source: The Block, June 2026]
- Cari Network: Prividium powering tokenized deposit network for 5 U.S. regional banks ($600B+ in deposits)
- 35+ financial institutions: Participated in Prividium workshops
- 30+ institutions: Active pipeline including central banks and sovereign currency issuers
Official Confirmation
Alex Gluchowski (CEO, Matter Labs) stated: "Banks have been struggling with conflicting requirements for a decade. This post explains how @ZKsync Prividium solved it."
The Matter Labs website explicitly lists both "Launch a public chain" and "Launch a private chain" options — confirming both tracks are core strategy.
Conclusion
The narrative of "abandonment" is incorrect. Prividium represents growth into enterprise markets, not a pivot away from zkSync. Matter Labs continues active development on all public chain infrastructure while simultaneously expanding into institutional privacy solutions. Both products share the same ZK Stack technology and remain anchored to Ethereum.
Verification Notes:
- [Note: "6x faster than competing zkVMs" claim not independently confirmed in available sources]
- [Note: "$4B+ TVL" claim contradicted by DefiLlama data showing $15.42m current TVL]