• The zkSync scaling solution aims to bring unlimited scalability to Ethereum while offering greater flexibility to developers.
• The zkSync Layer 3 is faster, cheaper and more usable and will improve the performance by more than 100x.

New Ethereum scaling solutions continue to be in the works even after the recent transition to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain network. As per reports, a new Layer-3 prototype aimed at solving Ethereum’s scalability issues will be deployed for testing by Q1 2023.

On Monday, October 10, zero-knowledge blockchain solutions provider zkSync announced that they will deploy a new EVM-compatible layer-3 prototype called “Pathfinder” on the testnet early next year.

The zkSync is a Layer-2 Ethereum scaling protocol that helps in bringing down the network usage costs significantly. Two years ago in June 2020, zkSync launched its 1.0 version. Now, it is preparing for the launch of zkSync 2.0 later this month.

The zkSync 2.0 will have five magic ingredients to support Ethereum scaling. This includes General-Purpose ZK rollup, EVM-Compatible, Solidity Support, Open Source, and Ethereum Ethod Compatible. This Layer 2 solution will provide the necessary solution that will help in scaling Ethereum without compromising its security and decentralization.

However, the zkSync Layer 3 comes into the picture to achieve greater goals of unlimited scalability and mass adoption. Speaking on the development, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said:

I don’t think there is one vision for what Ethereum could do, I think there are many different visions. Once Ethereum manages to solve its scaling problems, it’s going to be in a much better place to help be the substrate that allows all of those visions to happen. In the medium to long term ZK rollups will win out in all use cases.

zkSync Layer 3 will provide a 10x–100x performance increase

As said the zkSync Layer 3 aims at attaining unlimited scalability thereby increasing the network performance by 10X-100X. The team behind zkSync said that they are trying to build an L3 “ecosystem of customizable and trustlessly linked blockchains powered by zkEVM that we refer to as ‘HyperChains.’”

The L3 prototype will provide several different opportunities to make improvements in different areas of blockchain performance including customization, scaling, and security. The zkSync aims to address five major features while building Layer 3. This includes Security, Performance, Cost, Ease of Use, and composability.

With zkSync Layer 3 solution, developers will be able to choose 3 data availability options. Additionally, developers will also be able to customize their fractal HyperChain. Speaking on this, Steve Newcomb, the chief product officer of Matter Labs — the engineering team behind zkSync said:

[Our] L2 solution is going to be 10x to 100x at the max at L2, but it’s L3 where we have like a star cluster of 10x moments where we make it faster, cheaper and more usable. That’s where the game is going to be had [L3] and you know, the reason why people should see us differently than Polygon really is all about by the time they get around to getting that L2 solution, which is much less performant than us.