The ZK market serves four distinct needs: processing more blockchain activity, keeping selected data private, generating proofs of computations, and verifying proofs that already exist. That puts Linea, Aleo, Succinct and zkVerify on the same map, even though people use them for different results.
Using an app starts with its network and a way to fund it. Proving a calculation calls for software that generates a proof and the computing power to run it. A confidential transaction needs a product that actually hides the relevant data. Here is how these areas fit together, including the status of individual networks on 19 October 2026.
Four areas of ZK
A proof lets someone check a statement about a computation. The zero-knowledge property makes it possible to do this without revealing the secret data behind the statement. Crypto projects also use the ZK label for public networks: their proofs help verify transaction execution, while the transfers themselves remain visible.
| Area | What the user gets | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Scaling | A network for transfers and apps, with proofs confirming the results of its work. | Starknet, ZKsync Era, Linea, Scroll. |
| Privacy | A transaction or application that keeps selected data confidential. | Aleo, Aztec; specific products including STRK20, Tongo and Prividium. |
| Proof generation | A proof of a program's execution; a market helps find someone to do the computation. | Succinct/SP1, Brevis/Pico, Boundless/RISC Zero. |
| Proof verification | A verification result for an existing proof, ready for an application to use. | zkVerify. |
One project can offer several products. L2 networks also generate and verify proofs internally. Those components become a service for other developers when the project makes that work available as a product.
Starknet, ZKsync Era, Linea and Scroll: public L2 networks
These networks share a broad approach: transactions execute outside Ethereum, then a proof helps Ethereum verify the transition from the network's previous state to its new one. This is called a validity A Layer 2 network that executes operations while linking its data and verification mechanism to a base chain such as Ethereum. This allows more operations to run outside the base blockchain.. Users still choose apps, pay transaction fees and create records of their transfers. Hiding a sender, amount or recipient requires a separate mechanism. Starknet explains this distinction between correctness and confidentiality in its guide to validity rollups.
Starknet uses Cairo: its proofs confirm the execution of programs in that environment. The protocol documentation describes execution, proving and settlement on Ethereum. It is an application environment with its own wallets and contract accounts.
ZKsync names a broader family. Era is a particular public L2, while ZK Stack provides technology for building other networks. An app using the stack can hold its balances on a network other than Era; the Era documentation and ZK Stack overview describe those different scopes.
Linea executes Ethereum-compatible A program recorded on a blockchain. It performs defined actions with funds and data when called, such as exchanging tokens according to an application’s rules. and proves the results to Ethereum. Here the distinction is between public Linea Mainnet and Lineth, a stack for deploying networks. Scroll also provides a public L2 with Ethereum settlement and data availability; its current architecture describes OpenVM in the proving layer.
For a user, choosing between these networks starts with the app they need and a way to fund it. Cairo, zkEVM and the underlying proof systems explain how a platform works. The network, supported asset and funding method determine where a transfer arrives.
Privacy belongs to a specific operation
Aleo runs its own network with A network participant that verifies transactions and helps confirm blocks using dedicated software. Validators work together under the network’s rules to determine which blocks are accepted and how balances are updated. and AleoBFT consensus. Public and private credits coexist. The chosen transfer type determines which addresses and amounts become visible; the credits documentation lists these modes separately. That is the practical meaning of privacy: which data stays confidential during a particular action.
Aztec combines private and public application logic. Its Private Execution Environment, or PXE, runs the private part on the client and generates a proof. The status of Alpha V5 and the V6 upgrade matters for using this product; it appears below alongside other network changes.
On public Starknet, separate protocols Tongo and STRK20 add confidential operations. At the time of this overview, the STRK20 documentation labels its SDK a prerelease, and deposits require access from StarkWare and sanctions screening. Ordinary Starknet transfers retain their own public behaviour.
ZKsync also offers Prividium, a separate permissioned product for organisations. Data stays in the operator's infrastructure, while Ethereum receives proofs of state. Production access requires a commercial agreement. These properties belong to Prividium; public Era follows its own model.
Who generates proofs, and who verifies them?
A zkVM runs a program and produces a proof of its execution. A developer defines the computation, an operator supplies computing power, and the receiving party verifies the result. Generating proofs can require substantial resources, which has created markets for requests and operators.
Succinct separates the roles clearly. SP1 is a zkVM for programs compiled to RISC-V; Succinct Network matches proof requesters with competing operators. Requests are paid for with PROVE, and the network settles on Ethereum.
Brevis offers the Pico zkVM and the ProverNet market. Boundless also lets applications submit proof requests and engage operators, using tools associated with RISC Zero. Its current market deployments include Base and Taiko. For an application, the relevant choices are the computation, the result format and how the request is paid for.
zkVerify serves the next step: it accepts completed proofs for verification. An application receives the result through the supported integration. Generating a proof and verifying it are two jobs that different products and participants can perform.
Why Polygon PoS and Polygon zkEVM need separate labels
Polygon PoS is an active The environment in which a network executes Ethereum smart contracts. Compatible networks can run these contracts and work with familiar Ethereum wallets, but balances on different networks remain separate. network with its own block production and proof-of-stake mechanisms. It periodically posts checkpoints to Ethereum. The PoS architecture differs from a ZK rollup.
Agglayer is separate infrastructure for connecting networks. Its pessimistic proofs enforce constraints on cross-chain asset accounting. Joining Agglayer does not by itself make a network a zkEVM. The Polygon brand covers several products, and the closure of one does not close PoS.
Platform tokens and payment for work
Tokens also connect to products in different ways. On Linea, A measure of the work a network performs to process a transaction. The network fee depends on the amount of work and its price, and is paid in the asset specified by the network rules. is paid in ETH, while LINEA is used in ecosystem programmes and the buy-and-burn mechanism; the LINEA economics overview separates those roles. Ordinary Era transactions use ETH, while ZK provides voting power through delegation. In Starknet, STRK pays transaction fees and participates in Participating in a network with coins allocated to block validation. You can run your own validator or participate through a selected validator or service. Rewards are earned for following the network’s rules.; in Succinct, PROVE pays for proof requests. A useful way to understand a token is through the holder's action: paying for work, participating in the network, or voting.
Networks that have stopped or are changing how they operate
For an existing balance, the specific network and version matter more than the ZK label. This is the position on 19 October 2026.
- ZKsync Lite stopped producing blocks on 4 May 2026. The ZKsync announcement concerns Lite; public Era is a different product. The official Lite withdrawal site handles remaining funds.
- Polygon zkEVM stopped producing blocks on 3 July 2026. The current sunset page points to claims for eligible assets through Ethereum. This route covers assets held directly in self-custody A standard blockchain account whose transactions are signed with a private key. Unlike a contract wallet, its rules are not defined by a separate smart contract., or EOAs, at shutdown. Assets in DeFi contracts, multisig wallets and third-party bridge contracts are outside this EOA claims process. Support for the claims interface is scheduled to continue until 31 December 2027.
- Abstract has announced shutdown on 15 December 2026. Its Migration Hub provides withdrawal and migration routes. That is the immediate practical task for existing network users.
- Aztec is preparing the move from Alpha V5 to V6. Its August disclosure describes a critical vulnerability in the V5 proving system. The 15 October update places the fixes in the upcoming V6 release. At the date of this overview, the network table lists Alpha/Mainnet 5.2.0 and Testnet 6.0.0-rc.1, while the V6 Payload has been presented for the upgrade process. Deploying new contracts and switching the active network are separate stages.
Choose the next step for your task
To use an app, start with the ecosystem directory and the page for its network. These connect wallets, bridges, applications and transaction payments. Building an application with provable computation takes a different route: zkVM tools and the terms for submitting a proof request.
To continue with a particular asset, open the STRK or PROVE page. These bring together token data and available exchange products. The corresponding platform hub explains the protocol and the holder's roles.
To send an asset from an exchange, use the withdrawal fee for the actual network. For example, the native-network STRK withdrawal page answers that question separately from the cost of a transaction inside Starknet. Establish the product and destination network first, then open the tool that serves that task.