The Ethereum ecosystem has taken a significant leap forward with the official confirmation of Scroll’s mainnet launch, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of zero-knowledge scaling solutions. As one of the most anticipated zkEVM projects, Scroll is now live and ready to support decentralized applications with faster transactions, lower fees, and full EVM compatibility.
This milestone follows over two years of development, rigorous testing, and multiple security audits across three public testnets. The team behind Scroll officially announced the mainnet release on October 17, 2023, signaling that developers can now seamlessly migrate their existing Ethereum dApps to this new Ethereum Layer 2 solution.
After more than two years of building, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Scroll Mainnet.
As we open the doors to Mainnet, we want to take a moment to reflect on our journey thus far.
What Is Scroll and How Does It Work?
Scroll is a zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) designed to scale Ethereum by processing transactions off-chain and submitting cryptographic proofs—known as ZK-proofs—back to the Ethereum mainnet. This approach dramatically reduces congestion on the base layer while maintaining the same level of security.
The technology works by batching thousands of transactions into a single compressed proof. Instead of executing each transaction directly on Ethereum, Scroll handles computation off-chain and only posts minimal validity data to the main chain. This results in:
- Lower gas fees
- Higher throughput
- Near-instant finality
- Full EVM equivalence
Because Scroll maintains byte-level compatibility with Ethereum, developers can deploy their smart contracts without modifications. “Everything functions right out of the box,” the Scroll team emphasized in their announcement.
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A Quiet Rollout: Mainnet Was Live Since October 8
While the official announcement came on October 17, blockchain data from Etherscan reveals that the Scroll mainnet had already been operational since October 8, 2023—the date of the first smart contract deployment on the network. This quiet launch allowed early adopters and partners to begin integrating ahead of the public reveal.
Over 450,000 smart contracts were deployed across Scroll’s three testnet phases, facilitating over 90 million transactions and generating more than 280,000 ZK-proofs. These numbers underscore the robustness of the infrastructure before mainnet deployment.
Security was a top priority throughout development. Scroll’s bridge and rollup contracts underwent audits by leading firms including OpenZeppelin and Zellic, while its zkEVM circuits were reviewed by Trail of Bits, Zellic, and Kalos. This multi-layered audit process ensures resilience against vulnerabilities common in early-stage Layer 2 solutions.
Centralized Start, Decentralized Future
Despite its decentralized ambitions, Scroll launched with a centralized sequencer—a temporary design choice aimed at ensuring stability during the initial phase. Co-founder Ye Zhang acknowledged this limitation but stressed it’s part of a broader roadmap toward full decentralization.
“We will have a centralized sequencer and the central approver button,” Zhang explained in a prior interview. However, plans are already in motion to remove this central point of control. The team intends to introduce community-driven governance proposals that will allow stakeholders to shape Scroll’s future direction.
Long-term goals include eliminating single points of failure and incentivizing community members to contribute to proving infrastructure—potentially through specialized hardware development or node operation.
This phased approach mirrors strategies adopted by other major Layer 2 projects, balancing early reliability with long-term decentralization.
The Growing zkEVM Landscape
Scroll enters a rapidly expanding field of zkEVM competitors, all vying to become the dominant scaling solution for Ethereum. Notable players include:
- Polygon zkEVM
- zkSync Era
- StarkWare (Starknet)
- Linea by ConsenSys
- Immutable zkEVM
Each project takes a slightly different technical approach, but all share the same objective: making Ethereum scalable without compromising security or decentralization.
Jordi Baylina, technical lead at Polygon Hermez, recently commented on the competitive landscape:
“Having different projects adds a lot of experience, and it’s also a way to test different approaches, ways of handling things, or solving things.”
This diversity strengthens the overall ecosystem by encouraging innovation and resilience across implementations.
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Why Scroll Stands Out
What sets Scroll apart is its commitment to being community-driven from inception. Founded in 2021, the project has consistently prioritized open collaboration, transparency, and developer accessibility. Unlike some zkEVMs that require code rewrites or use custom tooling, Scroll supports native Solidity and Vyper contracts with no changes needed.
Additionally, its focus on circuit-level accuracy ensures precise replication of Ethereum’s execution environment—a critical factor for trustless interoperability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a zkEVM?
A zero-knowledge EVM (zkEVM) is a virtual machine that executes Ethereum-compatible smart contracts and generates zero-knowledge proofs to verify execution correctness off-chain. This allows for secure, scalable Layer 2 solutions that inherit Ethereum’s security.
Is Scroll fully decentralized?
Not yet. Scroll launched with a centralized sequencer for stability but has a clear roadmap to decentralize over time. Community governance and permissionless proving networks are key components of future upgrades.
Can I use my existing Ethereum wallet with Scroll?
Yes. Since Scroll is EVM-equivalent, wallets like MetaMask work seamlessly. You’ll just need to add the Scroll network manually or use a bridge to transfer assets.
How do I bridge assets to Scroll?
You can use Scroll’s native bridge to transfer ETH and other tokens from Ethereum mainnet to Scroll. The process typically takes a few minutes and costs significantly less than on-chain transactions.
Are transaction fees lower on Scroll?
Yes. By processing transactions off-chain and only submitting proofs to Ethereum, Scroll reduces gas costs by up to 90% compared to direct mainnet usage.
What are ZK-proofs and why do they matter?
Zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) allow one party to prove the validity of a statement without revealing any underlying data. In blockchain scaling, they enable secure validation of off-chain computations with minimal data posted to the main chain—ensuring both privacy and efficiency.
👉 Start exploring high-speed, low-cost Ethereum scaling today.
Final Thoughts
The launch of Scroll’s mainnet represents more than just another Layer 2 going live—it's a testament to the maturity of zero-knowledge technology and its growing role in shaping Ethereum’s future. With strong developer support, rigorous security practices, and a clear path toward decentralization, Scroll is well-positioned to become a major player in the zkEVM race.
As Ethereum continues to scale through innovative Layer 2 solutions like Scroll, users and developers alike stand to benefit from faster, cheaper, and more accessible decentralized applications.
For those looking to get involved early, now is an ideal time to explore deployment options, test dApps, or participate in upcoming governance discussions.
Core Keywords: zkEVM, Ethereum Layer 2, Scroll mainnet, zero-knowledge proofs, EVM compatibility, blockchain scaling, ZK-proofs, decentralized applications