Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has praised ZKsync’s latest major update, the Atlas upgrade, describing the team’s work as “underrated and valuable.” His remarks underscore the growing recognition of ZKsync’s technology, which aims to deliver faster transactions, lower fees, and enhanced liquidity integration within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Atlas Delivers 15,000 TPS and Near-Zero Fees
The ZKsync Atlas upgrade marks a major leap forward for Ethereum’s Layer-2 scaling ecosystem, introducing significant technical advancements. According to ZKsync co-founder Alex Gluchowski, Atlas enables more than 15,000 transactions per second (TPS), one-second finality, and near-zero fees for users. However, Gluchowski noted that these numbers are “only a small part of the story.”
The real breakthrough lies in how Atlas redefines the relationship between Ethereum (L1) and its Layer-2 (L2) networks. For the first time, L2s can tap into Ethereum’s real-time liquidity directly—eliminating the need for isolated liquidity pools. This means every ZKsync-based chain can instantly access Ethereum’s deep liquidity, resulting in faster, cheaper, and more efficient transactions across the network. The upgrade also enhances use cases for institutional and real-world asset (RWA) applications.
Buterin Applauds ZKsync’s Breakthrough
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin publicly praised the Atlas upgrade, calling ZKsync’s work “underrated and valuable” and expressing that he was “excited to see this come from them.” His comments signal strong confidence in ZKsync’s approach and underscore the importance of zero-knowledge technology in Ethereum’s long-term scaling vision.
Buterin has consistently championed ZK-based solutions for their ability to enhance throughput without sacrificing security or decentralization. ZKsync’s latest progress transforms that vision into tangible results—making Ethereum transactions faster and more cost-efficient while preserving its core trustless design. His endorsement reflects a broader shift within the Ethereum community toward supporting scalability innovations that maintain Ethereum’s foundational integrity.
A New Era of Layer-2 Interoperability
Before Atlas, each Layer-2 chain maintained its own liquidity infrastructure—platforms like Arbitrum, Base, and ZKsync Era operated with siloed pools that restricted liquidity flow and slowed cross-chain activity. Atlas removes these barriers, allowing instant interoperability between L2s.
With Atlas, L2-to-L2 interactions now occur in around one second, while L1-to-L2 transfers finalize faster than a single Ethereum block confirmation. This evolution effectively transforms Ethereum into a unified capital hub, seamlessly connecting all L2 networks and enabling fluid, high-speed asset movement across the ecosystem.
Reinforcing Ethereum’s Financial Core
Ultimately, the Atlas upgrade positions Ethereum as a global financial settlement layer. It extends Ethereum’s liquidity into a network of ZK-powered chains optimized for secure, real-world financial operations. As Ethereum continues to mature, innovations like Atlas push the network closer to achieving its ultimate goal—a scalable, efficient, and universally accessible blockchain capable of supporting everything from decentralized apps to institutional-grade finance.
Vitalik Buterin’s recognition of ZKsync’s contribution sends a clear message: with Atlas, Ethereum’s ecosystem is becoming stronger, faster, and more interconnected than ever before.
