Cronos zkEVM, the next generation zero-knowledge Layer-2 focused on scalability, security and innovation has announced the successful completion of the Mainnet upgrade scheduled yesterday with no downtime.
The upgrade, rolling out version 27 is aimed at making the network faster, cheaper, and much easier to build on.
Here are the two major improvements and why they matter:
Improvement 1: True Ethereum compatibility
With the new EVM Emulation, Cronos zkEVM now functions as truly EVM-equivalent. This means that developers no longer need to make tweaks or use special tools to deploy smart contracts, and can deploy Ethereum-native contracts as-is.
Further, this allows builders to use Ethereum-native code, libraries like Hardhat or Foundry and interact seamlessly with the Ethereum infrastructure.
Improvement 2: Cheaper Verification on Ethereum
The upgrade also adds the Fflonk Verifier, a new cryptographic method that makes verifying batches of transactions on Ethereum about 30% cheaper. By reducing L1 verification costs, the process reduces the gas fee utilised and enables lower fees and better scalability in the long run.
Why This Matters:
Cronos Labs on X called the newest upgrade a key milestone toward “Ethereum alignment and a faster, more cost-efficient rollup”
Beyond the benefits of aligning with Ethereum, Cronos zkEVM is now leaner and more efficient.
The ability to use familiar Ethereum tools enables builder-ready infrastructure in the ecosystem. True EVM equivalence also ensures better compatibility and opens the doors for more adoption. Lower L1 costs makes building and using Cronos zkEVM cheaper and scalable.
The upgrade is a critical step forward for the chain’s zk-rollup roadmap and signals a clear message: Cronos is ready for serious builders.
