zkSync's rumored airdrop again seems like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"—shouldn't they launch their token by 2024 already?
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zkSync's rumored airdrop again seems like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"—shouldn't they launch their token by 2024 already?
ZK's ecosystem development currently lags significantly behind OP, and the lack of token incentives and wealth effects is clearly one of the reasons.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Fu Ruheshi
Ethereum Layer 2 has long been a hot sector in the crypto world, with the so-called "Big Four" L2s broadly divided into two camps—the OP Stack and ZK Stack. The community has long debated the strengths and weaknesses of these two ecosystems, and while consensus may seem to be forming, the reality is that currently the OP Stack significantly outpaces the ZK Stack in development and ecosystem vitality.
In comparison, building on the OP Stack is less complex and highly replicable, enabling it to quickly capture attention and traffic in the Layer 2 space. For ordinary users, the wealth effects from tokens and ongoing ecosystem incentives are particularly important. OP Stack leaders Optimism and Arbitrum have already launched their tokens and established long-term incentive programs, attracting a large number of projects to their ecosystems.
In contrast, despite frequent activity from Starknet—such as testing STRK functionality on its testnet and running airdrop claim trials—it has repeatedly cried "wolf." zkSync, another of the Big Four, has kept users interacting for three years with great anticipation; even though its mainnet Era launched nearly a year ago, there's still no sign of a token launch.
However, on February 3, Twitter KOL Maran's Crypto observed a new folder added to the GitHub repository of Matter Labs, zkSync’s parent company—named "Snapshot Creator."
This naturally reignited speculation about an imminent token snapshot and launch. KOL gm 365 tweeted:
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According to Maran's Crypto's observation, a new document (docker/snapshots-creator/Dockerfile) appeared in Matter Labs' GitHub repository.
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Two hours before this document appeared, zkSync's official account tweeted: "zkSync is the Endgame."
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Multiple CEXs suspended deposits and withdrawals for zkSync.
Given these three points, gm 365 even consulted ChatGPT for interpretation of the document.
GPT responded: "A regular Dockerfile doesn't include such a snapshot—it looks more like a blockchain airdrop snapshot."
However, on February 4, Twitter KOL gm 365 retracted his claims, clarifying after gathering multiple sources that his previous statements were purely speculative.
Although this latest rumor around zkSync's token launch turned out to be another false alarm, the community's strong anticipation is evident. Some zkSync ecosystem projects have also told Odaily that they recently communicated with the core team and confirmed that zkSync does indeed have plans to launch a token in 2024.
Currently, Ethereum Layer 2 remains popular, but beyond the leading developments of Optimism and Arbitrum, Starknet and zkSync are actually less prominent than newer OP-based L2s such as Base and opBNB. A key reason is clearly the lack of token incentives and wealth-generation prospects in the ZK Stack to attract projects.
The long-awaited "blessing" for the ZK Stack may finally arrive this year. When it does, the Layer 2 landscape could heat up again, potentially becoming a major catalyst for the upcoming bull market.
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