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2023 Updates
In May 2023, Rocketpool announced a pivotal integration with the Layer-2 rollup zkSync Era.
What is Rocketpool?
Rocket Pool is a decentralized Ethereum staking pool that was created with the purpose of supporting small-scale ETH stakers and promoting decentralization at the Ethereum staking level. Launched in late 2016, it underwent several public betas as “ETH2” was being developed. Rocket Pool's ultimate goal is to become the leading staking infrastructure for Ethereum.
The infrastructure of Rocket Pool consists of three core components: Smart Contracts, Smart Nodes, and Minipool Validators. It also utilizes a dual-token model (RPL and rETH) to align network incentives. The project boasts unique features such as low deposit requirements, deposit safety mechanisms, and MEV smoothing. Deposits can be locked for 6, 9, or 12 months, offering the potential for an annual return of up to ~6.4% in ETH and variable RPL rewards for node operators or approximately ~5% A.P.R. for ETH stakers.
Read the full report on Rocketpool and the RPL token here.
What is zkSync and zkSync Era?
zkSync's zkEVM is one of the most anticipated projects heading into 2023. In April 2021, the ZkSync team announced zkSync Era and its zkPorter technology, which aims to improve upon v1 and introduce the first zkEVM (EVM-compatible).
Read all about zkSync, zkEVMs, and its potential airdrop here.
A zkEVM enables every smart contract/piece of code to be easily deployed and executed on Ethereum's base layer with minimal code changes. Creating a ZK-enabled EVM that’s entirely compatible with Ethereum's EVM offers the best of both worlds: orders of magnitude more scalability with all of the network effects and users that come with Ethereum's EVM dapp ecosystem. However, there are degrees to which a zkVM can be compatible with the EVM. This equivalency is similar to EVM-compatible and EVM-equivalence in the Optimistic rollup space.
Beyond the composability benefits, it also aims to provide ~$0.01 transactions by moving transaction data off-chain (Validium-style) and offering 20,000 transactions per second (TPS). So far, as of 2023, it has deployed its "Baby Alpha" mainnet with the full mainnet launch expected in H1 2023. Since launching, the protocol has amassed $100 million+ in TVL, 40,000+ unique depositors, and has 100+ dApps looking to launch in the near future.
zkSync Era has the third highest TVL amongst rollups, trailing only behind Arbitrum and Optimism. Unique among its counterparts, zkSync Era is a zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-based rollup, or a zkEVM, facilitating compatibility with the Ethereum execution environment crucial for deploying smart contracts and decentralized applications (dapps).
While specific details surrounding the integration remain undisclosed, the process likely mirrors Rocketpool's previous integration with Arbitrum and Optimism, involving the use of a bridging protocol, an ETH swap for Rocketpool’s liquid staking token rETH on a decentralized exchange (DEX) functioning on zkSync, and ultimately, a wallet to oversee assets on zkSync. Alongside Rocketpool, notable Ethereum staking providers like Lido and Coinbase have also disclosed plans to expand to Layer-2 rollups. Coinbase, in particular, is heavily invested in Layer-2 technologies, piloting their own Layer-2 rollup, called Base, live since February 2023.
