Two networks, one name
ZKsync Era is the current network: a zero-knowledge rollup that executes transactions off-chain and posts a validity proof to Ethereum (ZKsync documentation). The older ZKsync Lite is a separate system with its own documentation and its own balances. A wallet or exchange offering “zkSync” may mean either one, and funds sent to the wrong network do not appear on the other. Everything quoted on this page is ZKsync Era.
Withdrawals are delayed on purpose
Withdrawals from ZKsync to Ethereum are held back by a deliberate delay, introduced so that a critical bug could not be used to drain the protocol before anyone reacted; the length is set by governance and has been changed before (ZKsync documentation). Coming in, no such delay applies — which is why the spread between the quotes above is about provider pricing rather than the network.
Gas is paid in ETH
Gas on ZKsync Era is priced in ETH (ZKsync documentation), and ETH is the chain’s base token for fees — a separately built ZK Stack chain is what can replace it with an ERC-20, not ZKsync Era itself (ZKsync documentation). A stablecoin balance arriving on its own is still safest paired with a little ETH.
Not every provider covers this route
Support for ZKsync Era varies by provider and by token, and the Quote sources column shows how many answered for each route. Where an exchange we track lists the network for that token, its withdrawal fee appears beside the bridges.
Questions
How do I bridge to zkSync Era?
From Ethereum, through ZKsync's own bridge; from other networks, through a third-party provider. Check that the destination is ZKsync Era and not the older ZKsync Lite — they are separate networks with separate balances.
How do I add zkSync to MetaMask?
The network has to be added to the wallet before a balance shows up, using the details in the ZKsync documentation. Adding the network does not move anything by itself — the funds still have to be bridged or withdrawn there.
How do I bridge from zkSync Lite to Era?
They are separate networks with separate documentation and separate balances, so this is a transfer between two chains rather than a switch inside one wallet. Quotes on this page are for ZKsync Era.
How do I bridge from Arbitrum to zkSync?
Neither network's official bridge connects the two, so the route runs through a third-party provider. Select Arbitrum as the source above to see which providers quote it and how many answered.
How long does a withdrawal from zkSync take?
Withdrawals to Ethereum are held back by a delay the protocol applies deliberately, on top of the time needed to prove the batch. Coming in, no such delay applies, and each provider publishes its own estimate.
Sources
- ZKsync documentation — about ZKsync Era · checked 2026-09-12
- ZKsync documentation — withdrawal delay · checked 2026-09-12
- ZKsync documentation — fee structure · checked 2026-09-12
- ZKsync documentation — custom base tokens · checked 2026-09-12
- ZKsync Lite documentation · checked 2026-09-12