Scroll ¹

The "boring" L2 where everything works exactly like Ethereum but cheaper. No fancy features, no modified EVM, no account abstraction — just Ethereum with lower fees.

Unique Position Scroll maintains perfect Ethereum compatibility (bytecode-level) while competitors like zkSync modified the EVM for extra features. This means all Ethereum tools, wallets, and contracts work unchanged but also no native account abstraction or paymasters. The safe choice for projects wanting zero surprises — if it works on Ethereum, it works on Scroll.

Primary Use Cases

• Migrating complex Ethereum projects without code changes
• DeFi protocols requiring exact Ethereum behavior
• NFT platforms maintaining OpenSea compatibility
• DAO tooling needing identical mainnet functionality
• Developer testing with guaranteed Ethereum parity

Ecosystem Character Developer-focused ecosystem prioritizing reliability over innovation. Major protocols like Uniswap and Aave deployed unchanged, validating the compatibility promise. Community values technical correctness over marketing hype. Growing steadily through proven compatibility rather than incentive programs.

Trade-offs

• Centralized sequencer creates censorship and liveness risks
• Heavy prover infrastructure may bottleneck under load
• Slower innovation due to strict Ethereum compatibility
• Ecosystem maturity lags behind Arbitrum and Optimism
• No unique features beyond compatibility claim

Technical Details

Architecture zkEVM rollup with complete bytecode equivalence to Ethereum. Uses validity proofs to guarantee computational correctness before settlement. Publishes data to Ethereum via EIP-4844 blobs without custom availability layers. Proving infrastructure generates ZK proofs for all state transitions.

Performance Proof generation adds minutes of latency after batch inclusion for final settlement. Throughput constrained by prover capacity and Ethereum calldata limits rather than artificial caps. Real-world performance limited by ZK proof generation speed, not network capacity.

Security & Trust Model ZK validity proofs ensure all computations are correct before finalization. No fraud proof window — withdrawals final once proofs verify. Full data availability on Ethereum provides strong security guarantees. However, centralized sequencer remains single point of failure.

Control & Governance Scroll team controls sequencer with vague decentralization promises. Proving and proposer decentralization planned but not implemented. Protocol upgrades managed centrally without community input. Development prioritizes technical goals over governance distribution.