zkSync founder Alex Gluchowski announced significant layoffs at Matter Labs, the company behind the Ethereum scaling solution, on June 17. This marks the second round of cuts in two years. The core strategic shift is the company's full focus on Prividium, a "permissioned" privacy blockchain designed specifically for regulated financial institutions like Deutsche Bank and UBS. This move represents a stark pivot from zkSync's original ethos of a public, permissionless network. Gluchowski, a self-described "freedom maximalist," is now steering the project toward a compliant, enterprise-focused model. The community reaction is divided, with many sharply questioning the use of the $458 million in total raised funds, given the ongoing layoffs. The native $ZK token has suffered heavily, trading around $0.019, down approximately 93% from its all-time high. Its value-capture mechanism appears disconnected from Matter Labs' new B2B licensing direction. This strategic turnaround is seen by some as a survival tactic in the highly competitive L2 landscape, where zkSync has faced significant user decline post its 2024 airdrop. The company is now betting on a niche, potentially more profitable market, but at the cost of alienating early supporters who believed in its decentralized promises.
marsbit12天前




