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What Is the Difference between a ZK-Rollup and an Optimistic Rollup?

ZK-Rollups use cryptographic proofs for immediate validity; Optimistic Rollups assume validity and rely on a time-delayed fraud proof challenge period.
Greeks.Live07.11.25

What Is the Difference between a ZK-Rollup and an Optimistic Rollup?

Both are Layer 2 scaling solutions. A ZK-Rollup proves the validity of all off-chain transactions cryptographically before posting the proof to Layer 1.

An Optimistic Rollup assumes all off-chain transactions are valid by default ("optimistically"). It relies on a challenge period where anyone can submit a fraud proof if they detect an invalid transaction.

This difference affects withdrawal times and security assumptions.

What Is the Trade-off in Computational Complexity between the Two Rollup Types?
How Does ‘Data Availability’ Relate to the Security of Both Sharding and Layer 2 Rollups?
What Is the Difference between a Merkle Proof and a Zero-Knowledge Proof?
How Do ZK-Rollups Improve Transaction Throughput on Ethereum?

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