What Is the Fundamental Difference between an Optimistic Rollup and a ZK-Rollup?
Both are Layer 2 scaling solutions. An Optimistic Rollup assumes all transactions are valid by default ("optimistic") and uses a fraud proof system, where a challenger has a time window to submit proof of a fraudulent transaction.
A ZK-Rollup (Zero-Knowledge Rollup) uses cryptographic validity proofs (ZK-SNARKs or ZK-STARKs) to prove the correctness of off-chain transactions. ZK-Rollups offer faster finality as no challenge period is needed.