Over the past few weeks, I’ve discussed potential airdrop opportunities for Starknet and Aztec rollups. Both use ZK technology, just like today’s project, zkSync.

zkSync will be the first EMV-compatible ZK rollup. Ergo, zkSync should have DeFi applications like DEXes, lending protocols, and stablecoin issuance platforms in its early days.

Matter Labs, the team behind zkSync has confirmed that there’ll be a token for the network, which will be used for staking, just like Ethereum after the Merge. However, its distribution details haven’t been shared yet.

Currently, the team is running a campaign for its mainnet launch scheduled for October 28, promoting their testnet among users and developers. Besides the zkSync token, some of these projects have individually incentivized participation in the testnet.

By spending a little time—and not a single buck—on trying out some of these applications, you can potentially receive some zkSync tokens and also airdrops from applications on the chain.

How to Join the zkSync Testnet? 

Configure your MetaMask wallet to connect to the zkSync testnet. You can do it manually by going to the MetaMask wallet and then clicking on the top right circle > Settings > Networks > Add Network, and then enter the following network details:

Network Name: zkSync alpha testnet
New RPC URL: https://zksync2-testnet.zksync.dev
Chain ID: 280
Currency Symbol (Optional): ETH
Block Explorer URL (Optional): https://zksync2-testnet.zkscan.io/

Next, you need some testnet tokens to use applications on the network. Go to zkSync’s testnet faucet, connect your MetaMask wallet, and click on the ‘Go To Faucet’ button.  

 

You’ll be directed to Twitter, where you need to send the auto-generated tweet for promotion. Once the tweet is sent, you’ll get about $700 worth of testnet tokens.

 

 

The faucet doesn’t supply ETH because you don’t need ETH to pay on zkSync. On zkSync, users pay transaction fees in the tokens being transferred, which can be DAI or CRV, and doesn’t need to be ETH specifically. Isn’t it convenient?

 

 

Now, you’re equipped to explore the zkSync ecosystem. Currently, 19 applications, and since it doesn’t cost you real money, the best is to try them all before the mainnet launch on October 28. 

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Stay safe!