Linea
ConsenSys's Type-2 zkEVM rollup with the deepest MetaMask distribution of any ZK chain.
Linea is a zkEVM rollup built by ConsenSys, targeting bytecode-level equivalence with the EVM (Type-2). It settles validity proofs to Ethereum, giving sub-hour withdrawal finality without a 7-day challenge window. Native MetaMask integration makes it the default ZK destination for Ethereum-native users, and it has hosted a large points program throughout 2025–2026 that drove TVL and DEX volume.
- TVL around $3.4B in April–May 2026 per L2BEAT/DeFiLlama, one of the largest ZK rollups.
- Type-2 zkEVM with full EVM bytecode compatibility; deploys Solidity contracts unchanged.
- Sub-hour cryptographic finality on withdrawals rather than the 7-day challenge window of optimistic rollups.
- Blob DA cost around $0.012 per transaction post-Dencun, competitive with Arbitrum and Base.
- Prover throughput crossed roughly 70 TPS by Q1 2026 per Lineascan; deep MetaMask distribution via ConsenSys.
Frequently asked questions
How is Linea different from an optimistic rollup?
Linea posts cryptographic validity proofs to Ethereum, so state transitions are mathematically verified rather than optimistically assumed. This eliminates the 7-day fraud-proof challenge window and enables canonical withdrawals in under an hour, at the cost of the compute overhead of generating ZK proofs.
Is Linea Stage 1 decentralized?
Linea has not yet reached L2BEAT Stage 1 as of mid-2026. Its prover and sequencer remain permissioned, and upgrade paths are controlled by ConsenSys and a security council. That means users are ultimately trusting the operator not to censor or upgrade maliciously, in addition to trusting the ZK proof system.
What lending protocols run on Linea?
Aave V3, Compound V3, and Mendi Finance are the primary lending venues, with Etherex, Nile, and Lynex covering DEX activity. Linea's ZK finality makes it attractive for treasury operations that need to move stablecoins back to L1 quickly.