Mintlayer is thrilled to announce the launch of its ZK Thunder Network Layer 3 (L3), a groundbreaking ZK rollup-based, EVM-compatible scaling solution, now live on the public Testnet. Built in collaboration with the Carpediem team (carpediemsrl.net), this strategic rollout on the Testnet will allow extensive debugging and user participation, ensuring robust testing in a live environment for several months. Following successful testing, ZK Thunder Network will graduate to Mainnet, heralding a new era of speed and interoperability within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

The solution offers a fundamentally different scalability trade-off compared to the underlying network. The block speed is reduced to 1 second, compared to Mintlayer’s 2-minute blocks, and the transaction capacity is significantly higher. Additionally, the system is compatible with EVM smart contracts, allowing developers to build more complex applications on Mintlayer.

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Innovative Three-Layer Architecture

Mintlayer’s architecture is elegantly structured into three distinct layers, each serving a crucial function:

• Layer 1: The Bitcoin Network Known for its unparalleled reliability, Layer 1 operates with robust security, albeit at lower transaction speeds, with settlements potentially extending beyond 10 minutes during peak times.
  
  
• Layer 2: The Mintlayer Network Mintlayer L2 enhances interoperability through Atomic Swaps using Hash Time Locked Contracts, allowing direct swaps between Bitcoin, ML coins, and other Mintlayer-minted assets. While faster than Bitcoin with a settlement time of approximately 2 minutes, L2 prioritizes security and reliability, leveraging non-Turing complete smart contracts and a UTXO model inspired by Bitcoin’s architecture.
  
  
• Layer 3: Mintlayer ZK Thunder Network The introduction of ZK Thunder Network L3 marks a significant technological advancement, offering 1 second transaction settlements and EVM compatibility that facilitates seamless integration with Ethereum-based smart contracts and DApps. This layer ensures that Mintlayer can easily interact with other EVM-compatible chains through a Fast Bridge, optimizing usability without compromising the underlying robustness provided by L2.

How to Connect ZK Thunder Network to your Metamask

Getting started with ZK Thunder on MetaMask is simple. Follow these steps to add it as a custom network:

1. Open MetaMask, click the network selector at the top left.
2. Scroll down and toggle “Show test networks” to enable testnet visibility.
3. Click “+ Add a custom network” and enter the following details:
   
   1. Network Name: ZK Thunder
   2. RPC URL: https://rpc.testnet.zkthunder.fi/
   3. Chain ID: 4237
   4. Currency Symbol: ML
4. Click Save, and you’re ready to explore ZK Thunder on MetaMask!
   

Follow along the steps above using the images below:
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ZK Thunder Block Explorer

The ZK Thunder Block Explorer provides real-time insights into transactions, blocks, and smart contracts, ensuring transparency and accessibility. Users can track activity, verify transactions, and monitor gas fees with ease. Whether deploying smart contracts or exploring network data, the explorer serves as a vital tool for developers and users alike.

Start exploring now: https://explorer.testnet.zkthunder.fi/

A Call to Developers

With the launch of ZK Thunder Network on Testnet, Mintlayer invites developers and projects worldwide to explore its capabilities and consider integration opportunities. This milestone completes a major component of the Mintlayer infrastructure, setting the stage for powerful new developments in Bitcoin DeFi.

Join Us in Shaping the Future

Mintlayer is committed to enhancing Bitcoin's functionality and expanding its use cases through innovative, layered solutions like the ZK Thunder Network. We encourage developers, innovators, and the crypto community to join us in testing this exciting new layer and help us perfect it before its Mainnet launch. Together, let's power the next generation of Bitcoin DeFi.

For more details, visit ZK Thunder Official Website.