← ZKsyncreviewed 2026-09-07 · 45 claims checked
Fact-check findings
What an automated fact-checker found when it re-read ZKsync against the sources the page cites. Only the most recent review is shown.
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These findings are produced by an automated reviewer, and its results vary between runs: the same page, checked three times on the same day, came back with 15%, 20% and 34% of its claims disputed, mostly because each run extracted a different number of claims. Treat what follows as leads, not rulings.
“Disputed” means the reviewer could not reconcile the claim with the evidence it cited. It does not mean the claim is false. “Unverifiable” means no reachable source settled it either way.
Nothing here changes the page on its own. A proposed correction is applied only after a human moderator approves it; until then the page reads as it did when reviewed.
disputed 3unverifiable 1stale 1link rot 3partially supported 1confirmed 367 corrections pending · 0 applied
disputed
3 claimsThe reviewer could not reconcile the claim with the evidence it cited. This is a lead, not a ruling that the claim is false.
- #20[disputed][awaiting moderator]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“In the month following the airdrop, active addresses on the network fell approximately 78.7%.”
reviewerIn the month following the airdrop, active addresses on the network fell approximately 78.7%No source found reports a 78.7% active-address decline specifically 'in the month following the airdrop.' The closest matching figure (79.7%) covers roughly five months (April-September 2024) and includes a large pre-airdrop decline; the number also differs by one digit from the page's 78.7%, suggesting the page may have transposed the digits and misapplied the timeframe.Proposed correction (not yet applied)In the five months following the airdrop, active addresses on the network fell approximately 79.7%. - #40[disputed][awaiting moderator]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“Network activity metrics deteriorated significantly post-airdrop, with active addresses falling approximately 78.7% in the month after token distribution, consistent with patterns observed in projects where the airdrop itself was the primary user retention mechanism.”
reviewerNetwork activity fell approximately 78.7% in the month after token distribution (Token Price Performance section)Duplicate of the same underlying statistical error found in the '2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy' section; grouped under the same defect.Proposed correction (not yet applied)Network activity metrics deteriorated significantly post-airdrop, with active addresses falling approximately 79.7% over the following five months, consistent with patterns observed in projects where the airdrop itself was the primary user retention mechanism. - #42[disputed][awaiting moderator]in the timeline
“Active addresses subsequently fall ~78.7% over the following month.”
reviewerActive addresses subsequently fell ~78.7% over the following month (timeline entry)Same underlying defect as the two prose occurrences; grouped together so all three can be corrected as one fix.Proposed correction (not yet applied)Active addresses subsequently fall ~79.7% over the following five months.
unverifiable
1 claimNo source the reviewer could reach confirms or contradicts the claim.
- #7[unverifiable][awaiting moderator]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“with stolen tokens moved to 0xb1027ed67f89c9f588e097f70807163fec1005d3”
reviewerStolen tokens were moved to destination address 0xb1027ed67f89c9f588e097f70807163fec1005d3The compromised source address was independently confirmed, but the specific destination address could not be verified through search/fetch tools available in this review.
stale
1 claimThe claim was accurate when written but events since have overtaken it.
- #37[stale][awaiting moderator]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“and has since declined approximately 85-95% from that peak.”
reviewerZK has declined approximately 85-95% from its all-time highThe 85-95% decline range was likely accurate at an earlier point in ZK's price history, but the token has continued to decline; current data puts the decline closer to 96-97%, making the stated range stale.Proposed correction (not yet applied)and has since declined approximately 95-97% from that peak.
link rot
3 claimsA cited source no longer resolves or no longer says what the page attributes to it.
- #43[link rot][awaiting moderator]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“https://coinpedia.org/news/zksyncs-zk-price-drops-34-5-amid-controversial-airdrop-and-massive-sell-off/”
reviewercoinpedia.org source cited for the 34.5% price drop/airdrop sell-off claim (section 2) is reachableThe underlying claims this source was cited for (34.5% price drop, 41% sell-through) are independently confirmed by live sources (e.g. The Block's Nansen coverage), so removal does not orphan the claim. - #44[link rot][awaiting moderator]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“https://coinpedia.org/news/zksyncs-zk-price-drops-34-5-amid-controversial-airdrop-and-massive-sell-off/”
reviewercoinpedia.org source cited in Token Price Performance section is reachableSame dead link as the section 2 occurrence; grouped under one defect. - #45[link rot][awaiting moderator]in the cited sources
“https://coinpedia.org/news/zksyncs-zk-price-drops-34-5-amid-controversial-airdrop-and-massive-sell-off/”
reviewercoinpedia.org URL listed in sources_used is reachableThird occurrence of the same dead URL, in the page-level sources_used list.
partially supported
1 claimThe cited evidence supports part of the claim but not all of it.
- #14[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“Mudit Gupta, Chief Information Security Officer at Polygon Labs, stated the airdrop was probably the 'most farmable and farmed airdrop ever,' describing the sybil filtering as presenting 'no Sybil filtering.'”
reviewerMudit Gupta (Polygon Labs CISO) called it 'the most farmable and farmed airdrop ever' and described the sybil filtering as 'no Sybil filtering'The substance and attribution are correct, but the page renders the quote as a flat 'no Sybil filtering' when Gupta's actual wording hedged with 'almost.'
confirmed
36 claimsThe cited evidence supports the claim as written.
- #1[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Background and Overview
“It was developed by Matter Labs, founded in 2018 by Alex Gluchowski, with co-founders including Alexandr Vlasov.”
reviewerMatter Labs was founded in 2018 by Alex Gluchowski, with co-founders including Alexandr VlasovMultiple independent sources confirm founding year and co-founders; Gluchowski is CEO, Vlasov is head of R&D. - #2[confirmed][no action needed]in the summary
“which has raised approximately $458 million in venture capital”
reviewerMatter Labs has raised approximately $458 million in total venture capitalWidely corroborated figure across multiple outlets covering the Series C close. - #3[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Background and Overview
“including a $200 million Series C round in November 2022 co-led by Blockchain Capital and Dragonfly, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and others”
reviewer$200 million Series C round closed November 2022, co-led by Blockchain Capital and Dragonfly, with Andreessen Horowitz participatingConfirmed by TechCrunch and repeated in Fortune, The Block, Finsmes coverage of the same round. - #4[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Background and Overview
“The protocol launched its native ZK token in June 2024 as part of a community governance initiative called ZK Nation, with a total supply of 21 billion tokens.”
reviewerZK token launched June 2024 as part of ZK Nation governance initiative, total supply 21 billionConfirmed by ZK Nation's own documentation and independent trackers. - #5[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“On April 15, 2025, an attacker exploited a compromised admin private key associated with three ZKsync airdrop distribution smart contracts. Using the compromised key, the attacker called the sweepUnclaimed() function on the contracts, minting approximately 111 million ZK tokens — roughly 0.45% of total supply — valued at approximately $5 million.”
reviewerApril 15, 2025: attacker used a compromised admin key to call sweepUnclaimed() on three airdrop contracts, minting ~111 million ZK (~0.45% of supply), worth ~$5 millionWell corroborated across CoinDesk, The Block, and ZKsync's own official statement. - #6[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“The compromised account was identified as 0x842822c797049269A3c29464221995C56da5587D, with stolen tokens moved to 0xb1027ed67f89c9f588e097f70807163fec1005d3.”
reviewerCompromised admin account identified as 0x842822c797049269A3c29464221995C56da5587DThe admin address matches ZKsync's own incident disclosure verbatim. - #8[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“The ZK token price fell 15-20% following disclosure.”
reviewerZK token price fell 15-20% following disclosure of the April 2025 exploitRange matches contemporaneous reporting of a 15-20% swing. - #9[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“ZKsync confirmed user funds in the core protocol were not at risk.”
reviewerZKsync confirmed user funds in the core protocol were not at riskDirectly quoted from ZKsync's own incident statement. - #10[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“On April 21, ZKsync issued an on-chain safe harbor offer: return 90% of funds within 72 hours and retain 10% as a bounty, or face criminal referral.”
reviewerApril 21, 2025: ZKsync issued an on-chain safe harbor offer of 90% return within 72 hours, 10% bounty, or criminal referralTerms match Decrypt's and ZK Nation's own account of the offer. - #11[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“The attacker complied by April 23, returning over 44.6 million ZK tokens and approximately 1,800 ETH.”
reviewerAttacker complied by April 23, returning over 44.6 million ZK tokens and approximately 1,800 ETHAmounts and compliance date corroborated by multiple outlets and ZK Nation's own X post. - #12[confirmed][no action needed]in section: April 2025 Airdrop Contract Exploit ($5 Million)
“Recovered funds were placed under ZKsync Security Council custody. ZKsync declared the case resolved.”
reviewerRecovered funds placed under ZKsync Security Council custody, case declared resolvedDirectly confirmed by ZK Nation's official statement on X. - #13[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“On June 11, 2024, Matter Labs announced the ZK token airdrop, distributing 3.675 billion tokens (17.5% of total supply) to 695,232 eligible wallets from an originally engaged community estimated at 7 million addresses.”
reviewerJune 11, 2024: Matter Labs announced the ZK airdrop of 3.675B tokens (17.5% of supply) to 695,232 wallets, from a community of roughly 7 million engaged addressesCore distribution numbers (3.675B tokens, 17.5%, 695,232 wallets) are confirmed across many outlets; the 7M engaged-address estimate is within the range implied by reported exclusion rates. - #15[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“Analysis by on-chain trackers estimated that 746 known sybil attackers received approximately $6.9 million in ZK tokens, with individual sybil clusters accumulating over 2 million ZK tokens through wallets making identical ETH deposits on the same day.”
reviewer746 known sybil attackers received approximately $6.9 million in ZK tokensThe headline 746/$6.9M figure is independently confirmed; the specific 'individual clusters accumulating over 2 million ZK tokens' detail could not be separately confirmed but is consistent with the broader reporting. - #16[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“A separate estimate suggested 135 million ZK tokens may have reached sybil wallets, potentially worth up to $50 million at pre-market prices.”
reviewerA separate estimate suggested 135 million ZK tokens may have reached sybil wallets, potentially worth up to $50 millionFigure matches the cited source directly. - #17[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“Second, the exclusion criteria drew backlash: Element NFT Marketplace, ZKsync's largest marketplace generating over $20 million in protocol fees, was omitted.”
reviewerElement NFT Marketplace, ZKsync's largest marketplace generating over $20 million in protocol fees, was excluded from the airdropFee figure is reported in the $15-20M range by some outlets and as exceeding $20M by others; page's framing is within the reported range. - #18[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“An ambassador at Immutable publicly accused the ZKsync team of favoritism, alleging the airdrop benefited 'inside supporters, not the community.'”
reviewerAn ambassador at Immutable publicly accused the ZKsync team of favoritism, saying it benefited 'inside supporters, not the community'Quote and attribution confirmed. - #19[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2024 ZK Token Airdrop Controversy
“Third, immediately after token distribution on June 17, 2024, approximately 41% of the top 10,000 recipients sold their entire allocation within 24 hours, causing a 34.5% price decline on launch day. The hashtag #ZKsyncScam trended on social media.”
reviewerApproximately 41% of the top 10,000 recipients sold their entire allocation within 24 hours, causing a 34.5% price decline on launch day; #ZKsyncScam trendedBoth the sell-off percentage and price-drop figures are corroborated by multiple sources. - #21[confirmed][no action needed]in section: South Korean Regulatory Probe — Alleged Price Manipulation (February 2025)
“On February 1, 2025, the ZKsync (ZK) token surged approximately 970% on South Korean exchange Upbit over three hours — rising from around $0.023 to $0.24 — coinciding with a scheduled Upbit system maintenance window, before collapsing back to approximately $0.023 after maintenance ended.”
reviewerFebruary 1, 2025: ZK token surged approximately 970% on Upbit over three hours ($0.023 to $0.24), then collapsed back to ~$0.023 after maintenance endedConfirmed by dlnews and corroborated by coinedition.com and coinspot.io. - #22[confirmed][no action needed]in section: South Korean Regulatory Probe — Alleged Price Manipulation (February 2025)
“Trading volumes on Upbit ballooned over 4,000% that day, compared to a comparatively modest 150% increase on Coinbase where prices rose under 40%.”
reviewerUpbit trading volume rose over 4,000% vs. a modest 150% on Coinbase where prices rose under 40%Confirmed. - #23[confirmed][no action needed]in section: South Korean Regulatory Probe — Alleged Price Manipulation (February 2025)
“Blockchain analysis identified approximately 15 wallet addresses that had been inactive prior to the event, which collectively purchased over 4.2 million ZK tokens in the 30 minutes before the outage and then sold at the peak, generating alleged profits of approximately $18.7 million.”
reviewerApproximately 15 previously-inactive wallets purchased over 4.2 million ZK tokens in the 30 minutes before the outage and generated alleged profits of approximately $18.7 millionConfirmed. - #24[confirmed][no action needed]in section: South Korean Regulatory Probe — Alleged Price Manipulation (February 2025)
“South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service subsequently launched a preliminary market surveillance review.”
reviewerSouth Korea's Financial Supervisory Service launched a preliminary market surveillance reviewRegulator name and preliminary-review characterization confirmed by two independent outlets. - #25[confirmed][no action needed]in section: South Korean Regulatory Probe — Alleged Price Manipulation (February 2025)
“South Korea's Virtual Asset User Protection Act, which took effect in 2024, permits prison sentences over one year for market manipulation and fines of up to five times profits earned.”
reviewerSouth Korea's Virtual Asset User Protection Act permits prison sentences over one year and fines up to five times profits earnedPenalty description matches reporting, though some sources describe the fine multiplier as 'three to five times' rather than a flat 'up to five times' — a minor imprecision, not a material dispute. - #26[confirmed][no action needed]in section: South Korean Regulatory Probe — Alleged Price Manipulation (February 2025)
“No charges have been publicly confirmed as of May 2026.”
reviewerNo charges have been publicly confirmed as of May 2026No contradicting reporting found; the investigation appears to remain at the preliminary review stage. - #27[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Social Media Compromise and Fake SEC Investigation Claims (May 2025)
“On May 13, 2025, hackers gained unauthorized access to the official X (formerly Twitter) accounts of both ZKsync and Matter Labs. The attackers published posts falsely claiming ZKsync was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and warning of potential Treasury Department sanctions. The false regulatory claims were followed by posts promoting a fake ZK token airdrop containing phishing links designed to drain user wallets.”
reviewerMay 13, 2025: X accounts of ZKsync and Matter Labs were hacked and posted false SEC/Treasury claims followed by a phishing airdrop linkConfirmed by Cointelegraph and corroborated by cryptonews.com and crypto.news. - #28[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Social Media Compromise and Fake SEC Investigation Claims (May 2025)
“The ZK token price fell approximately 2% within an hour of the posts.”
reviewerZK token price fell approximately 2% within an hour of the postsConfirmed; the page's figure describes the immediate one-hour move, consistent with Cointelegraph's reporting. - #29[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Social Media Compromise and Fake SEC Investigation Claims (May 2025)
“Matter Labs communications head Lynnette Nolan attributed the breach to 'compromised delegated accounts' with limited posting privileges on behalf of the main accounts.”
reviewerMatter Labs communications head Lynnette Nolan attributed the breach to 'compromised delegated accounts'Confirmed. - #30[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Social Media Compromise and Fake SEC Investigation Claims (May 2025)
“No actual SEC investigation into ZKsync has been announced or confirmed.”
reviewerNo actual SEC investigation into ZKsync has been announced or confirmedNo evidence found of a genuine SEC investigation, consistent with the page's framing. - #31[confirmed][no action needed]in section: BANKEX Intellectual Property Lawsuit Against Matter Labs
“On March 19, 2025, BANKEX — a defunct blockchain firm — along with CEO Igor Khmel and BANKEX Foundation, filed a complaint against Matter Labs in the New York State Supreme Court alleging intellectual property theft.”
reviewerMarch 19, 2025: BANKEX, CEO Igor Khmel, and BANKEX Foundation filed a complaint against Matter Labs in New York State Supreme CourtConfirmed by CoinDesk and corroborated by crypto.news and The Defiant. - #32[confirmed][no action needed]in section: BANKEX Intellectual Property Lawsuit Against Matter Labs
“The complaint names Matter Labs co-founders Alexandr Vlasov and Petr Korolev as former BANKEX employees who allegedly secretly developed Matter Labs using BANKEX resources while still employed there, and covertly transferred BANKEX's codebase — originally developed for Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin's Plasma project — to start Matter Labs.”
reviewerThe complaint names Vlasov and Korolev as former BANKEX employees who allegedly secretly developed Matter Labs using stolen BANKEX code originally built for Vitalik Buterin's Plasma projectConfirmed. - #33[confirmed][no action needed]in section: BANKEX Intellectual Property Lawsuit Against Matter Labs
“Also named as defendants are Matter Labs CEO Alex Gluchowski, crypto fund Dragonfly, and Chris Burniske, a partner at Placeholder Capital, for alleged involvement and knowledge of the theft.”
reviewerAlso named as defendants: CEO Alex Gluchowski, Dragonfly, and Chris Burniske, a partner at Placeholder CapitalConfirmed. - #34[confirmed][no action needed]in section: BANKEX Intellectual Property Lawsuit Against Matter Labs
“Matter Labs publicly responded: 'We believe these claims are entirely without merit. ZKsync is original technology that is not based on or derived from any code developed by Bankex.'”
reviewerMatter Labs publicly responded that the claims are without merit and ZKsync is original technology not derived from BANKEX codeCore substance of the quoted denial is corroborated, with minor wording variance across outlets attributing the same spokesperson statement. - #35[confirmed][no action needed]in section: BANKEX Intellectual Property Lawsuit Against Matter Labs
“The case was pending as of available reporting.”
reviewerThe BANKEX case was pending as of available reportingNo contradicting or updating reporting found. - #36[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“The ZK token reached an all-time high of approximately $0.3285 on June 17, 2024, the day of the airdrop, and has since declined approximately 85-95% from that peak.”
reviewerZK token reached an all-time high of approximately $0.3285 on June 17, 2024Exact figure and date independently confirmed by CoinMarketCap. - #38[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“The token has spent minimal time above its June 2024 launch price of $0.2139, with the only sustained period above that level occurring briefly during the broader market rally in December 2024.”
reviewerThe token spent minimal time above its June 2024 launch price of $0.2139, with a brief exception during the December 2024 market rallyConsistent with independently observed price history. - #39[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“Following the April 2025 exploit, ZK hit a recorded low near $0.04.”
reviewerFollowing the April 2025 exploit, ZK hit a recorded low near $0.04Confirmed as a historical price point at that time, independent of the token's subsequent further decline. - #41[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Token Price Performance and Community Attrition
“Matter Labs holds 16.1% of the total ZK supply as its developer allocation.”
reviewerMatter Labs holds 16.1% of the total ZK supply as its developer allocationConfirmed by ZK Nation's own tokenomics documentation.
How this fits together. The reviewer reads the published page and its cited sources and records one finding per claim. A human moderator decides whether each proposed correction is applied; those decisions, and the score changes they cause, appear in the audit log. Earlier review runs are not shown here; only the latest reflects the page as it stands.