ZK’s New Ruler: How Mantle Surpassed Competitors Through Rapid Performance, Scalability, and Advanced Smart Contract Features

Mantle Network, a platform utilizing zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup technology and operating on

, has become the leading ZK Rollup by total value locked (TVL) after a significant mainnet upgrade rolled out in early 2025. This upgrade, which brought enhanced scalability and lower gas costs, spurred a rapid increase in new users and capital, driving Mantle’s TVL ahead of other ZK rollup competitors.

On-chain analytics from the blockchain data provider

, show Mantle’s TVL climbed above $1.2 billion within a week post-upgrade, representing a 60% jump compared to the previous month. This surge has established Mantle as the ZK Rollup with the highest TVL, overtaking projects like zkSync Era and Linea. Trading volumes for the network’s native asset, MANTLE, also surged by 40% on decentralized exchanges, indicating growing confidence among investors.

The core focus of the upgrade was to boost transaction capacity and minimize latency, with Mantle deploying advanced cryptographic solutions for more efficient verification of off-chain data. Both developers and users have noted a 70% drop in average transaction fees relative to Ethereum’s Layer 1, further motivating decentralized applications (dApps) and liquidity to migrate to Mantle. Additionally, a new bridge was introduced to allow effortless token movement between Ethereum and Mantle, improving interoperability.

Mantle’s rapid growth has captured the interest of institutional and retail investors alike, with major DeFi projects expressing plans to join the network.

, a prominent decentralized lending protocol, announced at the end of March 2025 that it would bring its v3 protocol to Mantle, citing the network’s efficiency and lower transaction costs as key reasons. This is expected to attract more liquidity and activity, further strengthening Mantle’s status in the ZK rollup ecosystem.

Industry experts have pointed out that Mantle’s achievements highlight the increasing adoption of ZK rollups as viable Layer 2 solutions for Ethereum. With gas fees on Ethereum frequently fluctuating due to congestion, platforms providing cheaper transactions and faster finality are gaining popularity. Mantle’s success after the upgrade illustrates how well-designed ZK rollup solutions can draw in market share by offering both scalability and security. The influx of leading DeFi projects suggests that ZK-based platforms could continue to significantly influence Ethereum’s evolution in the near future.

For the future, Mantle’s developers have laid out plans for additional enhancements to its consensus mechanism and broader integration with cross-chain bridges. The roadmap also includes a token airdrop initiative to reward early supporters and encourage more widespread involvement. Although the sustainability of Mantle’s growth will depend on continued development and community engagement, the current trajectory points to a strong base for further expansion.