Buying zkSync
on Poloniex

zkSync is an Ethereum scaling protocol and network ecosystem; ZK is its governance token, deployed on ZKsync Era. Era uses ETH as its native transaction currency, so a ZK balance is not automatically a gas balance. The public Era rollup, other ZK Stack chains, and the retired ZKsync Lite system should not be treated as one interchangeable network.

• ZK Nation: ZK token properties
• ZKsync Docs: Era network details
• Matter Labs: Q2 2026 deliverables and Lite sunset

Reduce ZK purchase risks by confirming the official token contract, receiving network, and withdrawal status before placing an order. Do not confuse ZKsync Era with the sunset Lite system or assume an old airdrop or staking page remains actionable. Review the final amount, approval permissions, and any bridge route; the existence of validity proofs does not protect against buying a counterfeit token or signing a malicious transaction.

• ZK Nation: Official ZK token properties
• Matter Labs: Lite sunset report
• Ethereum.org: Token and transaction security

Acquiring ZK costs the trade value plus the route's spread, service charges, funding costs, and any withdrawal or bridge fees. An Era-based purchase also has execution and data-publication costs, ordinarily funded in ETH rather than ZK. Compare the net ZK delivered to the chosen wallet and network, not just an advertised trading commission or the fee for a simple ETH transfer.

• ZKsync Docs: Fee structure and pubdata costs
• ZKsync Docs: Era network currency
• Kraken Support: General acquisition fee categories

Protect ZK using a wallet and signing setup that supports its actual deployment network, with recovery information kept private and backed up offline. A governance delegation and a token approval authorize different actions, so inspect the requested permission instead of assuming every governance website only casts a vote. Specific hardware-wallet support was not verified here, and a validity rollup does not make compromised wallet keys recoverable.

• ZKsync: Token delegation and governance
• ZKsync Docs: Era wallet setup
• Ethereum.org: Recovery material and spending permissions

Send ZK on the chain the recipient accepts, using the verified token contract and keeping the network's required gas asset available. On Era, ordinary transactions use ETH as the base currency, not ZK. A move to Ethereum uses a supported token bridge and its withdrawal-finalization process; the token address and bridge representation must be checked separately on each chain.

• ZKsync Docs: Era network currency
• ZKsync Docs: Bridging assets and chain-specific contracts