Author: William M. Peaster, senior author of Bankless; Translation: Golden Finance xiaozou

The Zora Network is a Layer 2 (L2) scaling solution built on Ethereum that is dedicated to facilitating more efficient and cost-effective NFT interactions.

Developed by the Zora team, the network aims to reduce Ethereum’s transaction burden by processing NFT transactions off-chain, and then packaging and publishing these transactions back to the Ethereum blockchain as proof.

In summary, the Zora Network provides a gas-friendly L2 with integrated Zora creator tools and is poised to become the primary scaling solution for NFTs in the coming years.

1. How does the Zora network work?

The Zora network leverages OP Stack technology (the backbone of the Optimism superchain vision) with the goal of creating a network consisting of numerous optimistic rollups.

The Zora Network is the first NFT-centric L2 deployed using OP Stack, and this expertise enables Zora to provide cost-effective, fast transactions tailored for NFTs. Transactions will be confirmed within seconds, and the minting cost of NFTs is less than $0.5.

2. Current status of Zora network

Since the Zora Network is essentially an "application chain", it focuses on providing services for the Zora NFT minting and market protocol and the Zora.co platform. This means that so far, the Zora Network has not tried to attract a range of DeFi, NFT, and crypto social projects, but has focused only on streamlining and optimizing Zora minting.

Therefore, it makes no sense to compare the data of the Zora network with other general chains or DeFi chains. But even so, since its release in June 2023, the NFT activity of this L2 has shown a clear boom and should not be underestimated.

3. What do you need to use the Zora network?

(1) Wallet - You can easily add the Zora network to your wallet, such as MetaMask, using resources such as Chainlist; the Chain ID is 7777777 for reference.

(2) Starter ETH - Just as you need ETH to pay gas fees on Ethereum, you also need ETH to pay for transactions on the Zora network; if you have ETH on Ethereum, you can bridge some of it to the Zora network for use.

4. How to bridge to the Zora network?

If you want to bridge ETH to the Zora network, the native Zora Bridge is a basic starting point. Simply enter the amount of ETH you want to deposit, confirm the transaction on your wallet, and then you can sit back and wait for your ETH to arrive on the Zora network.

Due to the nature of optimistic rollups, it generally takes about 7 days to process withdrawals (not deposits) through this native Zora bridge. If you want faster withdrawals, you can consider using a third-party "fast" bridge, but there are not many such bridges that have added support for the Zora network yet. It is recommended that you keep an eye on projects like Bungee, which may add Zora network support in time.

5. What should be done on the Zora network?

Of course, it is to collect and create NFTs!

Speaking of collecting, you can go to Zora.co and easily discover mints on the Zora network. Then, if you have ETH on L2, just click “Mint” and confirm the transaction with your wallet to start collecting.

Here I also recommend mint.fufn which automatically displays secure mints and now supports Zora network drops.

As for creating NFTs, on Zora, you can create all kinds of NFT drops - whether 1/1 collections or generative 1/1/X collections - the only difference between using the Zora network and using Ethereum is to toggle the "Zora Network" option on during the minting setup process. The transaction is completed, and that's all it takes to create your own NFT drop on Zora L2.

Remember: if you post free minting on the Zora Network, you will be eligible to earn ETH through the new Zora Protocol Rewards System!

6 Conclusion

By focusing on optimizing the NFT experience, Zora has carved out a unique niche market that distinguishes it from other general-purpose L2s or DeFi-centric L2s. Its integration with the Optimism superchain vision further enhances its potential, making it an option that cannot be underestimated in the NFT space.

Whether you’re a creator looking to mint cost-effective NFTs, or a collector seeking a smoother, faster experience, the Zora Network offers a customized solution that’s hard to ignore.