Frequently Asked Questions

Linea is an Ethereum equivalent zkEVM rollup network developed by Consensys. As an Ethereum Layer 2 solution, it enhances scalability, reduces transaction costs, and enables a seamless user experience. Linea is significant as it integrates over 100 protocols, developer tools, and dapps, thereby ushering a new era of scalable applications in the Ethereum ecosystem.

Conceived and developed by Consensys, Linea is the outcome of four years of extensive research and development. The aim was to create a bytecode-compatible zkEVM rollup network that significantly improved scalability and transaction costs. The name 'Linea' comes from the Latin word for "line," symbolizing the progressive journey of web3 possibilities.

A zkEVM is a type of virtual machine that processes smart contracts and validates execution correctness using zero-knowledge or "validity proofs." It mimics several elements of Ethereum's design, offering an Ethereum-like experience for developers and users. Coupled with rollup technology, a zkEVM offers superior security and scalability for dapps and their users.

With Linea, dapps get fast finality, capital-efficient bridging, Ethereum-level security, and EVM equivalence, allowing for seamless and efficient application development and usage. Also, Linea's deep integration with MetaMask and other popular Consensys developer tools amplifies its adoption, providing an established user base for dapps.

Compared to optimistic rollups, Linea's network security is enhanced by advanced cryptography and mathematics, not validators. Its finality to Ethereum Layer 1 is quicker, offering better transaction guarantees on L2 and enabling trustless withdrawals for improved capital efficiency. Linea also competes favorably with zk-VM rollups due to its bytecode compatibility and EVM-equivalence, allowing seamless re-use of existing smart contracts and tooling infrastructure.

Linea’s mainnet alpha introduces groundbreaking user experiences, and an ecosystem of 100+ protocols, partners, and dapps. Additionally, it offers user-friendly integrations with leading web3 products like MetaMask, enabling users to access curated web3 features. It also demonstrates the first production instance of Vortex, the industry-leading prover, which offers unrivalled performances for generating and verifying validity proofs on Ethereum.

The alpha phase signifies the beginning of Linea's mainnet journey, with training wheels in place to ensure user safety during the initial development phase. You can learn more about our alpha release here.

Please visit the Linea Ecosystem Portal here to learn more.

The Linea team has published a decentralization roadmap here. For discussion around future product updates please visit our community forum here.

Consensys launches Linea Ecosystem Investment Alliance (EIA) with 30+ venture capital firms to support builders in the Linea ecosystem. EIA provides dedicated capital, validated interest, and a clear network pipeline.

Yes, Linea has already open-sourced its smart contracts under the AGPL-3.0 license. The specification covering 100% of EVM opcodes and precompiles is also publicly available. Later in the year, we plan to publish the Linea software's source code following further audits, security enhancements, and due diligence.

You can monitor the health and status of Linea's testnet and mainnet network at https://linea.statuspage.io.

The Linea community is active on multiple platforms:

• Discord - Chat with our team and community members
• Mirror - Stay informed on product releases
• Website - View official partners and find useful links
• Community - Ask standing forum questions and help influence the future direction of Linea
• Twitter - Latest posts on features, events our teams are attending, Twitter spaces, and amplification for partners