Immutable zkEVM Launches Early Access Phase On Mainnet – The Defiant

Immutable zkEVM, the Polygon-powered Layer 2 rollup from Immutable, completed its early access mainnet launch.

With its early access launch announced on Jan. 29, Immutable zkEVM comprises a gaming-focused chain boasting compatibility with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) smart smart contracts secured by zero-knowledge proofs.

“The chain combines the benefits of zk-rollup technology with the power of the Ethereum ecosystem, all while offering access to the entire suite of Immutable gaming products,” Immutable said. “Immutable zkEVM… provid[es] a dedicated chain for games that offers EVM compatibility, low costs, massive scaling capabilities, and enterprise-grade security.”

Robbie Ferguson, Immutable’s co-founder and president, said that more than 200 games have already committed to launching on the network, including Guild of Guardians, Metalcore, Cool Cats, and Shardbound. Fergson estimated Immutable would boast a 70% dominance over the web3 gaming sector once the titles are live.

GameFi tokens rally

The progressive mainnet rollout of Immutable zkEVM comes after GameFi tokens mounted an impressive comeback over the past three months.

The market cap of GameFi tokens is up 120% since Oct. 30, currently sitting at $20.5B. For comparison, the combined cryptocurrency capitalization is up 33% over the same period.

Immutable’s IMX is the second-largest GameFi taken with a $2.7B market cap after gaining 11% over the past seven days, according to CoinGecko. The existing Immutable X validium is the 10th-largest Layer 2 network with a total value locked of $190M, according to L2beat.

Immutable zkEVM

Immutable zkEVM supports gasless transactions, reducing friction for gamers by preventing transaction confirmations from interrupting gameplay. Immutable also offers smart contract templates to streamline development for game designers.

During the early access phase, Immutable zkEVM will maintain a mainnet deployer allowlist allowing select game studios and ecosystem partners to progressively onboard to the network.

Developers can join the waitlist by signing up via the Immutable Developer Hub. Smart contracts built using Immutable’s templates can be deployed to mainnet without going through the waitlist.

The chain supports all of Immutable’s existing products, including its web3 wallet and authentication service, Passport, NFT marketplace aggregator, Orderbook, and payments infrastructure, Checkout.