Overview
EVM Bytecode Emulator
ZK chains like Era operate on EraVM, a ZK-optimized virtual machine that differs from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) in its instruction set and execution model. While Solidity and Vyper can be compiled to EraVM bytecode, differences in execution and tooling have required modifications in some cases.
To address this, ZKsync introduces EVM execution mode via an EVM Bytecode Emulator, allowing unmodified EVM bytecode to run on ZK chains without recompilation or changes to developer tooling. This enables projects built for Ethereum to execute in ZKsync while maintaining EraVM as the core execution environment.
Execution Model
- EraVM remains the primary execution environment. The EVM Emulator does not replace EraVM but acts as a translation layer, enabling the execution of EVM bytecode on top of EraVM.
- EVM contracts are flagged for emulation. When an EVM contract is deployed, its bytecode hash is marked with a special identifier. Instead of running native EraVM bytecode, the system routes execution through the emulator.
- EVM opcodes are interpreted at runtime. The emulator translates EVM instructions into EraVM operations, ensuring execution adheres to EVM semantics as closely as possible.
- EVM gas accounting is emulated. Actual cost for underlying execution is paid in native EraVM gas. See EVM gas emulation for details.
Key Features
- Deploy Solidity and Vyper contracts without recompilation. No need to recompile with
zksolcorzkvyper. - Compatible with standard Ethereum tooling. Works with Foundry, Hardhat, and Remix without requiring additional plugins or modifications.
- Consistent address derivation.
createandcreate2generate the same contract addresses as on Ethereum. - Pre-deployed system contracts. Contracts such as
create2,multicall3, andsingletonFactory (ERC2470)are available for use. See Pre-Deployed Contracts for details.
Tooling Support
The following table outlines the support status of various Ethereum development tools when used with the EVM Bytecode Emulator.
| Tool | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Remix | ✅ Works (Deploy, Call, Send TX) | Debugging not supported. |
| Foundry | ✅ Works (forge, cast) | Required: For scripts use --skip-simulation due to gas calculation differences. |
| Anvil | ✅ Works | Forking from a chain with the EVM Emulator works. To use EraVM-specific features (i.e. EraVM contracts), anvil-zksync is required. |
| Hardhat | ✅ Works | No ZKsync-specific plugins are required. |
Developer Considerations
While the EVM Emulator allows developers to deploy contracts using standard EVM bytecode, there are several important differences compared to running contracts on Ethereum:
- EVM gas model is emulated on top of EraVM. Actual transactions are paid in ergs, not EVM gas. EVM gas only exists inside of EVM environment. See EVM gas emulation for details.
- Opcode and feature limitations. Some EVM opcodes (like
CALLCODE,SELFDESTRUCTamong others) are not supported due to EraVM constraints. A full list is available in EVM Differences. - Higher transaction costs compared to native EraVM execution. Due to opcode translation, fees may be 1.5x to 4x higher than running native EraVM contracts.
delegatecallis not supported between EVM and EraVM contracts. Learn more about EraVM ↔ EVM contract interactions.
Using the EVM Emulator simplifies contract deployment for projects requiring EVM bytecode compatibility, but EraVM-native contracts remain more efficient. Developers should consider using EraVM bytecode when possible for optimal performance.
Next Steps
- Learn how to deploy and interact with EVM contracts on ZKsync.
- Explore the technical details and architecture of the EVM Emulator.
- Review differences from Ethereum (Cancun) and their impact on execution.
- Check how EVM gas emulation works.
- See the available pre deployed contracts