
The crypto market has reacted to December's technical updates with ZKsync and Arbitrum posting double-digit gains, driven by improvements in scalability and operational efficiency.
Recent market capitalization and trading volume data indicate that smart capital has begun to flow aggressively into the scaling solutions sector, specifically into two protocols that have capitalized on recent improvements to the Ethereum network.
ZKsync y Arbitum They have emerged as the undisputed leaders of this cycle, registering double-digit gains that are a direct result of the successful implementation of new technical architectures.
This upward movement is occurring in an environment where operational efficiency has become the primary driver of valuation. Unlike previous cycles fueled by social media narratives, the current rally in these assets is based on reduced operating costs and increased transaction processing capacity within the Ethereum ecosystem. Investors appear to be rewarding real-world utility over future promises, validating investment theses that prioritize critical infrastructure over ephemeral decentralized applications.
Buy ZK now at Bit2MeThe technical revolution of ZKsync and the impact of Atlas
The most notable performance in percentage terms belongs to ZKsync, whose native token has experienced a revaluation of over 100% in recent days. This behavior is a direct market response to the activation of the update AtlasThis improvement is not a simple bug fix, but a restructuring of how the network manages data availability.
By increasing processing capacity to over 15.000 transactions per second, the protocol has managed to reduce gas fees to levels that make massive micropayments viable, a barrier that had historically hindered mass adoption.
The technology behind this quantitative leap is the Zero-knowledge rollups, a cryptographic mechanism that allows the network to validate blocks of information almost instantaneously without revealing unnecessary underlying data.
Atlas has refined these mathematical processes to make generating validity proofs much more computationally efficient. The market has interpreted this efficiency as an insurmountable competitive advantage in the short term, especially after receiving the endorsement of key developers in the ecosystem who consider this architecture the ultimate standard for Layer 2 security.
The price increase of its native token reflects the expectation that ZKsync will capture a significant market share of applications that require high speed and low cost, such as on-chain gaming and high-frequency decentralized finance.

Source: CoinGecko
Arbitrum capitalizes on institutional efficiency
While ZKsync leads in percentage explosiveness, Arbitrum has solidified its dominant position through robust and sustained growth, driven by a 49% increase in its daily transaction volume. The narrative behind this movement is intrinsically linked to the recent update Fusaka of the Ethereum main network.
Implementation of the improvement proposal EIP-7918 It has optimized the tariff market for data that Layer 2 networks send to the main chain. Since Arbitrum is currently the network that processes and secures the most data, it has been the primary mathematical beneficiary of this reduction in operating costs.
This scenario has reinforced the narrative of Ethereum's scalability as a determining factor for institutional investment. Large capital prefers environments where costs are predictable and security is guaranteed by the base network.
Arbitrum's ability to leverage Ethereum's new cost structure has allowed it to offer more attractive margins to its liquidity providers and end users, creating a virtuous cycle of adoption.
The price increase of its governance token, which fluctuates in moderate double-digit gains, is perceived as a reassessment of its future cash flow and long-term sustainability compared to competitors who have not managed to optimize their resource consumption as effectively after the protocol change.

Source: CoinGecko
Technical maturity drives rallies in ZKsync and Arbitrum
The data above reveals that the cryptocurrency market is showing clear signs of technical maturity. According to experts, the prices of networks like ZKsync and Arbitrum are rising in tandem because investors value scaling approaches that improve the user experience and tangibly reduce costs. In other words, promises are no longer enough; the actual performance of the software now matters.
Key upgrades like Fusaka and Atlas now set the bar for what's expected, while protocols aligned with the Ethereum roadmap capture the most value. Their technological efficiency and optimal capital management position them ahead in an ecosystem that now prioritizes proven performance.
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