[TPP-12] ZKnomics Token Staking

[TPP-12] ZKnomics Token Staking

Title	ZKnomics Token Staking
Proposal Type	TPP
One Sentence Summary	This proposal activates a capped minter with 37.5M ZK (~$1.9M USD at $0.05/ZK) to trial ZK token staking rewards over 6 months with up to 10% reward rate for participation in the pilot.
Proposal Author	Dennison (Tally)
Proposal Sponsor	Dennison (Tally)
Date	2025-10-15
Version	v1
Summary of Action	Activate a ZK Token staking program in support of ZKnomics vision using Tally's Staker contract, fund it autonomously over 2 seasons (6 months total) with two capped minters of 10M ZK and 25M ZK respectively. Staking is forward compatible with ZKsync decentralized sequencing.
Link to forum post	https://forum.zknation.io/t/tpp-draft-zknomics-token-staking/766
Link to contracts	Repo: https://github.com/withtally/staker ZKStaker: 0x8373A5dFb76bD6Bb93d89024d5B48438dCb0181E

Simple Summary

This proposal activates a capped minter with 37.5M ZK (~$1.9M USD) to pilot ZK token staking rewards over 6 months with up to 10% return for pilot participants. Rewards are distributed autonomously upon the funding of staking contracts. Reward eligibility is limited to tokenholders delegating to active Delegates, those that have voted a minimum of 2 out of last 5 votes.

Motivation

In alignment with the ZKnomics vision published in June 2025, this proposal trials ZK Token Staking infrastructure by deploying Tally’s audited Staker contract system.

As mentioned in the ZKnomics Vision, this staking contract design enables programmatic distribution of rewards, with governance controlling key parameters, including reward amounts and staking rules.

The Staker contract allows ZK token holders to stake their tokens without any predetermined locking period, while simultaneously delegating their voting power. Moreover, delegation persists when stake is withdrawn. Over time, this framework could enable tokenholders to easily engage in any additional token utility opportunities like participating in DeFi with the ZK token.

Participation in this pilot will be limited to a predefined staking cap, with rewards funded by a 37.5M ZK capped minter divided over two seasons lasting ~3 months.

Th proposal trials infrastructure necessary to support staking related to ZKsync’s future decentralized sequencer, while contributing to protocol sustainability via delegation. The system is non-custodial and integrated with Tally’s delegation interfaces.

Key design choices include capped deposits, a reward emission stream over 30-day epochs, and a frontend hosted on Tally (stake.zknation.io).

ZK Token Staking will ensure staking works seamlessly and include recommendations for future versions. Tally and the Program Administrator will evaluate the traction of staking, its impact on voting power, and additional configuration options to align participation to protocol liveness. Additional configuration examples include integration with ZKsync decentralized sequencing, sharing rewards with selected Delegate, contributing to protocol-owned liquidity, and crowdfunding conditional funding markets.

This program ensures security via completed audits, fund distribution pause and cancellation controls, and a framework that allows the Token Assembly to revoke or replace contract administration and operational teams via ZKsync governance proposals. Rewards will be distributed autonomously to eligible ZK token stakers over time.

Impact

ZK Token Staking builds towards a seamless tokenholder experience for the ZKnomincs Vision. Through staking, it deepens alignment between ZK holders and protocol design needs, distributing rewards to those supporting ZKsync’s long-term success. Most importantly, the program trials staking infrastructure necessary for the future decentralized sequencer supporting Stage 1 decentralization for ZKsync.

Pilot Strategic Objectives

• Trial secure and reliable staking infrastructure in preparation for ZKsync’s decentralized sequencer, contributing to the ZKnomincs Vision.
• Increasing active voting power in governance from ~1B to ~2B. Active voting power is currently defined as participating in 2 or more of the most recent 5 votes.

Pilot Operational Goals

• Deployment of staking infrastructure, ready for ZKsync decentralized sequencing and a modular design supporting ZKnomics.
• Season 1: 400M ZK staked in total, with a maximum of 10M ZK distributed over 3 months (2.5% for 3-months or 10% annualized), 0 incidents.
  • Net increase of +200M active voting power (50% of staked ZK)
• Season 2: 1B ZK staked in total, with a maximum of 25M ZK distributed over 3 months (2.5% for 3-months or 10% annualized), 0 incidents, and integration with decentralized sequencing.
  • Net increase of +500M active voting power (50% of staked ZK)

ℹ️ 1B ZK is ~15% of circulating supply (~7.1B).

Example Benchmarks Across Ethereum

• ~29% of ETH is staked
• stkAAVE peaked at ~20% of circulating supply

⚠️ If there is not sufficient impact on the strategic objective during each season, as measured by a the increase in active voting power via staked ZK tokens, then the program may be cancelled by the Program Administrator.

Mechanic

ZK Token Staker Contract by Tally: Pilot Configuration

Parameter name	Param value	Description
stakeToken	ZK	Users will stake ZK
rewardToken	ZK	Rewards will be denominated in ZK
REWARD_DURATION	30 days	Each tranche of rewards is distributed pro-rata continuously over 30d window, to give stakers time to respond to changes in yield.
admin	Season 1: Program Administrator Multisig Season 2: ZKsync Governance (Planned)	The admin can pause minting, set the rewardNotifier , set the EarningPowerCalculator , and change the maxBumpTip.
RewardNotifier	MintRewardNotifier	The notifier will call mint() on the ZK token contract, then send the minted tokens to the staking system
EarningPowerCalculator	IdentityEarning PowerCalculator	The IdentityEarning PowerCalculator makes every staker eligible. For future staking programs, earning power is calculated based on reward eligibility e.g. active participation in governance.
maxBumpTip	0.00005 ETH	The amount of ETH paid to searcher bots who update user’s earning power when it changes. (The IdentityEarning PowerCalculator does not change users’ earning power, but future calculators might)
Governance compatibility	Yes	Staked ZK can delegate its voting power.
Upgradeability	Yes, via Token Governor	Staking contracts can be upgraded to support decentralized sequencing and other token utility upgrades

Whenever rewards enter the staking system, they are streamed out continuously over the next 30 days. That prevents discontinuities and race conditions. The turned-off staking system is planned to be deployed a minimum of 14 days prior to initial rewards start. As a result, all token-holders have the opportunity to stake with decreased time constraints.

In the pilot’s season 1, the annualised reward will be a maximum of 10% annualized. This assumes the staking cap of 400M ZK tokens is met, and rewarded a total of 10M ZK over the three-month period. This is equivalent to 2.5% for the 3 months of the season.

In season 2, the maximum reward would be ~10% annualized. This assumes the staking cap of 1B ZK tokens is met, and rewarded a total of 25M ZK over the three-month period. This is equivalent to ~2.5% for the 3 months of the season.

At the contract level, stakers can delegate their staked ZK’s voting power to any address. The Program Administration Team will have the ability to adjust reward eligibility such that staking rewards depend on the Delegate participating in governance.

The staking contracts are, like most smart contracts, open to anyone to call directly from any frontend. Tally will work with staking aggregators, wallets and custodians to integrate the system.

Capped Minter Configuration

| Capped Minter | Smart-Contract Addresses |Smart-Contract Admin Role | Smart-Contract Minter Role | Smart-Contract Pauser Role | Minting Start | Minting End | Token Configuration Parameters | |

... please visit link below to view full proposal

https://tally.xyz/gov/zksync/proposal/97314764080859415498674952864578860560861880297360481348949362100730414449748