Outline

From the perspective of fund security, zkLink X splits the system into three layers: Application Layer (Matching / DEX) → Protocol Layer (zkLink X Layer2) → Settlement Layer (Layer1 + ZK Proofs). Even if an upper layer fails, as long as the lower layers remain secure, users can fully recover their funds.

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1. Application Layer: Exchanges, External Matching / Frontend Downtime or Exit Scam (Guide)

This layer includes all applications built on zkLink X, such as ApeX Omni, ZkEX and other DEXs. They are responsible for:

• Providing the trading interface, order placement, and matching;

• Calling zkLink X APIs to execute trades on Layer2.

Key point: the application layer does not custody funds.

• After a user deposits, assets go directly into the zkLink contract on Layer1, not into any project’s own wallet.

• If an application’s frontend goes offline, the matching engine stops, or the team disappears:

  • Trading experience is interrupted;

  • But funds remain safely locked in the zkLink contract.

• Users can:

  • Connect to the same zkLink X account via the official zkLink frontend or community frontends to initiate withdrawals;

  • Or directly call the Full Exit / Forced Withdrawal function of the zkLink contract on Layer1 to withdraw assets back to Layer1.

In other words: a single application can fail, but it cannot “take away” user funds on zkLink X.

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2. Protocol Layer: zkLink X Layer2 Downtime or Team Disappearance (Guide)

This layer is the zkLink X Rollup protocol and its infrastructure, including:

• The Sequencer, Prover, official APIs / frontend, etc.

Even if zkLink X infrastructure goes down or the team disappears, funds can still be recovered:

• All historical state updates (state roots, batch data) have already been posted on Layer1;

• When the Sequencer fails to process the priority queue for an extended period or stops producing blocks, the on-chain contract will enter Exodus Mode (Emergency Exit Mode):

  • Freeze new Layer2 state updates;

  • Open a “permissionless exit” channel.

• In Exodus Mode, users or the community can use open-source tools (such as recover_state_server) to:

  1. Read historical data submitted by zkLink from Layer1 and replay transactions locally to reconstruct the final state tree;

  2. Generate the corresponding Merkle proof for each account;

  3. Directly call the Layer1 contract, submit the Merkle proof, and forcibly withdraw assets from the zkLink contract.

Even if all official zkLink services are no longer maintained, as long as the underlying L1 chain is still running, users can rely on public data + mathematical proofs to complete “self-serve asset evacuation.”

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3. Settlement Layer: Layer1 and the Mathematical Security of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (Audits)

The lowest layer is the public-chain settlement layer (such as Ethereum) and the zkLink smart contracts and zero-knowledge proof system deployed on it, which together provide the ultimate guarantee of fund security:

• Layer1 Custody of Funds

  • After users deposit, funds are locked in zkLink’s Layer1 contract and protected by the L1 consensus;

  • Any asset movement must be executed via contract logic and cannot be bypassed by any single party.

• Zero-Knowledge Validity Proofs (ZK Validity Proofs)

  • Every state batch is accompanied by a ZK proof that is verified on Layer1;

  • Only state roots whose proofs pass verification can be written into the contract, preventing forged balances, arbitrary minting, or incorrect settlements.

• Security from Mathematics, Not Trust

  • Does not rely on a small multisig or a small validator set “voting” on fund ownership;

  • Fund security depends on public contract code and verifiable cryptographic proofs, rather than trust in any particular team or institution.

Therefore, as long as Layer1 remains secure, the ultimate safety of zkLink X user funds is guaranteed by mathematics and cryptography, not by any centralized party’s credibility.

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From top to bottom, the relationship between the three layers can be summarized as:

1. The application layer can fail — it affects the user experience, but not custody of funds;

2. The protocol layer can be bypassed in extreme cases — via Exodus Mode + Merkle proofs, users can exit directly from the contract;

3. The settlement layer is secured by Layer1 + ZK mathematics — no one can “lie” or move funds out of thin air at the mathematical level.