Mantle Network has taken a decisive step forward. The Layer 2 platform finalized its mainnet upgrade using OP Succinct, completing its transition into a full ZK Rollup.

With over $2 billion locked, Mantle is now the largest ZK rollup by total value locked (TVL), according to DeFiLlama.

This is more than a technical win. It marks a repositioning of Mantle as the leading “liquidity chain” designed for the next era of decentralized finance, real-world assets (RWA), and institutional adoption.

The Biggest ZK Rollup Live

The upgrade shifts Mantle into a category of its own. By integrating OP Succinct, the chain inherits the efficiency of optimistic rollups with the security of zero-knowledge proofs.

At the time of writing, Mantle holds over $2 billion in TVL, surpassing competitors like zkSync and StarkNet. The combination of scale and security positions Mantle as the most advanced ZK-powered Layer 2 live on Ethereum today.

Mantle’s official account summed it up simply: “We’ve completed the final upgrade. Succinct powers the largest ZK rollup live”

D-Day: A defining moment for Mantle Network.

We’ve upgraded to @SuccinctLabs‘s OP Succinct on Mainnet, becoming the first OP Stack L2 to launch as a ZK Validity Rollup — and the largest ZK rollup by TVL.

The Liquidity Chain is evolving. pic.twitter.com/QV8EgzVC1Q

— Mantle (@Mantle_Official) September 16, 2025

Security and Decentralization First

Mantle’s new architecture strengthens its security model. Validators and relayers now operate as separate components, reducing systemic risk. If one part is compromised, the rest of the system remains secure.

ZK proofs add cryptographic finality, while Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS) staking distributes control across a broader set of participants. This dual-layer approach makes Mantle harder to attack compared to traditional Layer 2s that centralize key functions.

According to @0xTindorr, “Mantle just upgraded into the most institution-ready rollup”

$MNT just got a major structural upgrade.

Mantle is now the largest ZK rollup live, powered by Succinct.

This isn’t just a technical milestone, it’s a shift in @Mantle_Official‘s positioning:

1/ Security & decentralization
Validators and relayers are separated, meaning an… pic.twitter.com/UOEzikPauk

— Tindorr (@0xTindorr) September 17, 2025

Built for Institutions

Institutions demand certainty. With 1-hour finality and 12-hour withdrawals, Mantle now offers stronger guarantees for funds moving across its bridge.

This matters. Previous L2 bridges have suffered high-profile exploits due to reliance on a single validator set. Mantle’s separation of roles and proof-based settlement makes its bridge design far more resilient to the kind of systemic failures that shook confidence in 2022 and 2023.

For enterprises and DeFi protocols considering tokenized real-world assets, these assurances are critical. They provide the compliance-grade reliability needed for corporate treasuries, lending desks, and asset managers to participate.

Strategic Positioning: The Liquidity Chain

This upgrade is not just about engineering. It is about Mantle staking its claim as the chain of liquidity.

Backed by Bybit and its vast reserves, Mantle has both the capital and the ecosystem incentives to seed deep liquidity pools. That liquidity is the magnet for developers building DeFi applications, RWA protocols, and institutional trading rails.

In other words, Mantle is positioning itself as the infrastructure backbone for the next cycle of crypto growth, a cycle expected to be dominated by RWAs, regulated DeFi, and institutional capital inflows.

The timing is significant. Layer 2 narratives are rotating back into focus. Base has been teasing its token, and competition among rollups is heating up. In that context, Mantle stands out as the “serious” option, not just for retail speculation, but for institutions looking for reliable rails.

End users may not immediately notice the changes under the hood. But trust in infrastructure is built slowly. Each upgrade and each security feature adds to a chain’s credibility. For institutions that watched billions vanish in bridge hacks over the last cycle, those assurances will be decisive.

$MNT Hits New All-Time High

Markets have already responded. $MNT broke past $1.75, hitting a fresh all-time high. The move pushed Mantle’s fully diluted valuation to $10.5 billion, per CoinMarketCap.

Among Layer 2 tokens in 2025, Mantle is in the lead:

 The only L2 token to break an all-time high this year
 The deepest treasury among Layer 2s
 One of the largest fully diluted valuations in the sector
 The biggest and most active ecosystem in the rollup space

This valuation gap against peers presents asymmetric upside if Mantle secures the institutional and RWA lane.

@Dropstab_com highlighted Mantle’s surge in activity following the upgrade

@Mantle_Official price hits a new all-time high, breaking above $1.75 and reaching a $10.5B fully diluted valuation.

Previously, $MNT was marked as undervalued by #VWAP Radar on Dropstab and included in @Grayscale list of assets under consideration for investment products… https://t.co/JStprtmiot pic.twitter.com/TwcwisuuQT

— DropsTab (@Dropstab_com) September 17, 2025

Mantle’s transition into a ZK rollup is not just a technical detail. It signals where the chain wants to sit in the broader Ethereum ecosystem. By solving bridge risks, tightening security, and prioritizing institutional readiness, Mantle is making a long bet on the next phase of adoption.

While retail users may continue to flock to meme-driven L2s, Mantle is building for the other side of the curve, the institutions, enterprises, and protocols that will bring trillions in real-world value on-chain.

In 2025, with over $2B TVL, a record $MNT valuation, and the most institution-ready infrastructure in the L2 landscape, Mantle is no longer just another rollup. It is the liquidity chain.

Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.

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Filed under: Bitcoin - @ September 18, 2025 7:15 am