When many people mention zkEVM, what comes to mind are a bunch of terms: zero-knowledge proofs, circuit generation, EVM equivalent execution... To be honest, I initially thought this was a technology meant for engineers, far removed from an ordinary user like me.

Until one day, I minted an NFT on Linea.

It was at that moment that I realized - the real power of zkEVM is not in flashy technology, but in how you can't even feel its presence, yet it quietly enhances your original user experience significantly.

The first time I used Linea to play with NFTs was by chance.

Initially, a friend sent me a link saying Linea had a Voyage event where completing some tasks could mint an NFT. I didn't think much of it and just clicked in.

Then I found out:

  • MetaMask directly recognized the network and automatically switched to Linea;

  • The ETH in the wallet came from the mainnet bridge and arrived in about a minute;

  • After clicking the mint button on the website, the gas fee was only a few cents, with speeds almost confirming in seconds;

  • NFT successfully generated, can be checked directly on LineaScan, and can also be synced to OpenSea (Linea now supports OpenSea).

Throughout the process, there were no tutorials, no traps set up, nor did it prompt you with 'this uses zk technology,' but I found it easier than any previous mainnet mint.

This is what I mean by what zkEVM should achieve: no disturbance, no educating, just responsible for making you 'enjoy using it.'

Why does Linea perform so well in the NFT space?

Minting and trading NFTs is exactly one of the most suitable application scenarios for zk technology. There are several reasons:

  1. Gas cost sensitivity: minting an NFT on the mainnet could cost dozens of dollars in gas; but on Linea, it only costs a few dimes. What you save is not only money but also psychological pressure.

  2. Confirmation time affects the experience: waiting on the mainnet might take dozens of seconds or even longer, while Linea is basically confirmed in seconds. User satisfaction is maximized.

  3. The threshold for contract deployment is low: the OpenZeppelin templates you used on the mainnet can be deployed directly to Linea without changing code or languages. This is very friendly for NFT project deployers.

  4. The sense of value in on-chain evidence is stronger: zkEVM has inherently stronger data integrity, suitable for digital art collections that need to be preserved long-term and can be authentically verified.

Linea connects these points together, not only simplifying NFT minting but also making zk technology integrate into daily experiences like water, electricity, and gas for the first time.

The 'invisibility' of zkEVM is the standard of the future.

Too many projects treat zk as a promotional point, complicating interactions and using a bunch of jargon, resulting in users leaving without understanding anything.

Linea didn't do it this way. It's more like the approach Apple takes with its systems—hiding all the technological complexity in the background, giving you an experience that seems effortless but is actually very smooth.

This is the highest realm of technology: not making people feel its existence, but making it impossible for people to return to a world without it.

NFT creators are also migrating.

You may not have noticed, but recently quite a few NFT projects have started prioritizing deployment on Linea, especially:

  • Those airdrops or task-based NFTs that don't want users to bear high gas fees.

  • Want to explore 'functional NFTs' that verify achievements, on-chain credentials, and zk identities.

  • For collection projects with high cross-chain compatibility requirements, Linea's EVM equivalence is particularly valuable.

For developers, there's no need to adapt languages, no need to change toolchains, and it comes with native support for MetaMask—who wouldn't like that?

Lastly, I want to say:

zkEVM should not be a playground for elitists, but a universal technology that we ordinary users can also enjoy.

Linea made me feel for the first time that playing with NFTs is no longer an anxious experience of 'spending money and fearing failure,' but a truly relaxed, efficient, and reliable interaction.

If you are still stuck in the mindset of 'zk is too complicated, I don't want to touch it,' then why not try minting an NFT on Linea once? You might end up saying something like I did:

"So zkEVM had quietly prepared everything for me long ago."@Linea.eth $LINEA #Linea