An Ethereum-equivalent Layer 2 zk-rollup testnet offering Taiko’s based rollup architecture with decentralized sequencing and permissionless proposers/provers, using ETH for low-cost gas.
Taiko Hekla L2 is Taiko’s public Ethereum‑equivalent (Type‑1) zkEVM testnet that uses ETH for gas and mirrors Ethereum RPCs and tooling, making it ideal for realistic dApp, bridge, and infrastructure testing. Typical testnet metrics: near‑zero effective fees via faucet ETH, ~12s block times inherited from Ethereum’s based sequencing, and throughput in the tens of TPS under load, with activity largely developer‑driven. Primary use cases include validating L1↔L2 bridging, account abstraction flows, DeFi/NFT apps, and pre‑mainnet staging.
Taiko Hekla L2 is unique for its strict Ethereum equivalence (Type‑1 zkEVM), so smart contracts and tooling run unmodified and are secured by zero‑knowledge validity proofs rather than optimistic fraud windows. It uses based sequencing on Ethereum with permissionless proposers and provers, removing a centralized sequencer and improving censorship resistance and reorg safety, while keeping a ~12s block cadence. Compared with many L2s, Hekla pairs a trust‑minimized canonical bridge and L1‑grade security with orders‑of‑magnitude lower fees than L1 and practical testnet throughput in the tens of TPS.
Taiko Hekla L2 uses ETH as the gas token for transaction fees. You can obtain ETH by bridging from other chains or purchasing using thirdweb Bridge, or through faucets (for testnet).
To bridge ETH to Taiko Hekla L2, connect your wallet to thirdweb bridge, select your source chain, choose the token you want to bridge, select Taiko Hekla L2 as the destination, enter the amount, and confirm the transaction. The bridge will handle the cross-chain transfer instantly.
To build on Taiko Hekla L2 you can use thirdweb, which provides an easy way to build, monetize and scale your apps, games or agents. You can find detailed guides and documentation on https://portal.thirdweb.com to get started quickly.
To add Taiko Hekla L2 to your wallet, you can connect your wallet and click on [Add to Wallet] button at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can add the network manually using the RPC URL and chain details and add it to your wallet's network settings.
To send ETH on Taiko Hekla L2, ensure your wallet is connected to the Taiko Hekla L2 network, enter the recipient's address, specify the amount of ETH to send, review the gas fee, and confirm the transaction in your wallet.