Recently, users of our platform encountered a frustrating issue: a frozen user interface (UI) after a failed claim attempt. This problem was primarily caused by insufficient balance in users’ wallets when trying to claim pending rewards.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened, how it was addressed, and what you need to know moving forward.

When users tried to claim their pending rewards, some experienced a failure because their available NODL balance was not enough to cover the maximum possible transaction fee required by the system. This happened because the Paymaster service we use - ZyFi - allows users to pay transaction fees in NODL instead of ETH. The amount of NODL required for a successful transaction depends on the current price of NODL as the gas fees on ZKsync are at 0.02 cents. If the NODL price declines, users who previously had enough balance might suddenly find themselves short.

When the claim failed due to insufficient balance, the UI sometimes became unresponsive or “frozen”, leaving users with pending rewards that appeared stuck. This glitch was a result of the way the app handled failed transactions and the display of pending rewards. Importantly, even though the UI might not update, rewards were still accumulating in the background.

Second chance for first sponsored claim

Recognizing the frustration this caused, the team has released a special form for users whose first sponsored claim failed. If you were affected by this error - particularly if it was due to spikes in fees caused by NODL price fluctuations - you are eligible for a second attempt at your first sponsored claim. This is a one-time offer to help users who were caught off guard by these unusual circumstances.

After your first sponsored claim, it becomes your responsibility to ensure your wallet has enough available NODL to cover future transaction fees. The team will not provide additional sponsored claims beyond the first. If you encounter insufficient balance issues after your first claim, you will need to top up your wallet or wait for protocol improvements to reduce fees.

In May, the team released a patch that prevents users from clicking the claim button if their balance is insufficient. This proactive measure ensures that users will no longer experience the frozen UI issue due to failed claims from insufficient balance. Going forward, the system will block claim attempts unless you have enough NODL to cover the estimated maximum fee, as required by ZKsync’s system design.

If you are still experiencing the frozen pending rewards UI glitch, here’s what you need to do:

• Top up your wallet: Deposit enough NODL into your wallet to cover the estimated maximum transaction fee. Once you have sufficient balance, you can successfully claim your rewards and unfreeze the UI.

• Use Secondary Wallets: If you don’t have enough NODL in your primary wallet, you can use a secondary account to help. On the same device (or another available device), create or use another wallet and perform a Nodle first-time claim. Then, transfer the NODL from your secondary wallet to your primary wallet. Once your primary wallet has enough balance, you can complete your claim, offset the estimated fee, and unfreeze the UI.

• Wait for the Airbender upgrade: If you prefer not to top up, you can simply let your app run and allow your pending rewards to accumulate until the ZKsync protocol upgrade (Airbender) is live. This upgrade is expected around August 2025 and will drastically reduce transaction fees - bringing them down to a fraction of a cent. At that point, the amount of NODL required to cover fees will be negligible, making claims accessible to everyone (again).

The upcoming Airbender upgrade by Matter Labs is set to revolutionize ZKsync’s efficiency. With Ethereum block proofs generated in under 35 seconds using a single GPU, Airbender will significantly increase transaction throughput, reduce latency, and lower operational costs. For users, this means much lower transaction fees - potentially as little as 0.0001 cent per transaction, compared to the current 0.02 cent.

This upgrade will make it much easier for users to claim their rewards without worrying about insufficient balance or fees.

The frozen UI and failed claim issues were challenging, but the team has taken significant steps to address them. With the May patch, the problem is now a thing of the past for new users. If you were affected by the initial issue, you can request a second sponsored claim. Moving forward, maintaining a sufficient balance is your responsibility - but the upcoming Airbender upgrade will make this much easier for everyone.

Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to improve the apps and network services.