# Building on Scroll

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**Scroll Alpha Testnet is now deprecated.**

Please visit our new documentation for the Scroll Sepolia Testnet at [https://docs.scroll.io/](https://docs.scroll.io/)
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## Welcome

Welcome to the Scroll developer documentation!

Scroll is its own Layer 2 network built on Ethereum (more specifically, a “zero-knowledge rollup”).

If you’re experienced in building on Ethereum, your code, dependencies, and tooling work with Scroll out of the box. This is possible because our network is compatible with EVM bytecode and designed to feel just like developing on Ethereum.

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**New to zero-knowledge rollups?**

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Scroll gains its security and speed by executing transactions off-chain, and also producing a cryptographic proof that the transactions were executed correctly. This cryptographic proof is verified in a smart contract on Layer 1, ensuring that all code executed on the Scroll Layer 2 behaves just as if it were executed on Ethereum Layer 1.

[Learn more about Scroll’s architecture →](https://scroll.io/blog/architecture)
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In our latest Alpha Testnet release, the Scroll rollup builds on Ethereum's Goerli Testnet.

## Getting Started

**Looking to build on the Scroll Alpha Testnet?**

* For the essentials: Check out the [**Developer Quickstart**](developer-quickstart)
* For a tutorial walking through deploying your first smart contract on Scroll, read our [**contract deployment tutorial**](contract-deployment-tutorial)
* We also have a number of [**deployed contract addresses**](alpha-testnet-contracts) to build on.

## Why Build on Scroll?

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<summary><em>Throughput</em> — Scroll creates more secure blockspace for Ethereum.</summary>

ZK Rollups allow for more activity on the network, minimizing congestion. By inheriting the security of Ethereum, which verifies the behavior of the network using zero-knowledge proofs, Scroll can process more transactions without compromising on decentralization.

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<summary><em><strong>Cost</strong></em> — Scroll saves users gas fees.</summary>

On Ethereum, competition for blockspace results in higher costs per transaction, as each transaction makes a bid to be included in the next block. Scroll leverages recent breakthroughs in zero-knowledge proofs and hardware acceleration to vastly increase secure blockspace and minimize transaction costs for users.

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<summary><em><strong>Speed</strong></em> — Scroll delivers feedback to users, faster.</summary>

After the merge, Ethereum blocks reliably confirm every 12 seconds. Scroll blocks are minted every 3 seconds, and for the sake of lower-risk operations, transactions can be assumed to be final once included in a block. This opens up new possibilities for on-chain interaction in social and gaming applications.

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<summary><em><strong>Alignment</strong></em> — Scroll builds on Ethereum’s vision.</summary>

Scroll builds on Ethereum’s vision. Our ethos is to build Ethereum, not to splinter it. Decentralization, permissionlessness, censorship-resistance, and community ownership are the core of what we do and the roadmap we’re building. We believe in open-source software, and we work closely with the Ethereum Foundation’s Privacy and Scaling Explorations team to support their work on a zkEVM that might someday be the heart of Ethereum.

We also work with governance DAOs and other open-source protocols to make sure that as applications are deployed, we’re working to grow their impact — whether that be in public goods, core infrastructure, or the next generation of zero-knowledge use cases.

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<summary><em><strong>Community</strong></em> — Scroll brings together users and builders.</summary>

We know the challenges of building in the open and getting user engagement before mainnet release! Scroll has a blossoming community of users and builders, and with a Discord community of over 100,000 users eager to try out applications on our testnet, we’re excited to connect builders with users that can provide real-world feedback.

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## Thank you for building with us.

We’re working to bring more integrations and support infrastructure to the network, and are excitedly working towards our Mainnet release.

Join our growing developer community. You can find us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/scroll), join our [discussion forum](https://community.scroll.io/), or follow our progress on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Scroll_ZKP).

