Quick Take
Research on increasing Ethereum's blob count.
Arbitrim introduces Trailblazer AI grants.
Applications open for the Next Billion Fellowship.
Starknet v0.13.3 goes live on mainnet.
6/9 Blob Capacity Increase Feasibility
Sam Calder-Mason from the ethPandaOps team released a research article examining the feasibility of increasing Ethereum's blob count using community-contributed data on block and blob arrival times. The analysis indicates that Ethereum could support an increase in the target/max blob count from 3/6 to 4/8 or 6/9, demonstrating strong performance even within current bandwidth limitations. The research also underscored that MEV Relay nodes handle higher blob counts more effectively than locally built blocks, thanks to their superior bandwidth and parallel distribution capabilities. However, it noted that bandwidth remains a key constraint for solo stakers. The study also suggests that higher blob counts may be achievable with improvements like EIP-7623.
Arbitrim Introduces Trailblazer
Arbitrum introduced Trailblazer, a new grant program allocating $1,000,000 to support builders developing specialized AI agents and onchain AI products on the Arbitrum network. Eligible projects can receive up to $10,000 in funding, provided they have AI products in production with onchain integrations on Arbitrum. In addition to financial support, participants will gain access to mentorship, Arbitrum’s developer community, and promotional opportunities to help amplify their projects. Developers with active AI projects are encouraged to apply via the application form.
EF Opens Fellowship Cohort 5
The Ethereum Foundation is now accepting applications for the fifth Cohort of the Next Billion Fellowship. The fellowship is a 6-month non-technical apprenticeship that supports individuals working on a personal project that uses Ethereum to empower a better future. The key requirement for applicants is being able to publicly represent and share their work with the community. Next Billion Fellowship provides access to relevant experts, resources from the EF, and financial support. Applications are open between now and January 12, 2025. The program will run from April 2025 to October 2025 with the sixth cohort starting in September 2025.
Starknet v0.13.3 Goes Live On Mainnet
Starknet deployed v0.13.3 to mainnet, an upgrade introducing significant improvements that lower transaction fees and data costs by optimizing the compression and submission of state updates to Ethereum L1. The upgrade reduces blob gas costs across the network by a factor of 5x. Earlier this week, Starknet launched the first phase of STRK token staking on mainnet, enabling users to earn rewards by either becoming validators or delegating their STRK tokens to validators.
Other News
Aave hits $33b in deposits
Challenge with Tornado Cash ruling
Coinbase will not support Celo hard fork
Revisiting the world computer
BlackRock (ETHA) Daily ETH Flows: +55.6m
