• Isthmus hardfork activates on Superchain.

• EigenLayer introduces Slashing Redistribution.

• ZKsync introduces the Solx compiler.

• SSV Network reaches 100K validators.

Optimism’s Superchain successfully activated the Isthmus hardfork, an upgrade that introduces compatibility with the Pectra upgrade. In addition to supporting Pectra EIPs, the upgrade simplifies op-dispute-mon deployment for operators and introduces a new fee model to better support alternative data availability and ZK-based chains. Notably, the Isthmus hardfork is the first Superchain-wide upgrade, marking the first time major OP Stack chains—including Base, OP Mainnet, Ink, Soneium, and Unichain—have simultaneously adopted a coordinated upgrade. This was made possible by the “hard fork inheritance” mechanism in the OP Stack, which enables chains to automatically adopt shared upgrades.

EigenLayer introduced Redistribution, an opt-in upgrade to its slashing mechanism that allows Actively Validated Services (AVSs) to repurpose and redistribute slashed funds instead of burning them. Slashing is used to penalize operators for violations such as incorrect computation or liveness failures. AVSs can still choose to burn slashed funds. Redistribution enables new use cases like insurance, lending, and performance-based rewards, while improving liquidity. For the initial rollout, only non-ETH assets can be redistributed. The feature is now live on testnets, with a mainnet launch scheduled for June 2025.

ZKsync introduced solx, a new LLVM-based Solidity-to-EVM compiler designed to optimize gas efficiency and reduce the need for manual low-level optimizations in Ethereum smart contracts. solx works across all EVM-compatible chains, eliminates the need for inline assembly, and can be used as a drop-in replacement for the standard Solidity compiler. solx can compile major projects like Uniswap V2 and Solmate. It’s also designed to adapt to future virtual machines like RISC-V if Ethereum’s architecture changes. solx is currently in pre-alpha and not yet production-ready.

SSV Network reached over 100,000 ETH Validators, securing over $8 billion in stake across its distributed validator network. SSV node operators include solo stakers and pooled operators like Lido and EtherFi. SSV Network is a permissionless staking protocol that enables anyone to run a distributed validator node. By splitting validator keys into keyshares and distributing them to multiple nodes, the network enhances Ethereum fault-tolerance and eliminates single points of failure. 

• BlackRock met with SEC

• Meta explores stablecoin

• Uniswap hits $3t all-time swap volume

• Ethereum R1 donation page

Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.

• Process for selecting headliner proposals.

• PumpTheGas suggests 60m block gas limit.

• Polygon launches VaultBridge.

• Potential Type 4 transaction risks.

Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko proposed a structured process for selecting headliner proposals, which are proposals with the most critical features in upcoming network upgrades. Beiko says selecting the headline feature is Ethereum’s highest-stakes governance decision. Each hard fork should include no more than one headliner per layer. The process begins by defining a “Fork Focus”, a strategic goal (e.g., scaling, security, simplicity) that guides proposal evaluation. Headliner proposals must follow a clear template outlining their benefits, trade-offs, technical readiness, stakeholder impact, and risks. The proposals still move through the PFI → CFI → SFI stages and must be submitted via Ethereum Magicians for feedback. Beiko emphasized that decisions must weigh not just technical merit but also opportunity costs, ecosystem impact, and community consensus. He suggests formalizing Working Groups to coordinate long-term protocol efforts, ensuring alignment with Ethereum’s roadmap through regular check-ins with AllCoreDevs. 

Pumpthegas.org, an educational website created by Eric Conoar and Mariano Conti, now recommends that Ethereum validators increase the block gas limit to 60 million units. Raising the block gas limit allows each block to include more data, effectively boosting transaction throughput on Layer 1. Raising the block gas limit does not require a hardfork; validators can implement the change by modifying their node configuration. The website provides the necessary flags for consensus and execution clients to help validators adopt the new setting. According to data from gaslimit.pics, nearly 80% of validators already signal support for a block gas limit of 36 million or higher.

Polygon launched VaultBridge, a new yield-generating protocol for EVM chains. VaultBridge enables L2 chains connected to the Agglayer to integrate a built-in revenue stream based on their Total Value Locked (TVL). The mechanism leverages Morpho Protocol and Ethereum’s ERC-4626 vault standard to generate revenue. When users bridge assets to a participating L2, they receive 1:1 pegged tokens on the destination AggChain, while the underlying assets remain on the origin chain and are routed to Morpho vaults. The vaults are managed by Gauntlet and Steakhouse Financial, using chain-specific risk profiles. Chains that opt in retain governance over how their yield is distributed.

• Greg: PSA EIP-7702 Risks

• Coinbase Wallet teases social feed

• Sound enters maintenance

• L2 fees drop after Pectra

• EF ESP Q1 allocation update

Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.

• Pectra hardfork goes live on mainnet.

• Stripe introduces Stablecoin Accounts.

• Obol unlocks OBOL token transferability.

• AggLayer CDK expands to be multistack.

The Pectra upgrade successfully activated on Ethereum mainnet at 10:05 UTC during epoch 364032, introducing 11 new EIPs to Ethereum with major improvements to account abstraction, validator UX, and blob scaling. Notable EIPs include Account Abstraction EIP-7702, which transitions EOAs into smart accounts with capabilities like transaction batching, gas sponsorship, and recovery options. EIP-7251 increases the maximum balance validators can earn rewards on, EIP-7002 introduces execution layer-triggerable withdrawals, and EIP-6110 removes the delay between validator deposits and processing. Pectra also increased Ethereum's blob capacity by 50%, boosting data throughput for Layer 2 scaling solutions. 

Stripe launched Stablecoin Financial Accounts, a new service that enables businesses to hold, send, and receive both USD fiat and US dollar-pegged stablecoins. The product is now available to businesses incorporated in over 100 eligible countries. The service supports multi-rail transfers, allowing users to deposit or withdraw funds in either fiat currency or stablecoins. Stablecoins in the accounts are held in either USDC, issued by Circle, or USDB, a closed-loop stablecoin issued by Bridge—a Stripe-owned entity. All stablecoin holdings are custodied by Bridge. Users can make payments directly from their stablecoin balance to bank accounts or external crypto wallets. 

Obol Network unlocked transferability for its OBOL governance and utility token. Users who previously claimed the Obol airdrop can now redeem their non-transferable NFTs for the underlying OBOL tokens. The tokens are now tradable and can be staked for stOBOL—a liquid staking token that earns rewards while preserving governance rights within the DAO. In addition, users can earn Obol Incentives by staking ETH through Obol’s Distributed Validators (DVs). This can be done via qualified partners such as Chorus One, EtherFi, Swell, or Stakewise, or by operating a validator independently through Squad Staking. Obol Network currently secures over $1 billion in staked ETH.

The AggLayer Chain Development Kit (CDK), an open-source toolkit from Polygon for launching ZK-powered Layer 2 chains, now supports multiple deployment stacks—starting with a new configuration for Optimism’s OP Stack. The release enables developers to launch OP Stack chains with built-in  Agglayer interop. The release includes two configurations: cdk-opgeth and cdk-erigon. The implementations support up to 4,700+ TPS and use pessimistic ZK proofs. Polygon also plans to introduce custom zkRollups and Validium modes, and will expand support to other stacks, including Arbitrum Orbit. The Agglayer is a unified network of chains linked to Ethereum via a shared bridge contract, offering unified liquidity and cross-chain functionality.

• Pectra mainnet testing

• Pectra information page

• Track validator consolidations

• EIP-7702 risks PSA

• Etherscan EIP-7702 Auth List

• RevokeCash batch revoking

• Nethermind VC firm

• Pectra staking manager

• Biconomy partners with Newton

• $5.3m phished in April

Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.