• Arbitrum BoLD goes live on mainnet.

• Lens Chain adopts GHO as its gas token.

• Paradigm releases Reth v1.2.

• CBOE seeks approval for staking ETF.

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Arbitrum Bounded Liquidity Delay (BOLD), a dispute resolution protocol featuring interactive fraud proofs, is now live on mainnet. BOLD allows anyone to run a validator node, enabling permissionless validation. BOLD protects against delay attacks by implementing a fixed upper limit of 7 days for resolving disputes. Delay attacks occur when malicious actors spend funds to delay the confirmation of transactions. With BOLD, honest validators can collaborate and pool resources to successfully win disputes, even when facing multiple malicious actors. Arbitrum Orbit chains will be able to adopt BOLD by updating their Arbitrum Nitro stack.

Lens Chain, a SocialFi L2 built on ZKsync’s ZK Stack, announced plans to adopt Aave’s GHO stablecoin as its gas token. The implementation follows the GHO Gas Token Framework developed by Aave Labs, aiming to enhance user onboarding and minimize friction. Transaction fees will be dynamically priced in GHO, adjusting to the Ethereum gas market. GHO’s integration with the ZKSync Shared Bridge serves as the primary liquidity bridge and will enable seamless GHO minting on Lens Chain. Lens Chain will roll out in three phases, evolving from a Validium to a Volition. The network will process financial transactions in ZK Rollup mode while handling social transactions in Validium mode.

Paradigm released Reth v1.2, the latest version of its Ethereum execution client written in Rust. The release includes a new default gas limit of 36 million, a parallelized state root computation system, and Pectra hardfork readiness for Holesky and Sepolia testnets. The update delivers a 50% improvement in engine_newPayload call latencies and enhances state root computation efficiency. The release maintains Reth’s goal of combining Erigon’s compact archive node architecture with high-performance execution while moving towards further optimizations. Reth aims to improve Ethereum node stability, with optimizations in sync time, storage, and RPC throughput. Future releases will expand support to OP Stack L2s.

CBOE submitted Form 19b-4 to the SEC, seeking approval to enable staking in the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart noted that it marks the first ETF filing to request staking. Once approved, the SEC would still need to greenlight the required Form S-1 filings before trading can commence. Following the news, ETH surged 2.5% to $2,750.

• EF Reddit AMA on 25th Feb

• Prysm releases v5.3.0

• Base increases gas target to 25 mgas/s

• ZKsync introduces ChonkyBFT consensus

• Artemis copies Defillama

• Layer3 releases Guild Competitions

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• Unichain goes live on mainnet.

• Lido V3 introduces stVaults.

• Chainlink CCIP goes live on Soneium.

• Aave V3 deploys on Linea.

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Unichain, Uniswap’s DeFi-focused Layer 2 built on the OP Stack, is now live on mainnet. Users can now bridge assets to Unichain via the Uniswap Wallet or web app, launch tokens, swap, and provide liquidity. Initial apps include Uniswap, Circle’s USDC, Across, Bungee, Privy, and Coinally. Developers can now deploy apps and create v4 hooks on Uniswap on Unichain. Unichain operates as a Stage 1 rollup with permissionless fault proofs and will soon support native Superchain interoperability, cross-chain intents, and sub-second confirmation times. The upcoming Unichain Validation Network (UVN) will enable anyone to run a UVN node and verify blocks, ensuring security and decentralization through a TEE-based builder and multi-node validation.

Lido Finance introduced Lido V3, an upgrade that transitions the protocol from pooled staking to decentralized Ethereum staking infrastructure. Lido V3 introduces stVaults, modular staking vaults that allow stakers, node operators, institutions, and protocols to customize their staking setups, including fee structure, validation infrastructure, and risk profile. Built on the Lido Core Protocol, stVaults provide access to deep stETH liquidity while supporting custodial and non-custodial setups, leveraged staking, and opt-in restaking exposure. To mitigate slashing risks, Lido V3 uses the Reserve Ratio (RR), ensuring that stVaults remain overcollateralized. Lido V3 will roll out in three phases. The early adopters phase will test re-staked vaults with pre-deposits, followed by a testnet deployment phase and the mainnet launch.

Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), a leading standard for enabling cross-chain functionality through arbitrary messaging, is now live on Soneium. The launch also includes Chainlink Data Streams and Data Feeds. Soneium, an OP Stack Layer 2 blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, is designed for applications spanning entertainment, gaming, and finance. The project aims to onboard mainstream users into Web3 by integrating with Sony’s existing products and services. As part of the Superchain, Soneium contributes to the Superchain Collective, follows shared upgrades, and allocates a portion of sequencer revenue to retro funding.

Aave V3 is now live on Linea, an EVM-equivalent ZK-rollup developed by Consensys, making it the 12th supported chain on Aave. Users can now deposit assets such as ETH, WETH, wstETH, weETH, ezETH, WBTC, USDC, and USDT as collateral. The deployment enables borrowing in ETH, USDC, USDT, wstETH, and WBTC. Aave is the largest DeFi lending protocol with over $19 billion in TVL.

• Ethereum-wide L2 interop page

• Ethresearch: Distributed Encrypted Mempool

• SWELL incentives on Euler v2

• Superstate expands to Plume Network

• Proposal to deploy Aave V3 on Ink

• OpenSea v2 private beta XP

• WLFI announces Macro Strategy

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• Aave launches GHO on Base.

• Viem v2.23 release.

• Holonym acquires Gitcoin Passport

• EIP: Increase Gas Utilization Target

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Aave launched its GHO stablecoin natively on Base, enabling users to lend and borrow the dollar-pegged asset. The initial Aave supply cap for GHO is set at 2.5 million, with a borrow cap of 2.25 million. The Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) serves as the Emissions Manager, overseeing rewards and incentives for the stablecoin. The deployment aligns with Aave’s cross-chain strategy, using Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to facilitate a lock/burn and release/mint transfer mechanism for GHO. By integrating with existing DeFi protocols on Base, the initiative aims to improve GHO accessibility, liquidity, and adoption. Native GHO is already available on Ethereum Mainnet and Arbitrum One.

Wevm released Viem 2.23, an updated version of its TypeScript interface for Ethereum. The update introduces the simulateCalls action, enabling batch simulation of transactions and contract interactions. Developers can now preview asset changes, gas usage, execution status, and logs before executing transactions. The update significantly improves transaction simulation, debugging, and smart contract testing. As a modern alternative to frameworks like Ethers.js and web3.js, Viem emphasizes stability, developer experience, reduced bundle size, and high performance. It is widely used by developers to simplify complex transaction workflows.

Holonym acquired Gitcoin Passport, the proof-of-personhood and Sybil resistance tool originally developed within Gitcoin. Gitcoin Passport has now been rebranded as Human Passport and will be integrated into Holonym’s human.tech identity suite, enhancing its ZK credentials. The upgrade enables selective disclosure, privacy-preserving verification, and secure credential issuance through the Human Network. The Human Network is an Actively Validated Service (AVS) built on EigenLayer and Symbiotic, securing programmable keys for managing ZK credentials with unlinkability and Sybil resistance. It ensures privacy-preserving identity proofs, preventing traceability while maintaining verifiable authentication.

Ethereum developers introduced a new EIP to increase the network’s gas utilization target from 50% to 75% of the block gas limit. The goal is to boost network throughput without raising the gas limit while maintaining protection against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. The proposal is backward-compatible and does not increase the network’s worst-case load. Vitalik Buterin commented on the proposal, emphasizing that state growth remains the primary constraint on block size. He also warned that the change could degrade user experience (UX) due to a reduced percent of instant transaction inclusions.

• Basket v0.1 token basket creator

• Base miniapps on Farcaster

• L2Beat is hiring researchers

• Circle introduces Dev Summit

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