• World Chain goes live on mainnet.

• Merkl proposes the ZKsync Ignite Program.

• ethOS introduces the dGEN1 hardware device.

• EIP-7742 is added to Pectra Devnet 5.

World Chain, an identity-focused L2 network built on the OP Stack, is now live on mainnet. World Chain gives priority block space to wallet addresses verified through World ID Proof of Personhood credentials. The network powers World Network, formerly known as Worldcoin, the digital identity protocol founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman. Infrastructure providers Alchemy, Uniswap, Dune, and Safe have rolled out support for the network. World Chain users can now swap and provide liquidity on Uniswap V2 and V3. World has a global user base of 10 million, with over 5 million users having verified their identities through the project’s iris-scanning Orb device. 

Rewards platform Merkl published the first ZKsync governance proposal, seeking to allocate 300 million ZK tokens over nine months to incentivize DeFi liquidity on ZKsync Era. Called the ZKsync Ignite Program, the initiative aims to position ZKsync Era as a leading DeFi hub, boost total value locked (TVL), and enhance liquidity across Elastic Chains powered by ZKsync. The proposal requests a total of 325 million ZK tokens, with 25 million set aside for administrative expenses. Merkl plans to oversee the program’s operations, including website management, rewards distribution, and technical support. A DeFi Steering Committee (DSC) would oversee token allocations and evaluate the program’s performance. The proposal is open for community discussion ahead of an onchain vote in November 2024.

ethOS, an Ethereum-native mobile operating system provider, unveiled dGEN1, a new hardware device that runs on ethOS. The device includes a dedicated screen for displaying transaction notifications and metadata. dGEN1 features a web3 browser and a system-level wallet with Layer 2 support. ethOS is based on LineageOS, a popular Android fork, and features a native trustless light client, enabling users to run a local Ethereum node. The operating system also supports IPFS and .eth domain resolution. The dGEN1 device is currently available for pre-order at 0.2 ETH, with shipping expected in Q2 2025.

During this week’s All Core Devs (ACD) consensus layer call, Ethereum developers and client teams agreed to include EIP-7742 in Pectra Devnet 5. EIP-7742 introduces a mechanism for the execution layer to dynamically receive the blob target value directly from the consensus layer. With EIP-7742, the execution layer no longer needs to verify blob maximum limits, enabling more seamless adjustments to blob parameters. The change eliminates redundancies, simplifies block construction, and incorporates the target value into the block header.

• Vitalik: Ethereum Future Part 2

• Ethereum blobs see 2.05 GB of data

• Besu 24.10.0 release

• Nethermind v1.29.1 release

• OpenZeppelin Contracts v5.1 release

• Circle outlines ERC-7674

• Conduit introduces the G2 sequencer.

• Fuel Ignition goes live on mainnet.

• Velodrome introduces Superlane.

Conduit, a rollup-as-a-service provider, launched the G2 Sequencer to mainnet, a high-performance solution delivering 50-100 Megagas per second (Mgas/s) throughput, designed for computationally demanding applications. G2 addresses scalability challenges by sustaining ultra-high throughput during peak traffic. Conduit claims that G2 is 10x more powerful than standard rollup sequencers. G2 is compatible with rollup frameworks like the OP Stack and Arbitrum Orbit. It is designed for large-scale gaming applications, enabling them to run complex logic fully onchain. G2 powers already Gravity Chain from quest-based project Galxe.

Fuel Labs launched Fuel Ignition, an Ethereum Layer 2 optimistic rollup, on mainnet. Ignition is powered by FuelVM, a parallel transaction execution engine that offers a processing throughput of 21,000 TPS per core. Designed for decentralization, the rollup allows anyone to operate nodes on inexpensive consumer-grade hardware. Fuel Ignition aims to be a Stage 2 rollup and implements a hybrid zero-knowledge proving mechanism. Fuel consists of three core components: FuelVM for scalable and efficient execution, Sway, a custom-built smart contract language, and the Forc Toolchain framework to facilitate dapp development. Fuel Labs invites developers to build, test, and deploy on Ignition using its public APIs.

Velodrome Finance, in collaboration with Hyperlane, introduced Superlane, a Hyperlane module that enables cross-chain communication and functionality for OP Stack chains before native Superchain interoperability is available. Superlane facilitates secure interchain messaging across OP Stack chains where Hyperlane is deployed. OP Stack chains adopting Superlane will be able to transition to native Superchain interoperability once it goes live. Superlane uses Hyperlane’s modular security model, which allows developers to customize their security mechanisms. To drive adoption, Velodrome is offering incentives to Hyperlane validators for deploying Superlane across OP Stack chains. Superlane is expected to be available in November.

• Gravita introduces xrETH

• Preliminary results on "get-blobs"

• Announcing the Ethereum Interop Forum

• Base posts > 6k blobs/day

• Mode Season 3

• Synthetix V3 Base upgrade

• RISC Zero 25 MHz performance

• a16z State of Crypto report

• Starknet staking in Q4

• Gardia Testnet v2

• Superseed joins the Superchain.

• Securitize supports USDC to BUIDL conversions.

• Offchain Labs release an Arbitrum Orbit roadmap.

• Towns launches its messaging app on Base.

Superseed, a DeFi-focused protocol built as an OP Stack Layer 2, has joined the Superchain. Superseed features a native collateralized debt position system called SuperCDP, which allows users to lock assets such as ETH, WBTC, and the Superseed token as collateral to mint and borrow the Superseed stablecoin. Superseed offers interest-free, self-repaying loans, funded by the protocol’s revenue streams such as sequencer profits. As part of the Superchain, Superseed will follow shared standards, shard upgrades, and contribute a portion of its sequencer revenue to the Optimism Collective. Superseed is currently live on testnet.

Securitize, the tokenization provider for BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), now supports USDC conversions for investments into the fund. The integration leverages Zero Hash to allow investors to maintain their entire investment process onchain. BlackRock's BUIDL Fund offers onchain access to U.S. Treasury bills, maintaining a stable $1 per token value and distributing monthly dividends. Since its launch in March 2024, BUIDL has facilitated over $550 million in issuance.

Offchain Labs released an update on the progress, vision, and future roadmap for Arbitrum Orbit, a tech stack designed for building customizable L2 and L3 chains. The team is focusing on expanding gas token options, bringing the Timeboost Transaction Ordering policy to mainnet, and implementing the Bounded Liquidity Delay Protocol (BoLD) to enhance decentralization and security. Additionally, Offchain Labs is developing Layer Leap, a feature that will allow users to transfer funds directly from Ethereum to L3 Orbit chains in a single transaction. Looking ahead, longer-term plans include native USDC support, fast withdrawals, chain mesh, and alternative client implementations. Most updates are expected to roll out gradually throughout 2025.

Towns launched its permissionless group chat app on Base, now available on both web and iOS. Positioned as an onchain alternative to Discord, Towns enables communities to create and control their own communication spaces. Key features include token-gated memberships, end-to-end encryption, and monetization options. The app is built on the River Protocol and uses Privy for embedded wallet onboarding.

• Final Devcon ticket wave

• ENS Q3 revenue report

• Introducing OnchainKit Themes

• Usage of EIP-2537

• Unichain Developer Grants

• Opacity Network raises $12m