The Ethereum ecosystem has undergone significant changes since the Dencun upgrade (EIP-4844) went live in March 2024. This upgrade, introducing “blobs” to more efficiently handle Layer 2 (L2) data requirements, was a critical step forward in Ethereum’s scaling journey. However, the impact of Dencun has been multifaceted, triggering shifts in the network’s economic dynamics, including a notable decline in both the amount of Ether burned and the annual percentage yield (APY) for staked Ether.

Born out of the need to scale Ethereum, Layer 2 (L2) networks have truly taken off, each with its own unique design choices. Zircuit introduces a novel feature called Sequencer Level Security, which is designed to prevent malicious transactions from ever being finalised on the blockchain.

The Polkadot network has been at the forefront of blockchain innovation since its 2020 mainnet launch, and this cycle is no exception. Polkadot is reaching new heights with a host of technological advancements including the Join-Accumulate Machine, or JAM upgrade, a proliferation of AI-driven projects and applications, and new forays into decentralised physical infrastructure (DePIN). Time to level up!

Zeta Markets is the second-largest derivatives platform on the Solana blockchain, and it aims to take top spot. Growth is exploding. What's coming next?

Europe is leading the world in efforts to regulate digital assets, charting a more sustainable growth path for the blockchain industry. What does this mean for the world's second-largest crypto market?