Thursday, Sept. 26
Arthur Hayes-Backed Maelstrom Awards Second Bitcoin Developer Grant to BIP Editor Atack
Maelstrom, a decentralization-focused venture firm managed by the family office of BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, announced in a press release Thursday that Jon Atack (GitHub profile) is the second recipient of its Bitcoin Grant Program, to continue his research and development work. According to a bio, Atack started contributing to Bitcoin Core in 2019 and recently was made a maintainer and editor of the Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) repository. “Bitcoin isn’t perfect,” Atack said in the press release. “Among other things, it needs further decentralization, continued vigilance, review, bug-fixing, updates, maintenance and improved robustness, performance, privacy, scaling, documentation and user experience.” Maestrom awarded its first developer grant earlier this month, after unveiling the program in July. The goal is to fund open-source Bitcoin developers, since unlike many newer crypto projects, Bitcoin has no single company or foundation driving the strategy or providing top-down funding.
Bitcoin ‘Hybrid’ Layer-2 Project BOB Launches DEX Uniswap V3
PROTOCOL VILLAGE EXCLUSIVE: BOB (“Build on Bitcoin”), a “hybrid” layer-2 project focused on Bitcoin with Ethereum’s EVM compatibility, has launched Uniswap v3, now available via the Oku decentralized exchange aggregator, according to the team: “This integration enhances trading efficiency, reduces slippage and improves liquidity provisioning for users. Additionally, traders and liquidity providers can earn Spice points during BOB Fusion’s final season, incentivizing active participation.”
Hermetica Launches Bitcoin-Backed Stablecoin USDh on Stacks
Hermetica has launched its bitcoin-backed stablecoin USDh on the Stacks layer-2 network, making it the “first Bitcoin-backed stablecoin to enter the thriving Bitcoin ecosystem,” according to the team. “This will transform the way Bitcoiners can store value and earn yields up to 25%, all while maintaining full control of their assets.” The effort is leveraging liquidity technology from Velar, a DeFi protocol with Bitcoin finality, according to the team.
XProtocol, Built on Base Chain, Unveils XForge as ‘World’s First Node-Operated DePIN Smartphone’
XProtocol, an entertainment-focused blockchain built on the U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, Base, has unveiled what it says is “the world’s first node-operated DePIN smartphone.” According to the team, the Web3 startup’s new Android device, XForge, functions as a fully operational blockchain node. Users can participate in the DePIN network directly from their phone, earning rewards, airdrops and cryptocurrency incentives: “XForge represents the next evolution in mobile devices, combining blockchain power with smartphone convenience.”
Oasys, Arbitrum Foundation, Uprising Launching First Gaming-Focused Arbitrum Orbit Chain Beyond Ethereum
Oasys, Arbitrum Foundation, and layer-2 Uprising have teamed up to launch what they say is the first gaming-focused Arbitrum Orbit blockchain beyond Ethereum.” According to the team: “Uprising, a layer-2 gaming yield blockchain, and Oasys, a layer-1 gaming chain, are collaborating to enhance Web3 gaming through Arbitrum Orbit technology. This marks the first deployment of Arbitrum Orbit for gaming outside Ethereum, showcasing a shared vision for blockchain gaming’s future.”
Bitcoin Staking Protocol Babylon Forms Strategic Alliance With Asphere to Allow Developers to Deploy Customizable L2s
The Babylon Bitcoin staking protocol has entered a strategic alliance with Asphere, a scaling solution from the team behind Ankr, “to empower developers with an end-to-end solution for launching innovative Bitcoin layer 2s, according to the team: “The solution will allow developers to seamlessly deploy highly customizable L2s backed by the unparalleled security of the Bitcoin network. This enables developers to tap into Bitcoin’s vast liquidity, leverage Bitcoin’s $1 trillion market cap for ironclad security, and achieve extremely fast finality when building new use cases within the original blockchain ecosystem.”
Nomic Brings Bitcoin-Backed ‘nBTC’ to Berachain
Nomic DAO Foundation, supporting the Nomic Network, a blockchain powering a decentralized custody engine for Bitcoin, announced the launch of nBTC, a 1:1 bitcoin-backed token, on Berachain, an Ethereum-compatible layer-1 network. The move follows Nomic’s recent Ethereum upgrade, which made nBTC natively available as an ERC-token on Ethereum, and capable of deployments to EVM-compatible chains, according to the team: “This integration allows users to directly deposit BTC for nBTC, bringing Bitcoin’s substantial liquidity into Berachain’s ecosystem, which operates on a unique proof-of-liquidity consensus model. This will enhance the capabilities of Bitcoin within Berachain’s growing ecosystem, offering developers the ability to integrate nBTC into DeFi protocols and to build BTC-backed applications without relying on centralized intermediaries.”
ZKVerify, Hyberbridge Team Up to Deliver Cross-Chain ZK proof Verification
ZkVerify, a blockchain designed to provide zero-knowledge proof verifications, and Hyperbridge, a so-called coprocessor where verification operations are performed offchain and then the results securely reported back, have teamed up to deliver cross-chain zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) verification, cutting costs by over 90%, according to the team: “ZkVerify handles the computationally heavy proof verification off-chain, enhancing scalability, while Hyperbridge makes verified proofs accessible across multiple blockchain networks, reducing gas fees. This partnership tackles Ethereum’s limitations and supports a broader range of cryptographic techniques, fostering innovation and cost-effective ZKP solutions for developers and end-users across various blockchains.”
Lido, Fireblocks Form Partnership Making It Easier for Institutions to Liquid-Stake ETH
Lido, a liquid staking project that’s the largest DeFi protocol overall, has partnered with Fireblocks, a digital-asset security firm, to make it easier and more secure for institutions to liquid-stake ETH, according to the team: “This integration allows institutions to stake any amount of ETH and receive liquid stETH, providing flexibility to trade or use their staked assets without locking them up, giving instant liquidity. By simplifying the staking process, this integration makes liquid staking more accessible for retail exchanges and institutions.”
Theta Labs Launches ‘EdgeCloud for Mobile,’ Implements AI Video Detection
Theta Labs, the developer behind the entertainment-focused blockchain project Theta Network, has launched EdgeCloud for Mobile, allowing Android users to contribute spare GPU power to the Theta EdgeCloud network and earn TFUEL tokens. According to the team: “Available on Google Play, the app lets users provide resources during idle times, supporting AI research in media, healthcare and finance. Using a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN), Theta EdgeCloud cuts GPU-intensive task costs by over 50% compared to traditional cloud providers, offering scalable, decentralized AI model training and inference services.” The blog post reads: “For the first time ever, the Theta team has implemented a video object detection AI model (VOD_AI) that runs on consumer grade Android mobile devices, delivering true computation at the edge and enabling unparalleled scalability and reach. VOD_AI is a computer vision technique that uses AI to analyze video frames to identify objects by scanning video frames, looking for potential objects and drawing bounding boxes around them. This process is similar to how the human visual cortex works.” (THETA)
EOS Network Unveils Major Upgrade with 1-Second Transaction Finality
EOS Network has successfully launched its groundbreaking Spring 1.0 upgrade, “featuring the Savanna consensus algorithm, which enhances transaction finality to just one second, over 100X faster than previous versions,” according to the team: “This significant improvement in speed, security and scalability marks a new chapter for the network. With BLS cryptography, the upgrade reflects EOS’s community commitment for future network development.” (EOS)
GFT, Red Date Integrate Hedera-Based Stablecoins, EMTECH CBDC Sandbox Into Universal Digital Payments Network
GFT, a global IT engineering and solutions provider, and Red Date Technology, a decentralized cloud infrastructure company, have integrated Hedera network-based stablecoins and the EMTECH CBDC Sandbox into the Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN). According to the team: “This integration will make it easier to create programmable payment applications using stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) on Hedera. In this proof of concept, GFT developed and integrated two custom transaction nodes, connecting the UDPN to digital currency systems via a single transaction gateway—one for stablecoins from the Hedera Stablecoin Studio, and one for CBDCs from the EMTECH CBDC Sandbox.” (HBAR)
Movement Labs Launches Accelerator ‘Move Collective,’ Highlights Funding for Early Participants
Movement Labs, a network focused on open-source tooling for the Move smart contract language, announced the launch of its elite accelerator program, “Move Collective.” According to a press release, “This innovative program is designed to nurture and support the most promising projects in the Movement ecosystem, offering comprehensive support to projects at various stages of development.” The following companies “leveraged the resources and support provided by the Move Collective to connect with investors and secure their pre-seed funding:”
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Lync
: $1.5 million for their consumer-centric rollup
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HelixLabs
: $2 million for their innovative cross-chain interoperability solution
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Nexio
: $2.2 million for their parallelized Bitcoin rollup
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Echelon
: $3.5 million for their decentralized lending protocol
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Meridian
: $4 million for their advanced DeFi platform
Protocol Village is a regular feature of The Protocol, our weekly newsletter exploring the tech behind crypto, one block at a time. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Wednesday. Project teams can submit updates here. For previous versions of Protocol Village, please go here.
Edited by Bradley Keoun.