News linked to both this project and an event.
Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin stated that Ethereum is expected to develop into a fully zero-knowledge proof (ZK Proof) based protocol within the next three to five years. This will not only optimize the main chain but also enhance Ethereum’s composability with Layer 2 solutions. Lubin expressed support for the "Rollup-centric roadmap," believing that by strengthening Layer 1, introducing the "Lean Ethereum" initiative, and promoting ZK proofs, the Ethereum base layer can be significantly upgraded. Lean Ethereum aims to achieve over 10,000 transactions per second while maintaining a high degree of decentralization on the mainnet, and also supports privacy and quantum-resistant computing solutions.On the Layer 2 front, Lubin pointed out that ZK technology has already enabled real-time proof generation on some L2 networks, with plans to extend this capability to Layer 1, ultimately transitioning to a fully ZK-based base protocol supported by multiple provers. For instance, projects like Consensys’ Linea chain and Gnosis are leveraging zero-knowledge proofs to achieve cross-network synchronized transactions, which could potentially eliminate the need for bridges and unify fragmented liquidity.Lubin emphasized that the initial "differentiation phase" of the Rollup roadmap aims to provide experimental space for Layer 2 technology. Although it may disperse liquidity in the short term, it lays the foundation for Ethereum’s future infinite scalability and technological iteration. He believes that some L2 technologies will become systemically important components, and this exploration process is necessary.Additionally, Lubin addressed recent personnel changes at the Ethereum Foundation (EF) and rumors of a "second foundation," stating that no second foundation will emerge. The EF will continue to focus on core protocol development, usability and scalability, and institutional partnerships, while also supporting at least three independent teams spun off from the EF to concentrate on protocol development, user experience, and institutional outreach efforts. (The Block)
Binance has released an updated Proof of Reserves, showing that asset reserves consistently exceed a 1:1 ratio to safeguard user funds. Among these, the BNB reserve ratio stands at 100.58%, the Bitcoin reserve ratio at 100.20%, and the ETH reserve ratio at 100%. The USDT reserve ratio is 103.17%.
According to The Block, Base—the Ethereum Layer 2 network operated by Coinbase—has officially activated the Azul upgrade on its mainnet. This marks Base’s first independent network upgrade following its separation from the Optimism Superchain. The Azul upgrade introduces a multi-proof system that combines TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) proofs with zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, reducing the shortest possible withdrawal finalization time to just one day. Both proof types can independently confirm proposals; in case of conflict, permissionless ZK proofs override TEE proofs—further enhancing the network’s censorship resistance. Additionally, Azul integrates Base into a single execution client, <code>base-reth-node</code>, and introduces a new consensus client, <code>base-consensus</code>, built on OP Kona. Following the upgrade, the number of empty blocks has plummeted from approximately 200 per day to roughly 2 per day, and the network has achieved a sustained peak throughput of 5,000 transactions per second.
tea Protocol has officially joined Aerodrome Aero Ignition. Aero Ignition is Aerodrome's on-chain liquidity bootstrapping mechanism for new projects. The tea Protocol community vote will commence on May 28, with the $TEA TGE scheduled for June 4.As one of the core DEXs in the Base ecosystem, Aerodrome utilizes a veAERO voting mechanism, allowing the community to decide which projects receive greater liquidity incentives. As voting support increases, the $TEA liquidity pool will gain stronger liquidity backing, thereby enhancing trading depth, ecosystem exposure, and market activity.It is reported that tea Protocol is a Web3 infrastructure project reshaping the value system for global open-source software. It aims to address the long-standing issues "invisible contributions" and "non-distributable value" at the internet's foundation. In the AI-driven software era, tea Protocol uses on-chain mechanisms and a "Proof of Contribution" system to convert the dependencies, usage influence, and developer contributions of open-source software into quantifiable and verifiable network value, thereby establishing a sustainable incentive and trust layer for critical open-source infrastructure.
According to Yonhap News Agency, KB Financial Group announced that it has successfully completed a full-process technical proof-of-concept (PoC) for the Korean won (KRW) stablecoin—from issuance and offline payments to merchant settlement and cross-border remittances—in collaboration with electronic payment provider KG Inicis, the Kaia public blockchain, and digital asset solutions provider OpenAsset. This PoC upgraded the internal settlement infrastructure to a blockchain-based system while preserving customers’ existing financial service habits. Real-world payment scenarios were implemented via self-service kiosks at the连锁 coffee chain Hollys: consumers need not install a digital wallet and can simply make QR-code-based payments, with blockchain smart contracts automatically executed during settlement. In the cross-border remittance validation, KRW stablecoins were first converted into USD stablecoins using liquidity on the Kaia chain, then transferred by local Vietnamese partners into actual bank accounts. The entire process took only three minutes and reduced fees by approximately 87% compared to traditional SWIFT-based methods.
According to official announcements, Brevis—a ZK-powered intelligent verifiable computation platform—has launched Pico Prism 2.0, now live on Ethereum’s mainnet under the current 60-million-Gas block limit. Benchmarking results show that, under Ethereum’s current 60-million-Gas block limit, Pico Prism 2.0 achieves an average proof time of 6.1 seconds per block, with 99.9% of blocks completing final proofs within 12 seconds. The entire system runs on just two machines equipped with a total of 16 RTX 5090 GPUs, at an aggregate hardware cost of approximately $100,000. Compared to Pico Prism 1.0, Pico Prism 2.0 delivers roughly a 5.3× improvement in per-block proof efficiency—even while using only one-quarter of the hardware configuration—further fulfilling the Ethereum Foundation’s two primary objectives for real-time proving: “average proof latency under 10 seconds” and “on-premises hardware cost under $100,000.” Previously, Brevis was selected for the Ethereum Foundation’s “On-Prem Proving Initiative,” a program launched in May 2026 to test whether ZK proofs can scale as decentralized infrastructure without reliance on a handful of cloud service providers—the most L1 zkEVM-integration-ready rehearsal to date. Moving forward, Brevis will continue focusing on robustness.
: Solana core development team Anza announced that a major consensus mechanism upgrade, codenamed Alpenglow, has been launched on the community testnet. Validators can now switch from the current Proof-of-Stake, Proof-of-History, and TowerBFT architecture to the new consensus framework within the test cluster.The upgrade shortens transaction finality time and improves network response efficiency by restructuring the validator communication and block confirmation process. This testing phase marks that validators can now execute the Alpenswitch migration operation in a real-world environment. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko previously stated that if testing goes smoothly, Alpenglow could be deployed to the mainnet as early as next quarter. (CoinDesk)
Odaily Odaily Planet Daily reports, Ronin, the gaming-focused blockchain behind Axie Infinity, will migrate from an independent sidechain to an Ethereum Layer 2 network (L2) via a hard fork on May 12. The upgrade adopts the OP Stack architecture and is expected to trigger approximately 10 hours of network downtime, during which transfers, swaps, contract interactions, and on-chain gaming activities will all be paused.This upgrade simultaneously introduces the Proof of Distribution mechanism, which automatically rewards ecosystem builders based on their actual network contributions. In terms of tokenomics, RON's inflation rate will be drastically reduced from over 20% to below 1%; the 90 million RON originally allocated for staking rewards will be transferred to the treasury fund; and the market fee will be increased from 0.5% to 1.25% to enhance network security, scalability, and long-term economic stability. (CoinDesk)
Binance has released its May proof of reserve update. As of May 1st, users' net BTC balance stood at 606,742.388 BTC, while Binance's wallet balance was 608,067.979 BTC, resulting in a BTC reserve ratio of 100.22%.Additionally, users' net ETH balance was 3,762,321.834 ETH, with Binance's wallet balance at 3,762,328.82 ETH, giving an ETH reserve ratio of 100%. The USDT reserve ratio was 104.27%, and the BNB reserve ratio was 101.68%.
: According to market sources, billionaire Jack Dorsey's crypto finance app platform Cash App officially launched a Bitcoin reserve proof feature this week, verifying to over 60 million users that its Bitcoin holdings are fully backed with 1:1 reserves. Market observers believe this move represents a significant step forward for the crypto industry in terms of transparency, user trust, and self-custody standards, and is also seen as a positive signal promoting the long-term healthy development of the sector. (The Bitcoin Historian)
According to an official announcement, Block has launched a new Bitkey hardware wallet featuring a secure touchscreen. Additionally, Cash App now supports automatic conversion of received peer-to-peer payments into Bitcoin, and users can earn 5% Bitcoin cashback when spending at Square merchants. Block has also implemented Proof of Reserves for its corporate Bitcoin treasury holdings as well as for Bitcoin holdings of Cash App and Square customers—enabling independent on-chain signature verification. Furthermore, Block will showcase Square’s NFC-based Bitcoin tap-to-pay solution at Bitcoin Las Vegas 2026 and advance the development of its Proto Bitcoin mining product suite.
According to an official post on Ethena’s X account, due to the absence of a satisfactory root-cause analysis regarding the rsETH incident, Ethena has decided to extend the suspension period for its LayerZero OFT cross-chain bridge. Meanwhile, Ethena released its latest Proof of Reserves, independently verified by four third-party entities—Chainlink, Chaos Labs, LlamaRisk, and Harris & Trotter—confirming that USDe’s collateral coverage ratio remains above 100%. The verification results have been published on Ethena’s Transparency Page and Data Dashboard. Ethena stated it will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates as they become available.