News linked to both this project and an event.
OdailyOdaily Planet Daily reports: According to official sources, OKX Onchain OS has launched the Agent Payments Protocol (APP), an open payment standard designed for the commercial activities of AI Agents. This protocol defines the payment methods for Agents in commercial scenarios, expanding their capabilities from single payments to complete business processes, and will support various payment modes including one-time payments, batch payments, usage-based payments, and escrow payments.It is reported that APP adopts a multi-chain open architecture, allowing any chain to implement its own version. Initial partners include the Ethereum Foundation, Uniswap, Aptos, Nansen, Paxos, MoonPay, Altlayer, Zerion, QuickNode, and others. OKX Onchain OS stated that the launch of APP will provide key payment infrastructure for the Agent economy, driving AI Agents from "executing payments" into a "commercial era."
According to the Ethereum Foundation’s official website, its Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) allocated a total of $9.856 million in Q1 2026, with funding concentrated on core infrastructure areas including cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, security audits, and protocol research. Key funded projects this quarter include: - In the ZK domain: formal verification of zkVMs, GPU-accelerated R1CS witness generation, and intermediate representation optimization for LLZK; - In security: cryptanalysis of Poseidon, cross-platform canonical signing libraries for ERC-7730, and specification-compliance testing for ePBS; - In node and client development: Erigon zkEVM extensions, Besu HSM compliance integration, and the multi-node validator Vero; - Additionally, privacy tools (Kohaku SDK, Tor bridge extensions), continued operations of the Layer 2 transparency platform L2BEAT, and R&D for the Lighthouse client’s transition to the Fusaka fork. On ecosystem development, ESP simultaneously supported Ethereum developer events in Seoul, Hong Kong, Vancouver, and Buenos Aires, advanced updates to the Ethereum climate impact assessment, and backed policy research initiatives by the European Decentralization Institute (EDI).
Odaily News The opening ceremony for the ETH HK Hub (Hong Kong Ethereum Community Hub), supported by the Ethereum Foundation, was held today in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Ethereum Foundation Chairperson Aya Miyaguchi attended the event and participated in a fireside chat with Hong Kong Legislative Council member Duncan Chiu.In his keynote speech, Vitalik suggested that Chinese builders return to Ethereum's core principles, fully leverage hardware advantages, open-source AI talent, and ZK technology to explore new cross-disciplinary ventures.Vitalik pointed out that the emergence of each new wave of technology presents an opportunity for a new generation of developers to return to the same starting line as global leaders. The Chinese-speaking community can maintain forward-thinking in an accelerating world and drive the development of the entire ecosystem through innovative solutions.The launch of the ETH HK Hub continues the Ethereum Foundation and the Ethereum ecosystem's emphasis on the Asia-Pacific community and also marks Hong Kong's crucial significance within Ethereum's global landscape.
Vitalik Buterin and Aya Miyaguchi, Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, have confirmed their attendance at the opening event of the Hong Kong Ethereum Community Center on April 21, where they will deliver keynote speeches. This center—the first physical community space in Asia supported by the Ethereum Foundation—is operated by SNZ and ETHTAO and located in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is positioned as a strategic hub connecting the Ethereum ecosystems of East and West. The event agenda also features multiple keynote speeches and panel discussions across domains including zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, privacy, AI, and on-chain payments. Industry participants include Joseph Chalom, CEO of Sharplink; Yat Siu, Co-Founder of Animoca Brands; and Niki, Vice President of Chainlink APAC.
Odaily News: The Ethereum Community Hub, supported by the Ethereum Foundation, has announced it will be held in Hong Kong at 1:30 PM on April 21st. ETH HK HUB is Asia's first offline Ethereum community Hub, supported by the Ethereum Foundation and jointly operated by SNZ and ETHTAO, aiming to build a collaborative hub connecting Asia with the global Ethereum ecosystem. The event will cover areas including: ZK, privacy computing, AI × blockchain, stablecoins and payments, on-chain liquidity, and more.Participating institutions and projects include Sharplink, Brevis, Primus, HashKey Chain, Chainlink Labs, Lido Finance, Galaxy Digital, SignalPlus, Morpho, Animoca Brands, EVG, Zand Bank, Pay Protocol, and others. Guests include Vitalik Buterin, Aya Miyaguchi, and more.
Josh Stark, a key researcher and project manager at the Ethereum Foundation, announced that after five years of service, he has decided to depart and complete his transition—this decision was made in early March, and his work at the Ethereum Foundation will conclude by the end of April. Stark stated he currently has no concrete plans for the future and intends first to take an extended break and spend time with family and friends. He expressed deep honor in having worked on Ethereum at the Ethereum Foundation and extended gratitude to numerous leadership team members and community partners for their long-term collaboration. Stark also noted that the Ethereum ecosystem has repeatedly achieved goals once widely deemed “impossible,” including network launch, the real-world deployment of decentralized finance (DeFi), and the successful transition to proof-of-stake (PoS). Earlier this week, Trent Van Epps, another Ethereum Foundation contributor, also resigned.
Trent.eth, a member of the Ethereum Foundation, posted on X stating that he is no longer affiliated with the EF as of last Friday. He expressed respect for his collaborators across the team over the past five years on network upgrades and funding support efforts. Trent Van Epps also noted that, subject to available funding, he will continue participating in the Protocol Guild and work related to Ethereum’s political economy.
The Ethereum Foundation has partnered with Nethermind (an Ethereum infrastructure developer), Chainlink Labs (an on-chain data services provider), Areta.io (a smart contract auditing firm), and several top-tier auditing firms to launch the Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, introducing the Ethereum Security Subsidy Program—a $1 million fund offering security audit subsidies for Ethereum developers. This program aims to reduce the cost of security audits and improve developers’ access to audit services, thereby further strengthening the security of the Ethereum ecosystem. Audit applications will be jointly reviewed by the aforementioned organizations and will support CROPS (Chain-on Resource Optimization Project) and novel use-case projects. While security audits are considered an industry best practice, their high cost has limited adoption; this initiative seeks to encourage broader uptake of audit services across projects.
Odaily News The Ethereum Foundation announced on platform X the launch of the "Ethereum Audit Subsidy Program," collaborating with multiple auditing and infrastructure organizations to provide developers with subsidies for security audit costs, aiming to enhance the overall security of the ecosystem. The program is led by the EF's "Trillion Dollar Security Initiative" and is being advanced in collaboration with partners such as Nethermind, Chainlink Labs, and Areta, which will evaluate and review applicant projects. The Ethereum Foundation stated that while security audits are considered industry best practice, their costs are high. This initiative aims to lower the barrier to development and support the implementation of more innovative use cases and projects within the Ethereum ecosystem.