1. Ethereum Network Raises Block Gas Limit Under PoS for the First Time
The Ethereum network successfully increased its block gas limit under Proof-of-Stake (PoS) after securing support from over 50% of validators. The gas limit rose from 30 million to 31 million and is expected to stabilize at 36 million. This adjustment—achieved without a hard fork—enhances transaction capacity. The last gas limit update occurred in 2021 (15M → 30M).
👉 Explore Ethereum's latest upgrades
2. Ethereum Pectra Upgrade: Test Dates Confirmed for April 2024 Release
Developers finalized testing plans for the Pectra upgrade, Ethereum’s first major update in 11 months. Key enhancements include:
- EIP-7702: Improved wallet UX via account abstraction (gas fees paid in non-ETH tokens).
- EIP-7251: Increased validator staking cap from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH for efficiency.
Testnet Schedule: - Holesky: February 26
- Sepolia: March 5
Mainnet launch is slated for early April.
3. Berachain Mainnet Launches (February 6, 2025)
Berachain, an EVM-compatible Layer 1 using Proof-of-Liquidity (PoL), went live with:
- TVL: $1.8B (8th largest network per DeFiLlama).
- Top Protocols: Kodiak DEX ($675M), Beraborrow ($402M), Dolomite ($313M).
Binance listed BERA for trading (BTC/USDT/BNB pairs) with a "Seed" tag.
4. Optimism Allocates 8M OP for Retro Funding Round
Optimism’s latest Retro Funding focuses on Dev Tooling (compilers, debuggers). Projects must be open-source, with grants distributed monthly from March to July 31.
5. Uniswap V4 Hits $60M TVL in One Week
Data highlights:
- 67.4% liquidity on Ethereum.
- $237M total volume; 31.2% from Hooked Pools.
Peak daily volume: $22.11M (February 5).
👉 Discover DeFi trends on Uniswap
6. Ondo Finance Launches Ondo GM for Tokenized U.S. Securities
Ondo Global Markets enables blockchain-based access to stocks, bonds, and ETFs via 1:1-backed tokens tradable outside the U.S.
7. Virtual Protocol Captures $39.6M Revenue Since October 2024
Revenue splits:
- 1% pre-graduation fees → Treasury.
- 1% post-graduation fees → Agent Wallets.
AI Agent Tokens: $6.5B DEX volume; 222K Base wallets hold ≥$10 in tokens.
8. AI Agents Sector Loses $14B in 3 Weeks
Market cap plummeted from $20.37B (January 15) to ~$6.2B. Crypto Twitter engagement dropped 60% post-peak.
9. Solayer Unveils LAYER Tokenomics
- Max Supply: 1B LAYER.
- Allocation: 51.23% community, 17.11% team, 16.66% investors.
Use cases: Governance, staking rewards, ecosystem incentives.
10. Telegram Game Retention Rates Lag at 5–20%
Helika reports subpar retention vs. traditional games (20–30%). TON blockchain added 100M+ accounts in 12 months (600K → 1.4B).
FAQ
Q1: Why did Ethereum raise the gas limit?
To boost transaction throughput without a hard fork, reducing congestion.
Q2: What’s unique about Berachain’s PoL mechanism?
It aligns network value with dApp success by incentivizing liquidity provision.
Q3: How does Ondo GM simplify U.S. securities access?
Via tokenized assets that mirror traditional securities, enabling global trading.
Q4: What caused the AI Agents sector crash?
Speculative hype faded post-airdrop events, triggering massive sell-offs.
Q5: Can LAYER tokens be staked?
Yes, future updates will include staking rewards for validators.
**Notes**: