The Protocol: Can Based Rollups Solve Ethereum’s Layer-2 Problem?
Also: Lido goes modular; Uniswap finally launches Unichain
Rollups
VC Darling Eclipse Finally Debuts Its Solana-Ethereum Blockchain Hybrid
Eclipse raised more than $50 million from investors but has been marred by controversy over the past year.
Is Optimism’s ‘Superchain’ Winning the Ethereum Layer-2 Race?
One of the biggest trends of 2023 among the leading layer-2 projects on Ethereum was the emergence of “blockchain in a box,” where the teams encouraged developers to clone their code to spin up new layer 2s. Now, it appears, one project in particular, Optimism, appears to be pulling away as the clear leader.
Bitcoin Rollup Citrea Aims to Make BTC a Programmable Asset With ZK Proofs, Raises $14M Series A
The goal of allowing greater utility on the Bitcoin blockchain is one of almost existential importance, according to Citrea
Kraken Picked Optimism’s ‘Superchain’ After Getting a Pile of OP Tokens
Crypto exchange Kraken announced last week that it will build a layer-2 network atop Optimism’s OP Stack blockchain framework. CoinDesk is first to report that the deal was reached early this year, involving a grant of 25 million OP tokens, at the time worth roughly $100 million.
Astria, Project to Decentralize Crucial Blockchain ‘Sequencers,’ Goes Live With Main Network
Astria component diagram, from the project documentation (Astria)
Kraken Picks Optimism for New Layer-2 Network, Joining Coinbase’s Base on ‘Superchain’
The disclosure comes nearly a year after CoinDesk broke the news that Kraken was considering its own layer-2 network, following the runaway success enjoyed by Base after it launched in mid-2023.
Uniswap Developer Unveils Own Layer-2 Network, Unichain, Built on Optimism Tech
The news is in line with the ongoing trend that’s hit the Ethereum scaling world since the end of 2023: giant and familiar crypto exchanges launching their own layer-2 networks.
Bitcoin Rollup Citrea Deploys BitVM-Based Bridge ‘Clementine’ on Testnet
Clementine (Fotozeit/Pixabay)
Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Amps Up Pressure on Layer-2 Networks to Decentralize Further
In 2022, Buterin proposed a set of stages for rollups, to classify them in their pursuit of decentralization. The criteria is meant to showcase that rollups tend to rely on “training wheels” and deploy their protocols to users before it’s ready to fully decentralize.