1. Ethereum Successfully Increases Block Gas Limit Under PoS for First Time
The Ethereum network has achieved its first block Gas limit increase under Proof-of-Stake (PoS) after securing support from over 50% of validators. Data shows the limit rose from 30 million to 31 million, with a planned eventual adjustment to 36 million. This enhancement boosts network throughput without requiring a hard fork. Notably, the last adjustment occurred in 2021, doubling the limit from 15 million to 30 million.
Keywords: Ethereum, Gas limit, PoS, network upgrade
2. Ethereum Pectra Upgrade Test Dates Confirmed for April Release
Developers finalized testing timelines for the Pectra upgrade, Ethereum’s first major update in 11 months, slated for April 2024. Key improvements include:
- EIP-7702: Enhances wallet UX via account abstraction, enabling gas fee payments in alternative tokens.
- EIP-7251: Allows validators to consolidate stakes from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, improving node efficiency.
Testing begins February 26 on Holesky testnet, followed by Sepolia on March 5, targeting a mainnet launch in early April.
Keywords: Pectra upgrade, EIP-7702, EIP-7251, Ethereum scalability
3. Berachain Mainnet Launches on February 6, 2025, with $1.8B TVL
The Berachain Foundation announced its EVM-compatible Layer 1 mainnet launch on February 6, 2025. Built on a Proof of Liquidity (PoL) mechanism, it aligns network value with dApp utility.
👉 Explore Berachain’s ecosystem
Key stats:
- TVL: $1.8B (8th largest network), led by DEX Kodiak ($675M) and CDP platform Beraborrow ($402M).
- Binance Listing: BERA trading pairs went live on February 6, 2025.
Keywords: Berachain, BERA, EVM, Proof of Liquidity
4. Optimism Allocates 8M OP for Dev Tools in Retro Funding Round 5
Optimism’s Retro Funding Round 5 earmarks 8M OP tokens to support developer tools (e.g., compilers, debuggers) for the Superchain ecosystem. Applications open from February 5 to July 31, with monthly distributions starting March 2024. All projects must be open-source.
Keywords: Optimism, Retro Funding, OP token, Superchain
5. Uniswap V4 Hits $60M TVL with 67% Dominance on Ethereum
Uniswap V4 reached $60M TVL within a week of launch, per Allium data:
- Ethereum dominance: 67.4% of liquidity.
- Trading volume: $237M total, 31.2% from Hooked Pools.
Peak daily volume hit $22.1M on February 5, led by Ethereum ($10.87M) and Base ($4.88M).
Keywords: Uniswap V4, Hooked Pools, DEX, Ethereum
6. Ondo GM Bridges Global Investors to US Securities via Tokenization
Ondo Finance launched Ondo Global Markets (Ondo GM), offering 1:1 tokenized US securities (stocks, bonds, ETFs) with enhanced liquidity for non-US investors. Assets are blockchain-settled and freely tradable.
Keywords: Ondo Finance, tokenization, RWA, securities
7. Virtual Protocol Captures $39.6M Revenue Since October 2024
Virtual Protocol reported **$39.6M cumulative revenue** since October 2024, though daily earnings declined post-January peak ($1.58M). Highlights:
- Agent tokens: $6.5B DEX volume.
- Base network: 222K wallets hold >$10 in Virtuals tokens.
Keywords: Virtual Protocol, AI Agents, tokenomics
8. AI Agents Sector Loses $14B Market Cap in 3 Weeks
The AI Agents niche shed **$14B** (-68%) since mid-January 2024, dropping from $20.37B to $6.2B. Crypto Twitter engagement also fell 60% post-peak.
Keywords: AI Agents, market cap, crypto trends
9. Solayer Reveals LAYER Tokenomics: 51.23% to Community
Solayer’s LAYER token:
- Max supply: 1B (220M initial circulation).
- Allocation: 51.23% community, 17.11% team, 16.66% investors.
- Use cases: Governance, staking rewards, ecosystem incentives.
Keywords: Solayer, LAYER, tokenomics, governance
10. Telegram Games Struggle with 5–20% Retention vs. Traditional Benchmarks
Per Helika, Telegram games average 5–20% user retention, below the 20–30% industry standard. Despite TON blockchain adding 100M+ accounts in 12 months, games like Hamster Kombat saw post-airdrop user counts plummet from 300M to 41M.
Keywords: Telegram games, TON, user retention, airdrops
FAQs
Q: Why did Ethereum increase the Gas limit?
A: To enhance transaction capacity without a hard fork, addressing network demand.
Q: What makes Berachain unique?
A: Its Proof of Liquidity (PoL) mechanism ties network value to dApp utility, unlike traditional PoS/PoW.
Q: How does Uniswap V4 differ from V3?
A: V4 introduces "Hooked Pools" for customizable liquidity strategies and lower gas costs.