community information
AXIOM worker accused of insider coaching by ZACHXBT: Blockchain detective Zach In a thread posted on X, ZachXBT mentioned Brooks Bauer, a senior enterprise growth worker at New York-based Axiom, used an inside dashboard to look at delicate consumer data, together with linked pockets addresses, and shared that information with a small group mapping the transactions of distinguished crypto influencers. Based in 2024 by Myst and Cal, Axiom is a member of Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 cohort and has generated greater than $390 million in income up to now, in keeping with researchers. ZachXBT mentioned he was detained to analyze allegations that inside instruments have been being misused. He didn’t say who held him again. In an audio clip shared within the thread, the individual recognized as Bauer allegedly claims that he can monitor “any Axiom consumer” by referral code, pockets tackle, or UID and “discover out something they’re related to.” In the identical recording, he explains that he initially investigated 10 to twenty wallets and progressively elevated the exercise to make it “much less suspicious.” — Oliver Knight learn extra.
EF “STRAWMAP” roadmap launched: The Ethereum Basis has launched a roadmap that appears prefer it’s constructing for the following decade, relatively than simply getting by this quarter. The doc, dubbed the Straw Map and revealed by EF researcher Justin Drake on Wednesday, lays out plans for seven exhausting forks by 2029. A tough fork is a network-wide software program improve that every one nodes should implement or be left behind, making it probably the most harmful kind of change Ethereum could make. The plan is structured round 5 targets, generally known as the North Star. These embody a quick Layer 1 that delivers transaction finality in seconds. Dramatically larger Layer 1 throughput (known as “gigagas” scale) able to roughly 10,000 transactions per second. Layer 2 networks attain “Teraga”-level throughput, or roughly 10 million TPS. Constructed-in privateness with post-quantum encryption and shielded ETH transfers. — Shaurya Marwa learn extra.
Robinhood Chain Testnet Replace: Robinhood’s (HOOD) testnet recorded 4 million transactions within the first week its testnet chain was stay, the funding platform’s CEO Vlad Tenev advised X. Robinhood Chain, which focuses on tokenization and buying and selling, comes because the broader Ethereum ecosystem debates its future and the centralized change seeks to construct its personal blockchain infrastructure. “Builders are already constructing our L2, which is designed for tokenized real-world property and on-chain monetary providers,” Tenev wrote. Testnet is a risk-free surroundings the place builders can take a look at code and experimental options earlier than mainnet goes stay. The 2 phases of community growth may be in comparison with flight simulators and business flights. The Robinhood Chain testnet emerged towards the backdrop of bigger calculations within the Ethereum world. Earlier this month, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin declared that the protocol’s long-held Layer 2 (L2) rollup-centric roadmap “now not is smart,” claiming that many rollups usually are not absolutely decentralized and that Ethereum’s base layer is increasing quicker than anticipated. — Margaux Nykerk learn extra.
OPENAI enters good contracts in earnest: OpenAI is diving deeper into cryptocurrency safety with the debut of EVMbench, a testing framework designed to measure how effectively synthetic intelligence can perceive and probably safe good contracts on Ethereum and related blockchains. Sensible contracts are self-executing code deployed on blockchains resembling Ethereum, powering decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and a variety of on-chain monetary functions. These contracts sometimes can’t be modified as soon as deployed, making their vulnerabilities probably extreme. EVMbench is OpenAI’s try and see if trendy AI techniques are doing their half to forestall these issues. The benchmark was in-built collaboration with crypto funding agency Paradigm and leverages real-world good contract vulnerabilities which have already been uncovered by audits and safety competitions. The system measures efficiency throughout three key capabilities: figuring out safety bugs, exploiting these bugs in a managed surroundings, and fixing susceptible code with out violating contracts. OpenAI says its objective is to determine clear requirements for evaluating AI techniques in blockchain safety, particularly as decentralized finance continues to safe billions of {dollars} in consumer funds. The stakes for good contracts are solely going to extend. — Margaux Nykerk learn extra.
In different information
- U.S. tech big Meta, led by Fb founder Mark Zuckerberg, goals to enter the stablecoin house later this 12 months, pending a profitable integration with a third-party firm to facilitate funds utilizing dollar-pegged token know-how, in keeping with three folks conversant in the plans. The tech big, which owns Fb, WhatsApp and Instagram and has greater than 3 billion customers, hopes to begin integrating stablecoins as early because the second half of this 12 months, one of many folks mentioned, asking to not be recognized as a result of the plans are personal. Meta plans to combine distributors to assist handle stablecoin-backed funds and implement new wallets, the folks mentioned. One other individual mentioned Meta despatched out a request for product (RFP) to third-party corporations and recognized Stripe as a possible candidate for a stablecoin pilot. The introduction of a stablecoin may permit Meta to open fee rails to a big consumer base whereas avoiding costly conventional banking charges, probably establishing itself as a world chief in ‘social commerce’ and cross-border remittances. — Ian Allison learn extra.
- American Bitcoin (ABTC), a bitcoin mining firm backed by President Donald Trump’s household, introduced a lack of $59 million within the fourth quarter after the worth of its holdings eroded as the value of the biggest cryptocurrency plummeted. The corporate, which went public in September lower than a month earlier than the biggest cryptocurrency hit an all-time excessive, has been pursuing a twin technique of mining and shopping for, with roughly a 3rd of its funds coming from $BTC It comes from mining operations. The rest will come from open market purchases and strategic transactions, with the vast majority of the funding coming from inventory gross sales. The corporate, which is 20% owned by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., generated $150.5 million by an preliminary public providing through the quarter. This capital allowed the corporate to extend its per-share Bitcoin publicity by almost 50%. At the moment holding over 6,000 objects $BTCit was written. Throughout the quarter, the corporate mined Bitcoin at a gross revenue margin of 53%, suggesting that manufacturing prices remained effectively under spot costs even because the cryptocurrency’s worth fell. Income elevated 22% from the third quarter. — Francesco Rodriguez & James Van Straten learn extra.
regulation and coverage
- The Indiana State Legislature authorised a public retirement and financial savings plan to achieve publicity to digital property and bodily exchange-traded funds (ETFs), in addition to granting residents entry to cryptocurrency investments. Governor Mike Brown is predicted to signal HB 1042 inside the subsequent 10 days. Indiana joins not less than seven different states, together with Wyoming, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona, in integrating crypto-related merchandise into their public funding frameworks. Practically half of U.S. state governments are transferring towards or have already got invested a few of their funds in cryptocurrencies, and far of this development has developed since President Donald Trump directed his administration to determine a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve. — Olivier Acuña learn extra.
- The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned the Russian firm Operation Zero and the people behind it, together with Sergey Sergeevich Zelenyuk, accusing them of buying stolen cyber instruments for hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in digital foreign money and reselling the know-how created to be used by the U.S. authorities. The instrument was initially mentioned to have been stolen by Australian Peter Williams, who as soon as labored for a protection contractor that produced nationwide security-focused software program “for unique use by the U.S. authorities and sure allies.” Mr. Williams pleaded responsible final 12 months to promoting commerce secrets and techniques. “The Treasury Division continues to work with different members of the Trump administration to guard America’s delicate mental property and shield our nationwide safety,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned in a press release. Zelenyuk and others are mentioned to be the primary folks to be sanctioned below the US Mental Property Safety Act. — jesse hamilton learn extra.
calendar
- March 24-26, 2026: Digital Asset Summit, New York Metropolis
- March 30-April 2, 2026: EthCC, Cannes
- April 15-16, 2026: Paris Blockchain Week, Paris
- April 29-30, 2026: Token2049, Dubai
- Could 5-7, 2026: Consensus, Miami
- September twenty ninth – October 1st, 2026: Korea Blockchain Week, Seoul
- October 7-8, 2026: Token2049, Singapore
- November 3-6, 2026: Devcon, Mumbai
- 15-17 November 2026: Solana Breakpoint, London
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