In this week’s edition of The Protocol newsletter, we share a few trends stand out to close 2023: the proliferation of Ethereum layer-2 networks, the ascendancy of zero-knowledge cryptography and the appearance of tokens, smart contracts and now file hosting on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Ethereum’s rollups are ‘gold standard’ but Plasma needs a revisit: Buterin
Vitalik Buterin called the early Ethereum scaling solution Plasma “underrated” and a “significant security upgrade” for chains that would otherwise be validiums.
Plasma Became Optimism and It Might Just Save Ethereum
The Plasma Group reformed as Optimism and is working to make ethereum’s calling card, smart contracts, work above the base layer.
Ethereum Scaling Tech Monoplasma Wants to Let Dapps Broadcast Crypto
A new ethereum scaling solution called Monoplasma was announced today by blockchain data platform Streamr.
Don’t Believe the FUD: Ethereum Can Scale
The narrative that ethereum can’t scale is being actively disproved in production environments on a daily basis.
This Scaling Tech Could Let You Sync Bitcoin Straight From Your Phone
A new approach to storing bitcoin’s “state” could help significantly reduce storage requirements for users of the cryptocurrency.
As ‘Plasma’ Stalls, SNARKs Become New Hope for Scaling Ethereum Now
As work on ethereum’s Plasma scaling solution proceeds, some developers are hailing a form of cryptography used by zcash as an alternative.
‘Layer 2’ Blockchain Tech Is an Even Bigger Deal Than You Think
The rise of solutions like the lightning network suggests crypto can have its cake and eat it too. Transactional scaling may just be the icing.
Vitalik Reveals New Idea for Plasma Scaling On Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin discussed a new idea Friday for a scaling solution that envisions how the capabilities of the ethereum blockchain might be expanded.