DeFi & L1L2 Weekly (04/10/2023)

Crypto.com is now the preferred exchange for PYUSD. Ethereum successfully relaunches Holesky testnet. Native Bitcoin is coming to Cosmos via Osmosis’s Nomic Bridge.

Weekly DeFi Index

This week’s market cap, volume, and volatility indices were positive at +3.50%, +28.44%, and +154.61%, respectively.

Chart of the Week

Crypto.com announced it has teamed up with PayPal and Paxos to establish Crypto.com as a preferred PayPal USD (PYUSD) exchange. It has already listed PYUSD on its platforms for retail and institutional users and is currently the crypto trading platform with the deepest liquidity for PYUSD trading pairs globally. 
This development builds on PayPal and Crypto.com’s initial integrations, and the two companies will continue to explore more connected top-up and commerce capabilities. Since PayPal unveiled PYUSD in early August, the stablecoin has been made available on several major exchanges, crypto wallets, and other payment services, including Venmo.

TVL of Top Chains

Top DEX by Chain

News Highlights

• Ethereum developers successfully launched the Holesky test network after an initial failed attempt.  Holesky is now Ethereum’s largest testnet by validator count at 1.4 million; it aims to enhance testing capabilities for the blockchain’s ecosystem and is expected to replace the Goerli testnet.
• In his latest blog post, Vitalik Buterin explores the idea of ‘enshrining’ Ethereum, which involves protocol enhancements and ecosystem trade-offs. However, he also points out that enshrining more features into the core protocol could help avoid potential centralisation and mitigate risks in other areas of the blockchain ecosystem. 
• According to data from MakerBurn, on 27 September, MakerDAO increased its RWA assets by US$101 million through Monetalis Clydesdale, BlockTower Andromeda, and New Silver. Its total RWA assets have now surpassed $3.1 billion.
• Circle Internet Financial launched an open-source smart contract codebase called Perimeter Protocol, which aims to serve as a foundation for building tokenised credit markets.
• Swiss non-profit ZeroSync Association has implemented the first client system based on Stark proofs for the Bitcoin header chain. The project, built on Starkware’s Cairo programming language, will enable Bitcoin users to validate the state of the network without downloading the blockchain or trusting a third party leveraging Starks, a type of ZK proof developed by StarkWare. 
• Optimism announced the alpha release of its first fault-proof system on the OP Goerli testnet. The system includes three key components: Fault Proof Programme (FPP), Fault Proof Virtual Machine (FPVM), and a dispute game protocol. The modular design allows for future multi-proof systems and enables contributors to build alternative components for added security.
• Native Bitcoin is coming to Cosmos via Osmosis’s Nomic Bridge, as announced during the Cosmoverse 2023 Conference. The Nomic team is set to implement its nBTC Interchain Upgrade by the end of October, which will allow for issuing IBC-compatible tokens called Nomic Bitcoin (nBTC) when transferring BTC to the Cosmos network. nBTC will be usable across more than 50 appchains connected to Cosmos IBC. 

Recent Research Reports

• Research Roundup Newsletter [August 2023]: We present to you our latest issue of Research Roundup, featuring trending market insights in August, charts of the month, and our latest research on decentralised stablecoins.
• Alpha Navigator: Quest for Alpha [August 2023]: Asset classes dipped in August; BTC and ETH underperformed. No surprises from the central bankers summit at Jackson Hole. China intensifies economic stimulus.
• Decentralised Stablecoins: Stablecoins are well positioned to facilitate broader adoption of cryptocurrencies. We explore key decentralised stablecoin projects and their innovative mechanisms.

Recent University Articles

• Recruitment Scams – How to Know if a Job Offer Is Fake: Received a job offer out of the blue that sounds too good to be true? It might be a recruitment scam. In this article, learn all about fake job offers in the crypto space and how to recognise them.
• What Is Cryptojacking and How to Recognise It: Follow these essential steps to minimise the risk of falling victim to the silent threat of cryptojacking.
• What is Ethereum’s EIP-4844 Update? How Proto-Danksharding Can Reduce Gas Fees: Learn about Ethereum’s Cancun-Deneb upgrade, a major protocol update to reduce gas fees and enhance scalability through Proto-Danksharding.

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