Ethereal news weekly #45

Devcon 8 app, ENSv2 live on mainnet, Gattaca Silver consensus layer client

Ecosystem

• Devcon 8 app: schedule (plan with your AI), speakers & map
• Ethlabs:
  • Derek Chiang (week 18 update): agents scanned for affected projects by Glamsterdam EIP8037 gas repricing & Hegotá EIP8198 quick slots
  • Funding: Mihai Alisie (Ethereum cofounder) joins as additional anchor funder
• ETH metrics:
  • Gas (gwei): 1.3 average, 0 - 252.8 (13.6 for zero net issuance)
  • ETH supply: 122.2M, 19k net issuance
  • ETHUSD: $2,179 - $2,414 (all time high $4,946, August 24, 2025)
  • ETHBTC: 0.029 (0.165 for the Flippening)

Sponsor: MetaMask

MetaMask Agent Wallet is now live on Grok Bot

Every trade Grok Bot sends through Agent Wallet is simulated and threat-scanned first, and Guard Mode adds a 24-hour outflow limit you set.

MetaMask Agent Wallet live on Grok Bot

Enterprise

• Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation tokenization service live, integrations include DTCC private Besu network, additional networks to be added in 2027
• Google Cloud multiparty compute for crypto custody, preview

Applications

• ENSv2 live on mainnet, adds hierarchical registries & more precise permissions
  • ENS App: register, renew & upgrade names and customize profile
  • ENS Explorer: view history, manage config (resolution, records, resolver, ownership, roles, subnames & registry)
  • Mint commemorative NFT after upgrading all eligible names
• Gwei names: default site for each name, publish blogs in blobs
• Splits pro & premium tiers, minimum deposit in Splits Earn or pay annual subscription
• Uniswap Labs TJAR (Token Jar): convert fees into selected token

Developers

• Argot Collective Fe (language):
  • Fe 26.5.0: borrow checker replaced with mutable value semantics, adds closures, tuple structs, unsafe blocks, const where predicates, typed ETH amounts & timestamps, Solidity compatible storage layouts and expands standard library
  • Fe builders challenge: $5k in prizes, November 3 - 24
• Remix (IDE) collaborative workspaces using Swarm, beta
• EthLib: formally verified primitives, written in Lean, BLS12-381 signatures, KZG polynomial commitments, XMSS signatures & MODEXP precompile
• EthSystems: formally verifying a shielded pool
• Aztec Noir 1.0 (language): stable language, versioned toolchain, stable intermediate representation, security reviewed compiler & clearer safety boundaries
• BuidlGuidl Solidity CTF at Devcon November 3, 12 challenges in 1 hour, BYO agent
• Application layer standards (ERCs):
  • ERC8458: Agent income statements
  • ERC8459: Creator fee rights
  • ERC8460: Agent credit lines
  • ERC8461: Agent default registry
  • ERC8462: Token launch declarations
  • ERC8463: Pool liquidity locks
  • ERC8464: Agent repay first payees
  • ERC8465: Credit matched liquidity
  • ERC8466: Agent credit history
  • ERC8467: Agent credit backers
  • ERC8468: Agent safety framework
  • ERC8469: Sealed bid award mechanism for task tenders
  • ERC8470: Token launch observations
  • ERC8471: AI dispute resolution framework
  • ERC8472: Stock locates
  • ERC8473: uRWA policy
  • ERC8474: ERC20 delayed unlock
  • ERC8475: ERC20 outgoing window limits

Security

• Swell swETH & rswETH incident, compromised bot key inflated exchange rates
• zkLink Nova (Layer 3) arbitrator contract exploit on mainnet & Optimism, block production suspended

All core devs (main protocol calls)

All core devs - consensus (ACDC) #190

• ACDC facilitator: Alex Stokes stepping down, Ben Edgington taking over as lead, Will Corcoran as deputy
• Hegotá upgrade (targeting 2027):
  • Scoping finished for consensus layer
  • 1 EIP Scheduled for Inclusion (SFI):
    • EIP8015 remove deposit & eth1data fields
  • 4 EIPs Considered for Inclusion (CFI):
    • EIP8334 bundled attestation propagation
    • EIP8383 reduce CL block retention window
    • EIP8148 custom sweep threshold for validators; presentation
    • EIP8411 fast execution payload broadcast; presentation
  • 1 EIP Declined for Inclusion (DFI):
    • EIP8205 withdrawal credentials preregistration, solve via post quantum deposit contract

All core devs - testing (ACDT) #102

• Glamsterdam upgrade:
  • Gas repricing investigation: ChainSecurity & Dedaub due to report in 2 weeks
  • Builder onboarding race condition: fix approved
• Next ACDT in 2 weeks due to Devcon

Layer 1

• Hegotá (Heze + Bogotá) upgrade (targeting 2027):
  • bogota-devnet-2 live, adds EIP8298 SETCODEFROM, EIP8151 account code restricted ecRecover, EIP4758 deactivate SELFDESTRUCT & EIP8253 bump nonce of zero nonce storage accounts
  • FOCIL breakout #45: hegota-devnet-0 likely after Devcon with FOCIL x Frame transaction interaction
• Charles Plant St Louis (EF): staking & oracle feedback on themes & EIPs that would reduce trust assumptions
• Ethereum improvement proposals (EIPs):
  • EIP8455: RESERVOIR opcode
  • EIP8456: CALLSTATUS instruction
  • Informational EIP8457: Batched KZG point evaluation via EIP2537

Staking

• Gattaca Silver consensus layer client, security reviews & final testing remain to be completed, alpha
• Obol ValidatorBeat: self assess key custody, client diversity, provider diversity, OS diversity, CPU architecture & geographic diversity, placed into Stages 0 - 2
• Lido 0x02 CSM live, adds accumulating (0x02 withdrawal credentials) validator support to community staking module
• Client diversity: Consensus layer: Lighthouse ~49% (data may not be accurate)
• Validators: 815k active (target 128k), 24k accumulating (43% of active ETH)
• Client releases:
  • Consensus layer:
    • Consensys Teku 26.10.3 (recommended): mitigates eMudhra certificate authority compromise on Docker (security advisory), default mainnet nodes (no https in config) need no action
  • Execution layer:
    • Besu 26.10.2: mitigates eMudhra certificate authority compromise on Docker (incident report), default nodes (no TLS options or https in config) need no action, check/remediate if using own distribution or vendor JDK
    • Erigon v3.8.1 (recommended): improves block validation, validator reliability & block production
    • Nethermind 2.2.2: adds Microsoft .NET security updates
    • Paradigm Reth v2.9.0 (medium priority): replaces revm with evm2 for ~10% faster block execution, no config change for node operators, breaking change for SDK users

Layer 2

• Miden partner mainnet, invite only, temporary network (reset before public mainnet)

Regulation

• Canada Department of Finance: proposed stablecoin regulations, reserves at least one to one, redemption fees capped at 1%, no yield for holding, 60 day comment period

General

• Binance (CEX) $6.3B security incident, will cover losses, ~$3B frozen so far, investigation ongoing
  • Arbitrum security council froze ~$30M in ARB & ETH, Circle froze ~$800M USDC & Tether froze ~$1.6B USDT
• Hardware wallets:
  • Keystone: 26k buyer records, 13k unpaid checkout records & device authentication key exposed; devices received using old authentication key after October 20 should follow instructions for additional verification
  • Trezor: implant reported in Trezor Safe 5 purchased from CryptoBilis; purchasers from CryptoBilis since March should secure funds as a precaution
• OpenAI Exponential Time Hypothesis proved false

Editor: @abcoathup
Permalink: ethereal.news/ethereal-news-weekly-45/
Markdown: ethereal.news/ethereal-news-weekly-45.md