# Ethereal news weekly #5

> Vitalik: call to improve usability & decentralization, Nethereum 10 year anniversary release, Uniswap interface fees set to zero

Date: 2026-01-02
Source: https://ethereal.news/ethereal-news-weekly-5/
Editor: Andrew B Coathup

Vitalik: call to improve usability & decentralization, Nethereum 10 year anniversary release, Uniswap interface fees set to zero

### Ecosystem

* Vitalik: [call to improve usability & decentralization](https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/2006737662942871574), at both protocol & application layers  
* ETH metrics:  
  * [Gas](https://ultrasound.money/#gas) (gwei): 0.1 average, 0.0 \- 1.1 (12.2 for zero net issuance)  
  * [ETHUSD](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/ethereum): $2,916 \- $3,040 (all time high $4,946, August 24, 2025\)  
  * [ETH ETFs](https://dune.com/hildobby/eth-etfs): 5% of ETH supply  
  * [ETHBTC](https://ratiogang.com/): 0.034 (0.165 for the Flippening)

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### Enterprise

* Paul Brody (Chair of Enterprise Ethereum Alliance) [2026 predictions](https://x.com/pbrody/status/2005331216317481305): building season for finance plumbing; onboarding via per gig & just in time payments; slower regulatory progress; rise of onchain privacy; geopolitics of stablecoins

### Applications

* Uniswap [interface fees set to zero](https://x.com/Uniswap/status/2005293403773583492)  
* [Harvest](https://x.com/gregskril/status/2006103150227259708) (tax loss harvesting): sell unwanted NFTs for 1 gwei

### Developers

* Hardhat [v3.1.2](https://github.com/NomicFoundation/hardhat/releases/tag/hardhat%403.1.2) (dev framework): supports Solidity v0.8.32/33  
* Ape [v0.8.44](https://github.com/ApeWorX/ape/releases/tag/v0.8.44) (dev framework): help command loads faster  
* Nethereum [5.8.0](https://github.com/Nethereum/Nethereum/releases/tag/5.8.0) (client library): 10 year anniversary release, adds light client & verification, wallet platform, hardware wallet improvements, protocol integrations & data services  
* EIP712 [domain separator caching](https://x.com/0xGianfranco/status/2005639505475420402) best practices  
* CTFs:  
  * [BuidlGuidl CTF](https://ctf.buidlguidl.com/): season 1 & season 2 (created for Devcon & Devconnect)  
* Application layer standards (ERCs):  
  * [ERC8117](https://github.com/ethereum/ERCs/pull/1438/files): Compressed display format for addresses

### Security

* Security Alliance [SEAL 911 in 2025](https://x.com/pcaversaccio/status/2006304083238412583): 1.8k+ tickets, 125+ war rooms & \~$95M saved

### Layer 1

* [Glamsterdam](https://forkcast.org/upgrade/glamsterdam/) upgrade (targeting June 2026):  
  * Scoping continues January 5 at all core devs \- execution (ACDE) [\#227](https://github.com/ethereum/pm/issues/1854)  
    * [16 EIPs Proposed for Inclusion](https://forkcast.org/upgrade/glamsterdam/#proposed-for-inclusion) yet to be decided upon  
    * [14 EIPs Considered for Inclusion](https://forkcast.org/upgrade/glamsterdam/#considered-for-inclusion)  
* [Hegotá](https://forkcast.org/upgrade/hegota/) upgrade:  
  * Fork focus & headliner discussions start January 8 at all core devs \- consensus (ACDC) [\#172](https://github.com/ethereum/pm/issues/1844)  
* Ethereum improvement proposals (EIPs):  
  * Forkcast [EIP directory](https://forkcast.org/eips/): view/filter list, details include governance timeline  
  * [EIP8115](https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/pull/10997/files): Batch priority fees at end of block (split from [EIP7799](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-7799): System logs)  
  * [EIP8116](https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/pull/10998/files): Replace cumulative receipt fields (split from [EIP6466](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-6466): SSZ receipts)

### Research

* Dankrad Feist: [Minimmit explainer](https://dankradfeist.de/tempo/2025/12/31/minimmit-simple-fast-consensus.html), proposed consensus algorithm with 80% honest majority

### Staking

* Toni Wahrstätter: [MEV-Boost market](https://x.com/nero_eth/status/2004972045516292339), relays: Titan gaining share, builders: Titan \~50%   
* [Client diversity](https://clientdiversity.org/#distribution):  
  * Consensus layer:   
    * ⚠️ Lighthouse \~49% (data may not be 100% accurate)  
  * Execution layer: Geth \~41%, Nethermind \~38% (estimated from self reports)  
* [Staking marketshare](https://dune.com/hildobby/eth2-staking): Lido 24.5% \[Note: [dual governance](https://dg.lido.fi/)\]

### Layer 2

* Zero Network (ZK Stack) [still paused](https://x.com/zerodotnetwork/status/2006318068541325481), targeting resolution in mid-January.  [Users just have to wait](https://x.com/sekubalias/status/2005663890278101044) for a stage 0 rollup

### General

* Trust wallet browser extension [v2.68 incident](https://trustwallet.com/blog/announcements/trust-wallet-browser-extension-v268-incident-community-update): November’s Sha1-Hulud 2 npm supply-chain attack believed to have been used to access source code & web store API key to deploy malicious version  
* Vitalik: [balance of power](https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2025/12/30/balance_of_power.html), projects should have a decentralization model to avoid concentrating power in themselves & the risks associated with having such power

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*Editor: [@abcoathup](https://x.com/abcoathup)*  
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