Optimism has activated its Superchain interoperability upgrade on the Sepolia testnet, enabling developers to test native cross-L2 messaging between OP Stack chains. The upgrade marks a milestone for the testnet but is not yet active on mainnet. Sepolia provides a safer environment for testing before mainnet deployment.
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said users should keep letting their AI agents create dedicated DID keys on Technocore.chat, according to BlockBeats. FLOP Labs plans to announce more AI agent collaboration methods next week and hand out additional FLOP airdrop allocations to participants. The project aims to connect AI agents' effective participation in the ecosystem with financial incentives, ensuring valuable contributions earn rewards.
Messari CEO Eric Turner resigns; CTO Diran Li appointed as new CEO, initiates layoffs. The firm pivots to an AI-first research platform for institutional clients. Layoff trend sweeps crypto: OP Labs, Block Inc., Gemini recently cut headcount.
Algorand Foundation said it is cutting 25% of its workforce, citing macro uncertainty and a broader crypto downturn. The organization said core priorities remain in place, including AlgoKit, Rocca, and post-quantum cryptography work.
Base exits Superchain, triggering a 28% drop in OP token in 48 hours and 89.8% crash from its all-time high to $0.12. Morgan Stanley estimates a Base token could add $34B equity value to Coinbase. Open-source success becomes Optimism's undoing.
In early 2026, major crypto firms including Algorand, Gemini, and Crypto.com laid off about 450 staff. Some cite macro headwinds; others frame cuts as AI shift. Job postings drop 80% year-on-year.
OP Labs said OP Mainnet and the broader Superchain will phase out ECDSA-based EOAs by January 2036, pushing users toward EIP-7702-powered smart contract accounts designed for post-quantum security.
OP Labs unveils Privacy Boost, a privacy SDK/API using zero-knowledge proofs and TEE, targeting enterprise adoption on Ethereum by enabling private transactions while meeting KYC and audit requirements.
