The Ethereum ecosystem continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with critical developments across consensus upgrades, Layer2 scaling, decentralized science (DeSci), and ecosystem funding. This week’s digest covers pivotal updates leading up to The Merge, exciting progress in zkEVM-based rollups, new governance and token models, and major shifts in the broader crypto landscape.
The Merge: Countdown to Proof-of-Stake
Goerli Testnet Merge Target Set for August 10
The final major testnet before The Merge — Goerli — is scheduled to transition to proof-of-stake on August 10, 2022, according to Terence@terencechain, a developer from the Prysm consensus client team. This marks a crucial milestone in validating the full execution of the Ethereum upgrade path.
The Goerli merge will simulate real-world conditions, allowing developers and validators to identify and resolve potential issues before the mainnet transition. As one of the last public testnets to undergo the merge, its success is essential for building confidence in the network's stability.
👉 Discover how you can prepare for Ethereum’s next evolutionary leap.
Sixth Merge Community Call: Key Updates and Validator Readiness
The sixth Merge Community Call is set for August 12 at 22:00 Beijing Time (UTC+8). This one-hour session will bring together core developers, validators, and community members to discuss:
- Goerli testnet progress and final preparations
- Balancing diversity among consensus layer clients
- Post-merge testnet strategies
- Adjustment of block times from ~13 seconds to a precise 12-second interval — a change that may impact DeFi protocols relying on timestamp-based interest calculations
- Configuration of fee recipient addresses (fees go to the validator’s execution layer address)
- The necessity for validators to run both execution and consensus clients, emphasizing client diversity for network resilience
trent.eth has urged all stakeholders — especially solo stakers and node operators — to attend and stay informed. Validators are encouraged to use tools like beaconcha.in, which recently launched a Merge readiness checklist in its mobile app to help solo stakers prepare.
Consensus Layer: Advancing Validator Infrastructure
MEV-Boost Gains Momentum Across Clients
Flashbots’ MEV-Boost — a solution enabling validators to maximize revenue from Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) — is now supported across major consensus clients. As of July 15:
- Teku, Prysm, and Lighthouse have published testing guides
- Rocket Pool’s Smart Node v1.5.0 beta 2 now supports MEV-Boost integration with these clients
This progress lowers the barrier for smaller validators to participate in MEV revenue streams without running complex relay infrastructure.
Obol Network Launches Athena Testnet for Distributed Validators
Obol Network has launched Athena, its first public testnet for Distributed Validator (DV) technology. DVs allow multiple parties to jointly operate a single validator, enhancing fault tolerance and decentralization.
The Athena testnet involves four phases:
- Sign up and pair with other operators for Distributed Key Generation (DKG)
- Participate in DKG to generate shared validator keys
- Obol deposits 32 ETH on Prater testnet to activate the validator
- Run for ~30 days, then exit and receive performance scoring
Before mainnet launch, Obol’s Charon client will undergo further testing on Goerli and Gnosis Chain.
Layer2: Scaling the Future of Ethereum
StarkNet Announces Foundation and Native Token
On July 13, StarkNet unveiled its decentralization roadmap, including the launch of the StarkNet Foundation — a non-profit entity tasked with stewarding the network as a public good.
Key highlights:
- A native StarkNet token (STRK) will launch in September 2022
- Initial supply: 10 billion tokens
- Token utility: governance, transaction fees, and participation in PoS leader election
- Distribution: allocated to core contributors, developers, and the foundation
This marks a significant step toward community ownership and long-term sustainability.
Scroll Releases Pre-Alpha zkEVM Testnet
On July 19, Scroll launched its pre-alpha testnet, inviting early testers to explore its zkEVM implementation. The current version runs on a private Proof-of-Authority (PoA) L1 testnet operated by Scroll, with an L2 layer supporting:
- Interaction with demo apps (e.g., Uniswap fork)
- Block explorer access
- Full node read operations and basic transactions (ERC-20 transfers, swaps)
- zkEVM proof generation via “Roller” nodes
- Asset bridging between L1 and L2 (no arbitrary message passing yet)
Next steps include an open alpha testnet on Ethereum’s public testnets, enabling contract deployment and permissionless node operation.
👉 Explore how next-gen rollups are redefining Ethereum scalability.
Lido Expands to Layer2 with stETH Integration
Lido, the leading liquid staking protocol, has announced its expansion to Layer2 networks. stETH will soon be usable across L2 DeFi ecosystems.
Current integrations:
- wstETH on zkSync via Argent
- Integration with Aztec
More L2 rollups will follow. Lido also launched L2sDAYS, a weekly series exploring Ethereum scaling. The first episode featured Optimism, airing on July 19.
DeversiFi Rebrands as rhino.fi
Former StarkEx-based DEX DeversiFi has rebranded as rhino.fi, pivoting from a single-chain exchange to a multi-chain DeFi gateway focused on frictionless L2 access.
Arbitrum Upgrades Testnet Infrastructure
Arbitrum has launched a new Görli-based Nitro testnet and plans to migrate the Rinkeby testnet to Nitro this month. This paves the way for improved performance and lower fees on its rollup stack.
Ecosystem Developments
ethereum.org Adds DeSci Section
On July 10, ethereum.org introduced a dedicated section on DeSci (Decentralized Science) — a movement leveraging Web3 to democratize scientific research through decentralized funding, peer review, data sharing, and attribution.
The page covers:
- What DeSci is
- Use cases in open research and grant distribution
- How Ethereum supports transparent, community-driven science
This reflects growing interest in applying blockchain beyond finance.
OpenSea Migrates to Seaport Protocol
OpenSea has fully migrated to Seaport, its open-source, decentralized NFT trading protocol. Key benefits:
- Estimated $460 million annual gas savings
- Bulk listing of multiple NFTs in one transaction
- Collection-wide or trait-specific offers
- No activation fees for new users ($120 million saved annually)
- Future support for multiple creator payout addresses
Seaport enhances efficiency, transparency, and composability in NFT markets.
Gnosis Safe Secures $100M Strategic Funding
Gnosis Safe, the multi-sig smart contract wallet, has raised $100 million in a strategic round led by over 60 contributors, including Tiger Global, Blockchain Capital, and industry figures like punk6529 and LefterisJP.
Funds will accelerate ecosystem growth, supporting projects like Coinshift, Parcel, and Utopia Labs built on top of Safe.
Notable Events
Celsius Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
After halting withdrawals on June 13, Celsius Network filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 14. On July 19, users were directed to submit claims via Stretto, the claims administrator.
The collapse follows massive losses tied to the Terra (LUNA/UST) crash, highlighting systemic risks in centralized lending platforms.
EthCC 2022 Kicks Off in Paris
The fifth edition of EthCC, Europe’s largest Ethereum conference, began on July 19 in Paris. With over 200 speakers — including Vitalik Buterin, Kevin Owocki, and Eli Ben-Sasson — the event centers on post-Merge innovation and ecosystem resilience.
StarkNet Hosts Paris Hackathon with $20K Prize Pool
StarkNet partnered with Encode Club and Activate to host a two-day hackathon in Paris (July 18–19), offering over $20,000 in prizes. Topics included Cairo programming, L1-L2 messaging, wallet integration, and JS development.
Protocol Updates
EIP-4361 Advances to “Review” Stage
EIP-4361 — “Sign-In with Ethereum (SIWE)” — has moved from “Draft” to “Review” status. This standard enables users to authenticate web services using Ethereum wallets, replacing traditional login systems with decentralized identity.
Its progression signals growing momentum toward a unified Web3 identity layer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is The Merge?
A: The Merge refers to Ethereum’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, combining the existing execution layer with the Beacon Chain consensus layer. It aims to reduce energy consumption by ~99.95% and lay the foundation for scalability upgrades.
Q: How will The Merge affect gas fees?
A: The Merge itself won’t directly lower gas fees. Fee reductions depend on future Layer2 scaling and sharding upgrades. However, improved network efficiency may indirectly benefit transaction costs over time.
Q: What is MEV-Boost and why does it matter?
A: MEV-Boost allows validators to outsource block building to maximize revenue from transaction ordering. It promotes fairness by enabling small stakers to access MEV profits while maintaining decentralization through relay-based competition.
Q: What is zkEVM and how does Scroll implement it?
A: zkEVM is a zero-knowledge virtual machine that executes Ethereum-compatible smart contracts while generating validity proofs. Scroll is building a zkEVM that aims for full EVM equivalence, ensuring seamless developer experience and security.
Q: Why is client diversity important for Ethereum?
A: Relying on a single client increases systemic risk. If a bug occurs in the dominant client, it could halt the network. Diverse clients (e.g., Teku, Prysm, Lighthouse) ensure resilience against failures or attacks.
Q: What is DeSci and how does Ethereum support it?
A: DeSci uses blockchain to decentralize scientific research — from funding (via DAOs) to publishing (on IPFS) and peer review (token-weighted voting). Ethereum provides the trustless infrastructure needed for transparent, community-owned science.
👉 Stay ahead of Ethereum’s evolution with real-time insights and tools.