The blockchain landscape continues to evolve with significant developments across major decentralized platforms, governance innovations, and strategic funding rounds. From community-driven project revivals to the rollout of governance tokens and critical network upgrades, the week of May 25–31, 2025, marked a pivotal moment in the global blockchain ecosystem.
This report highlights key advancements from leading projects including TON, Compound, Cardano, and Filecoin, alongside notable financing activities that signal growing institutional interest and ecosystem maturity.
Community-Led Revival: TON Blockchain Rebooted by Decentralized Supporters
In a powerful demonstration of decentralized ethos, the TON (Telegram Open Network) community has officially announced plans to restart the blockchain project following Telegram’s withdrawal. Once abandoned due to regulatory pressure from the U.S. SEC, TON is now being resurrected by a coalition of developers and enthusiasts under the banner TONCommunity.org.
The initiative aims to launch a testnet first, inviting global node operators and developers to participate in building a resilient, censorship-resistant network. Rather than handing control back to any centralized entity, the community intends to redesign network rules for current regulatory and technological realities.
Founding members include:
- TONCommunity.org
- Gram 50 (early TON wallet + browser)
- Nebula Telegram (third-party open-source Telegram client)
- NG Wallet (mobile TON wallet)
- Lambda Storage (distributed storage leader)
- TON Chinese Community
This grassroots movement underscores a broader trend: when official support falters, dedicated communities can sustain and even advance blockchain projects independently.
👉 Discover how decentralized communities are reshaping blockchain innovation today.
Compound Announces COMP Token Distribution Starting Mid-June
One of the most anticipated events in DeFi history is unfolding: Compound, the decentralized lending protocol, will begin distributing its governance token COMP starting mid-June 2025.
Robert Leshner, founder of Compound, confirmed that governance is transitioning from core developers to the broader user community. Any participant can now propose changes—such as adding new assets, adjusting interest rate models, or delisting collateral types. A proposal proceeds to vote only if 1% of total COMP holders signal support.
How COMP Rewards Work
- 4.23 million COMP tokens (42.3% of total supply) are allocated to a “Reservoir” smart contract.
- 0.5 COMP per Ethereum block (~2,880 daily) will be distributed over approximately four years.
- Rewards split equally: 50% to lenders, 50% to borrowers.
- Distribution favors most actively used assets, dynamically adapting to market demand.
This model incentivizes real usage while decentralizing control—a blueprint other protocols may soon emulate.
Cardano Advances Toward Shelley Mainnet Launch
Cardano is on track for a major milestone. Founder Charles Hoskinson revealed that the Shelley mainnet upgrade is scheduled for July 29, 2025, with staking rewards launching around August 18.
Key Features of Shelley
- Introduces Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus.
- Enables users to stake ADA or delegate to validators.
- Promotes network decentralization through community participation.
A mainnet candidate chain will launch around June 23, giving node operators time to upgrade before the official hard fork. This phased rollout ensures stability and minimizes disruption during one of Cardano’s most significant transitions.
Filecoin Confirms Mainnet Timeline and Mining Incentives
Filecoin reaffirmed its commitment to its original mainnet launch schedule during a recent mining community call. Crucially, the Network Storage Engine (NSE) will not be activated before mainnet goes live.
Key Updates:
- Mainnet launch date remains unchanged.
- Over 30 ecosystem partners confirmed, including Chainsafe, Soramitsu, Textile, and Stanford University.
- Verifiers program: Limited to ~10 institutions and ~100 individuals focused on geographic diversity and credibility.
- Filecoin Discover: Pre-orders capped at 20 per account; exploring alternative payment methods.
- Testnet incentives: $1 million in FIL rewards over three weeks based on storage and retrieval performance.
Miners must accept real storage deals during the incentive period—ensuring network utility from day one.
Curve Prepares Governance Token Launch for Liquidity Providers
Curve Finance, the leading decentralized stablecoin exchange platform, is preparing to launch its governance token. Users who provided liquidity since January 2025 will be eligible for airdrops.
This move aligns Curve with other DeFi pioneers like Compound and Balancer, reinforcing the trend where users are rewarded as stakeholders. The token will empower holders to influence protocol parameters such as fee structures and gauge weight allocations.
MakerDAO Expands Collateral Options with TUSD and USDC-B
MakerDAO has initiated an executive vote to:
- Add TrueUSD (TUSD) as a new collateral type.
- Introduce USDC-B, a secondary USDC collateral bucket with distinct risk parameters.
Purpose of USDC-B
Designed as an emergency liquidity tool during high-volatility events (e.g., mass liquidations), USDC-B will carry an intentionally high stability fee to discourage regular use. This dual-bucket approach allows finer risk management while maintaining Dai’s peg.
Meanwhile, standard USDC-A continues serving as an arbitrage mechanism to stabilize Dai’s price around $1.
Band Protocol Launches Mainnet Phase 0 on June 10
Band Protocol will launch its public mainnet—BandChain Phase 0 (Wenchang)—on June 10, 2025, at 22:00 Beijing time.
As a cross-chain data oracle platform, BandChain connects real-world data and APIs to smart contracts across multiple blockchains. Prior to launch, validator nodes will undergo rigorous security and decentralization testing.
This marks Band’s transition from testnet experimentation to production-grade infrastructure, enhancing reliability for dApps relying on off-chain data feeds.
Privacy-Focused Upgrades: Beam and Zcash Evolve
Beam Eager Electron 5.0 Upgrade
Beam is upgrading to Eager Electron 5.0, introducing:
- New BeamHash III Proof-of-Work algorithm.
- Enhanced wallet functionality for privacy finance applications.
- Mandatory update required after block height 777,777.
This upgrade lays the foundation for Beam’s vision as a private financial ecosystem.
Zcash Heartwood Activation
Zcash v3.0.0 supports the upcoming Heartwood upgrade, set for activation at block 903,000 (mid-July). Key improvements:
- Miners can send block rewards directly to shielded addresses (ZIP 213).
- Flyclient support via header semantics update (ZIP 221).
- Formalizes upgrade deployment process (ZIP 250).
These upgrades strengthen Zcash’s privacy guarantees and scalability.
Notable Blockchain Funding Rounds
Despite a relatively quiet week with only six recorded investments, several strategic raises highlight sustained confidence in blockchain infrastructure:
| Project | Amount | Lead Investor | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic (ex-Fortmatic) | $4M | Placeholder | Ethereum wallet infrastructure |
| Floating Point Group | $2M | Naval Ravikant & AngelList | Regulated crypto trading platform |
| Omniex | $14M | SIX Group | Institutional trading tools |
| BTP | Undisclosed | Revolut Chairman | Blockchain infrastructure |
| CasperLabs | Undisclosed | Draper Goren Holm | PoS blockchain platform |
| CoinDCX (India) | $2.5M | Polychain Capital | Exchange expansion |
Notably, Omniex attracted investment from SIX Group, operator of Switzerland’s largest stock exchange—signaling increasing convergence between traditional finance and blockchain innovation.
👉 See how institutional capital is fueling the next wave of blockchain growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What triggered the community-led restart of TON?
A: After Telegram officially halted development due to U.S. SEC legal action, passionate developers and users formed TONCommunity.org to preserve the technology’s potential through decentralized efforts.
Q: How can I earn COMP tokens from Compound?
A: COMP is distributed daily based on your usage—both supplying and borrowing assets on the protocol. The more active you are with high-demand assets, the greater your reward share.
Q: Is Filecoin’s mainnet delay confirmed?
A: No—Filecoin has explicitly stated that the mainnet launch timeline remains unchanged despite ongoing testnet activities.
Q: Will Curve’s token be tradable immediately?
A: While details are pending, previous DeFi token launches suggest liquidity will likely be enabled shortly after distribution begins, possibly via Uniswap or SushiSwap.
Q: Why did MakerDAO create two types of USDC collateral?
A: USDC-A serves normal operations; USDC-B acts as a high-cost emergency buffer during crises like flash crashes or mass liquidations—helping maintain system stability.
Q: Can I participate in BandChain as a validator?
A: Yes—once Phase 0 launches, qualified operators can run nodes after meeting technical and staking requirements set by Band Protocol.
Blockchain innovation thrives not just through technology but through resilient communities and adaptive governance. From TON’s rebirth to COMP’s democratic distribution, this week showcased how decentralization isn’t just a feature—it’s the foundation.
👉 Stay ahead of the curve—explore emerging blockchain trends shaping the future of finance.