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12 May 2026, 13:00

Ethereum Foundation Unstakes $50M in ETH From Lido

The withdrawal moved the ETH from Ethereum’s Beacon Chain into Lido’s withdrawal queue, where the assets can later be claimed once processing is complete. The move follows earlier treasury adjustments by the foundation, including the unstaking of 17,000 ETH in April and the sale of 10,000 ETH to Bitmine through an OTC deal. Ethereum Foundation Unstakes 21K ETH The Ethereum Foundation unstaked 21,270 Ether worth close to $50 million from the liquid staking protocol Lido. According to blockchain analytics platform Arkham, the withdrawal process was initiated on Monday through a wallet linked to the foundation, moving the staked ETH out of Lido’s system and into Ethereum’s withdrawal queue. (Source: Arkham) The move means the ETH is being removed from Ethereum’s Beacon Chain, where it was previously locked to help secure the network while earning passive staking rewards. However, the unstaking does not automatically indicate that the Ethereum Foundation plans to sell the assets. In Lido’s system, unstaking places the ETH or wrapped staked ETH into a withdrawal queue. This allows the holder to claim the underlying ETH once the request is processed and finalized. This latest move follows a series of treasury adjustments made by the Ethereum Foundation over the past few months. In late April, the foundation unstaked another 17,000 ETH before later selling 10,000 ETH to Bitmine through an over-the-counter transaction on May 1. The organization previously updated its treasury policy in June of 2025, and plans to increase staking participation as a way to help fund Ethereum protocol development. At the same time, the foundation also stated that it intends to reduce direct ETH sales after facing criticism from parts of the Ethereum community about past treasury liquidations. Since February, the foundation has steadily increased its staking exposure. It first staked 2,016 ETH before adding another 22,517 ETH in March and more than 45,000 ETH in early April. These allocations brought the foundation’s total staked ETH holdings to roughly 69,500 ETH before the latest unstaking activity. Arkham suggested that the withdrawal may be connected to operational funding needs related to ongoing Ethereum development. The analytics firm also speculated that concerns around third-party protocol security could have influenced the decision, particularly after the recent $293 million exploit involving Kelp DAO raised concerns across the decentralized finance sector.

12 May 2026, 12:50

Cardano Developers Roll Out Five New Plutus CIPs in Key Protocol Milestone

New built-ins now live for Cardano Plutus development testing.

12 May 2026, 12:40

Brevis Achieves 5.3x Speed Boost in Ethereum ZK Block Proof Generation

BitcoinWorld Brevis Achieves 5.3x Speed Boost in Ethereum ZK Block Proof Generation Brevis, a smart contract platform built on zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup technology, has unveiled Pico Prism 2.0 — a major upgrade that slashes the average time required to generate ZK proofs for Ethereum blocks. According to a report from BlockBeats, the new system achieves an average proof generation time of approximately 6.1 seconds per block, with 99.9% of proofs completing within Ethereum’s 12-second block interval. This marks a 5.3-fold improvement in computational efficiency compared to its predecessor, Pico Prism 1.0, under similar testing conditions. Real-Time ZK Proofs Move Closer to Practical Reality The significance of this milestone extends beyond raw performance metrics. Zero-knowledge proofs are a cornerstone of Ethereum scaling, enabling rollups to process transactions off-chain while maintaining security guarantees on the mainnet. However, the computational cost of generating these proofs has historically been a bottleneck, often introducing delays that undermined the user experience. Pico Prism 2.0’s ability to generate proofs within the 12-second block window means that ZK rollups can now operate in near real-time, bringing them closer to the performance levels expected by mainstream decentralized applications. Brevis’ achievement is particularly relevant as the Ethereum ecosystem continues to grapple with congestion and high gas fees. Faster proof generation directly translates to lower latency for end-users and reduced operational costs for rollup operators. The 5.3x efficiency gain suggests that the underlying cryptographic optimizations — likely involving parallelized computation and improved circuit design — are yielding tangible results. Context and Competitive Landscape The race to optimize ZK proof generation has intensified over the past year. Competitors including StarkWare, zkSync, and Polygon have all announced performance improvements, but Brevis’ focus on block-level proof times sets a new benchmark. Pico Prism 2.0’s 6.1-second average is notably faster than many existing implementations, which often require 30 seconds or more for equivalent workloads. It is important to note that these results were achieved under controlled test conditions. Real-world performance may vary depending on network congestion, transaction complexity, and hardware configurations. Nonetheless, the consistency of the results — with 99.9% of proofs completing within the block interval — suggests a robust and production-ready system. What This Means for Developers and Users For developers building on ZK rollups, faster proof generation reduces the friction associated with cross-chain communication and state updates. Applications such as decentralized exchanges, gaming platforms, and identity verification systems stand to benefit from lower latency. For end-users, the improvement is likely to be invisible but impactful: faster confirmations, lower fees, and a smoother overall experience. The broader implication is that ZK rollups are maturing from experimental infrastructure into viable scaling solutions. Brevis’ announcement reinforces the narrative that zero-knowledge technology is not just theoretically elegant but practically deployable at scale. Conclusion Brevis’ Pico Prism 2.0 represents a meaningful step forward in the practical implementation of zero-knowledge proofs on Ethereum. By demonstrating that ZK block proofs can be generated reliably within a 12-second window, the company has addressed one of the key technical hurdles facing rollup adoption. As the Ethereum ecosystem continues to prioritize scalability, such innovations will play a critical role in shaping the next generation of decentralized applications. FAQs Q1: What is a zero-knowledge (ZK) proof in the context of Ethereum? A ZK proof is a cryptographic method that allows one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any underlying data. In Ethereum scaling, ZK proofs enable rollups to verify batches of off-chain transactions efficiently on the mainnet. Q2: Why is proof generation speed important for ZK rollups? Faster proof generation reduces the time it takes for transactions to be finalized on Ethereum. It directly impacts user experience by lowering latency and enabling near-instant confirmations, which is critical for applications like payments and trading. Q3: How does Pico Prism 2.0 compare to other ZK proof systems? Pico Prism 2.0’s 6.1-second average proof time is among the fastest reported for Ethereum block-level proofs. Most existing systems require 20–60 seconds under similar conditions, making Brevis’ achievement a notable improvement. This post Brevis Achieves 5.3x Speed Boost in Ethereum ZK Block Proof Generation first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

12 May 2026, 12:28

Turkey secures 130 archives with ETH blockchain integration

🚀 Turkey’s Directorate archived 130 official documents on the Ethereum blockchain. All records can now be verified by anyone directly on the public ledger. Continue Reading: Turkey secures 130 archives with ETH blockchain integration The post Turkey secures 130 archives with ETH blockchain integration appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .

12 May 2026, 12:25

Starknet Launches strkBTC, a Bitcoin-Based Asset Bridging Privacy and Compliance

BitcoinWorld Starknet Launches strkBTC, a Bitcoin-Based Asset Bridging Privacy and Compliance Ethereum Layer 2 scaling network Starknet has introduced strkBTC, a new Bitcoin-based asset designed to bridge Bitcoin liquidity into the Starknet ecosystem while offering enhanced privacy and regulatory compliance features, according to a report by The Block. What Is strkBTC and How Does It Work? strkBTC is a tokenized representation of Bitcoin on Starknet, allowing users to move Bitcoin into the network without exposing their transaction history. The asset leverages Starknet’s zero-knowledge rollup technology to create new Bitcoin addresses that are not linked to previous on-chain activity, effectively breaking the traceability chain that often concerns privacy-focused users. This approach differs from traditional wrapped Bitcoin solutions, such as WBTC on Ethereum, which rely on centralized custodians and maintain a transparent ledger of all transactions. strkBTC aims to offer a middle ground: the security and value of Bitcoin combined with the programmability of Starknet’s Layer 2 environment. Built-in Compliance and Auditability While privacy is a key selling point, Starknet has also integrated compliance tools directly into strkBTC. The asset includes auditability and asset screening features designed to meet regulatory standards. This dual focus on privacy and compliance positions strkBTC as a potential solution for institutional users who require both confidentiality and the ability to demonstrate regulatory adherence. Starknet’s team has emphasized that the screening features allow authorized parties to verify transactions without compromising user privacy for the broader network. This balance could appeal to decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms seeking to attract institutional liquidity. Why This Matters for the Broader Crypto Ecosystem The launch of strkBTC represents a significant step in the ongoing effort to bring Bitcoin’s liquidity into the DeFi space. Bitcoin, as the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, holds substantial value that remains largely underutilized in decentralized applications. Starknet’s solution offers a path to unlock that value while addressing two major barriers: privacy concerns and regulatory uncertainty. If successful, strkBTC could set a precedent for how Bitcoin-based assets are designed in the future, particularly in jurisdictions with strict anti-money laundering (AML) requirements. The ability to screen assets without exposing all transaction details could become a template for other Layer 2 networks and cross-chain bridges. Conclusion Starknet’s strkBTC is more than just another wrapped Bitcoin token. It represents an attempt to reconcile the often conflicting demands of privacy and compliance in the crypto space. By leveraging Starknet’s zero-knowledge proof capabilities, the project offers a novel approach to moving Bitcoin into DeFi while maintaining auditability for regulators. The success of strkBTC will depend on adoption by both users and DeFi protocols, but its design philosophy may influence how future Bitcoin-based assets are built. FAQs Q1: What is the difference between strkBTC and WBTC? strkBTC uses Starknet’s zero-knowledge rollup technology to create new Bitcoin addresses with no transaction history, offering enhanced privacy. WBTC is a centralized wrapped Bitcoin on Ethereum where all transactions are publicly visible on the blockchain. Q2: How does strkBTC ensure regulatory compliance? strkBTC includes built-in auditability and asset screening features that allow authorized parties to verify transactions without exposing the entire transaction history to the public, balancing privacy with regulatory requirements. Q3: Can strkBTC be used on other networks? Currently, strkBTC is designed specifically for the Starknet ecosystem. However, Starknet is a Layer 2 network on Ethereum, so strkBTC can interact with Ethereum-based DeFi protocols through Starknet’s bridge infrastructure. This post Starknet Launches strkBTC, a Bitcoin-Based Asset Bridging Privacy and Compliance first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

12 May 2026, 12:15

DTCC builds out blockchain-based collateral system with Chainlink integration

The platform tokenizes collateral on blockchain rails and uses smart contracts to enable 24/7 automated collateral management across financial markets.