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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has voiced concerns over criticisms directed at Ethereum’s stance on blockchain-based gaming applications. During a Wednesday AMA session on the chat app Tako, Buterin addressed user Mable Jiang’s inquiry about moments in the past year that left him frustrated or disappointed with the Ethereum Foundation, its community, or the industry. Jiang also asked if he had ever considered taking a break. In response, Buterin expressed his disappointment, particularly over criticisms that Ethereum is “bad and intolerant” for not embracing blockchain-based casinos as openly as other networks. “Perhaps the most disappointing thing for me recently was when someone said that Ethereum is bad and intolerant because we don’t respect the ‘casinos’ on the blockchain enough, and other chains are happy to accept any application, so they are better.” He stated. Despite occasional online rants about the network, Buterin, however, noted he finds comfort in personal interactions with the Ethereum community, most of whom remain committed to the platform’s original values. “I have a responsibility to this community and cannot abandon them. We Ethereum need to work together to create the world we want to see,” he added. Buterin also suggested potential strategic shifts to enhance the network, emphasizing the need for structural improvements for the network and greater decentralization within the Ethereum Foundation. He noted that the foundation, which currently facing a backlash for lack of neutrality, might need to be less neutral at the application layer and take a more active role in supporting certain initiatives. “This will require some changes,” he stated, adding, “But this project is worth doing.” Notably, Buterin’s response comes amid an ongoing debate in the blockchain space about balancing ethical considerations with open access. Some networks, like Solana, have taken a more permissive approach, welcoming applications across various sectors, including gambling and speculative ventures. However, this openness has also led to high-profile failures, such as the collapse of LIBRA, a meme coin on the Solana network. Recently, LIBRA collapsed, wiping out $4.5 billion in investor funds and causing a 15% drop in Solana’s value. Ethereum, in contrast, has long positioned itself as a network focused on decentralization, innovation, and long-term sustainability. These qualities have attracted institutional interest, with entities like BlackRock launching tokenized investment funds on the Ethereum network. Meanwhile, beyond his frustrations, Buterin remains actively engaged in Ethereum’s evolution, particularly its scalability through Layer 2 (L2) solutions. In January, he reaffirmed Ethereum’s commitment to scaling via L2s, identifying key challenges such as insufficient space for BLOB objects and L2 heterogeneity. He detailed upcoming upgrades, such as the Pectra update, which aims to enhance Ethereum’s transaction throughput with long-term goals, including achieving 100,000 transactions per second (TPS). He also underscored the importance of Ethereum’s economic model, advocating for ETH to serve as a “triple point asset,” functioning as a means of exchange, a consumable product, and a store of value. To strengthen Ethereum’s economic position, he proposed incentivizing L2 projects, optimizing rollup revenue structures, and adjusting BLOB pricing strategies.

The giant Fidelity has published an optimistic report on the Lightning Network, a network that enables instant and nearly free bitcoin transactions. It is a secondary network anchored to the Bitcoin network that increases transaction throughput and payment privacy. The Lightning Network compensates for the slowness and sometimes high fees of “on-chain” transactions. In jargon, this is referred to as “Layer 1” and “Layer 2.” Layer 1 is the Bitcoin blockchain, while Layer 2 is the Lightning network. The Bitcoin network is designed to generate a transaction block every 10 minutes. Each block can weigh up to 4 MB, or about 3,000 transactions. This is little, but by design. It would have been very easy to increase the size of the blocks, but at the cost of decentralization. The possibility of increasing block size has long been debated and led in 2017 to the BCH (Bitcoin Cash) fork. It was unsuccessful as one BCH is now worth 0.3% of one BTC. The market deemed that a blockchain with unlimited block sizes would undermine decentralization. Decentralization relies on the existence of numerous nodes that form the backbone of the Bitcoin network. They validate transactions and ensure that the protocol is strictly followed, especially the limit of 21 million BTC. However, the number of nodes is directly proportional to their cost, which depends on the memory required to store the blockchain (currently 630 GB). Increasing block size would increase this cost and ruin the decentralization without which bitcoin would be worthless. Developers like Thaddeus Dryja thus proposed the Lightning Network where transactions take a fraction of a second for negligible fees. All of this without compromising the fundamental properties of Bitcoin (decentralization). Payment for a coffee with the Lightning Network: The Lightning Network was launched in 2017 to counter the proponents of large blocks who eventually created BCH via a hard fork. Since then, thousands of cryptocurrencies have been launched claiming to solve the “problem” of Bitcoin’s low transaction throughput. This is obviously not the case. Security was prioritized, and increased transaction throughput was obtained thanks to the Lightning Network. That said, its growth remains modest. The reason is that bitcoin is primarily perceived as a store of value. It is indeed preferable to spend your euros or dollars before your bitcoins. Not to mention the capital gains tax (which could soon disappear in the United States). Moreover, note that using the LN first requires performing an on-chain transaction to transfer bitcoins to a wallet specifically dedicated to the Lightning network (French Phoenix , Breez, Zeus, etc.). So there’s no need to hesitate to make significant top-ups to endure during times of high fees on the Bitcoin network. Once this initial transaction is made, transactions become instantaneous and nearly free. The Fidelity report states that fees average 0.02% for transactions between 100 and 1000 euros. It’s 0.24% for transactions between 1 and 10 euros. “Transactions exceeding a million satoshis (~ 1,000 €) cost between 0.39 $ and 1.27 $. This fee/transaction ratio is rare in the traditional sector”, it can be read. The transaction speed is also nothing like that of the Bitcoin network. Voltage’s figures indicate that payments of less than 1000 euros occur in less than a second. Data from Voltage shows an increase of nearly 200% in payment volumes between 2023 and 2024. That’s 2,400% since 2022. Encouraging, but payments via the LN remain a drop in the ocean of global transactions via Visa, Mastercard, etc. Notably, exchange platforms such as Coinbase and Kraken have implemented it to reduce withdrawal fees for bitcoins by their clients. The decentralized social network Nostr also uses the LN so its users can send tips in the form of “zaps.” They sent more than 3.6 million over the past six months according to the report. The growth of the LN could also come from banks that currently use the SWIFT network and multiple third parties that significantly slow down international transfers (clearing houses, correspondent banks, etc.). Not to mention the costs. The LN could become a technology for immediate and definitive international settlement between banks. Especially if bitcoin establishes itself as the international reserve currency… The report also highlights another interesting aspect of the Lightning Network: the “Taproot Assets” protocol. Taproot assets extend the functionality of LN beyond simple bitcoin transfers. It allows transferring any type of tokenized asset. For example, stablecoins, gold, or corporate bonds, etc. “Therefore, we anticipate continued growth of the Lightning Network, despite the perception of bitcoin as a store of value that discourages its spending”, concludes Fidelity. The Lightning Network has not finished astonishing. It will certainly take off when the capital gains tax is abolished everywhere in the world… Let’s conclude by stating that no cryptocurrency can claim to execute transactions cheaper than with the Lightning Network.

Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong (SCBHK), Animoca Brands, and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) have partnered to establish a joint venture (JV) focused on issuing a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin. The JV intends to apply for a license under the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) new regulatory framework. HKD-Backed Stablecoin According to the official press release, SCBHK, Animoca Brands, and HKT have engaged in HKMA’s stablecoin issuer sandbox since July 2024. The trio has been assessing how stablecoins can facilitate financial market development and payments by connecting Web3 and traditional finance. The partnership is in line with Hong Kong’s ambition to strengthen its role as a global digital assets hub. By leveraging expertise across banking, telecommunications, and blockchain, the JV aims to create a secure and regulatory-compliant stablecoin framework. The initiative aligns with the city-state’s broader strategy to boost digital finance adoption while ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory requirements. In an official statement, Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, said, “Digital assets are here to stay and the development of different forms of tokenized money is integral to the advancement of this industry. That is why we are actively involved in various Central Bank Digital Currencies, tokenized deposits, and, of course, stablecoins projects. We are introducing solutions and instruments that service this market and meet the growing client demand. As public chain instruments with proven use cases, stablecoins play a critical role in the overall digital asset ecosystem.” Hong Kong Eyes Bitcoin as a Strategic Asset Besides the ambitious stablecoin initiative, Hong Kong is also considering adding Bitcoin (BTC) to its fiscal reserves as a hedge against inflation and a store of value. Wu Jiexhuang, a Hong Kong legislative council member, recently proposed using foreign exchange funds to acquire Bitcoin, citing potential benefits such as attracting talent, boosting the local crypto industry, and increasing tax revenue. He said that leveraging China’s “one country, two systems” framework, adding Bitcoin to Hong Kong’s reserves could give the region an early advantage and help mitigate economic instability from its wider adoption in traditional financial markets. The post Standard Chartered, Animoca, and HKT to Develop HKD-Pegged Stablecoin appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), hinted that his company is preparing to resume its massive purchases of bitcoin after a short one-week pause. This announcement comes as Strategy continues its 21/21 plan, aiming to accumulate even more BTC. In a recent post, Saylor shared a bitcoin chart, suggesting an imminent acquisition. This revelation coincides with the recent issuance of $2 billion in convertible bonds, aimed at financing these new purchases. Michael Saylor has already mentioned the intention to enhance the use of financial leverage in the first quarter of 2025 to finance even more purchases. The objective? To maximize shareholder value and further increase his bitcoin holdings. This strategy, although risky, has proven rewarding so far, particularly due to the rise in BTC prices. However, Michael Saylor recently warned against a potential takeover of bitcoin by China. According to him, Chinese dominance in crypto mining could threaten the decentralization of the network . He calls for increased vigilance to preserve the independence and security of BTC against this growing influence. If Strategy quickly moves to buying, it could lead to upward pressure on the bitcoin price, which is already close to its all-time highs. The market is therefore carefully watching Michael Saylor’s upcoming announcements. With $2 billion freshly raised, the question is no longer whether Strategy will buy bitcoin, but when and in what quantity. For several years, Strategy has adopted an aggressive policy of bitcoin accumulation, convinced that the digital asset represents a superior store of value. The company is now the largest institutional holder of BTC, and its decisions significantly influence the market. Other companies may also follow suit, further reinforcing the legitimacy of bitcoin as a strategic asset. With this new offensive , Michael Saylor confirms his vision of bitcoin as the ultimate store of value asset. If Strategy continues its purchases, it could strengthen the bullish trend and attract other companies. The market is now waiting for Saylor’s next move, which could further shake up the crypto ecosystem.

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial. The creator economy has seen explosive growth over the past decade, yet many content creators, writers, educators, and artists face a fundamental dilemma: monetization and content distribution often favor centralized platforms, which impose rigid rules, fees, and algorithms that limit creators’ autonomy and earnings. You might also like: Creator economy 2.0: AI and web3 define the digital success | Opinion While web3 solutions promise greater freedom, they have thus far often had poor user experiences and required creators to navigate complex onboarding processes and applications. However, blockchain-based autonomous agents are emerging as a new alternative for creators, seamlessly handling tasks, sparking new creative possibilities, and finally putting creators back in control of their work and income. Creator assistants Autonomous agents simplify content distribution and monetization by automating tasks such as pricing, licensing, and revenue sharing, freeing creators to focus on their craft. For instance, these agents can optimize pricing strategies based on market demand or manage revenue splits transparently. Unlike traditional AI tools, decentralized agents can operate trustlessly onchain, ensuring transparency, reducing costs, and eliminating third-party intermediaries. By leveraging programmable rules and onchain verification, autonomous agents also allow creators to explore new revenue streams—such as micro-licensing or fractional ownership of digital assets—giving them control over their intellectual property while tapping into innovative monetization models. Ethical concerns, such as licensing and copyright issues, can be addressed through programmable licensing rights embedded in content metadata. Art curator agents In the digital art space, autonomous agents are already changing how content is curated, traded, and displayed. These agents can autonomously acquire and curate digital content based on predefined rules through onchain verification. By operating on a decentralized infrastructure, art curator agents reduce risks such as fraud or manipulation commonly associated with centralized platforms. Programmable licensing embedded in the metadata of digital art ensures all transactions respect the creator’s terms. This eliminates ambiguities around copyright and guarantees fair compensation for creators, even as their work circulates across different platforms. Intelligent creative tools Developers are integrating autonomous agents into creative applications, offering creators powerful tools to enhance their work. These agents can act as co-creators or intelligent managers to generate, refine, and manage content in new ways. For example, an agent embedded in a video editing platform might suggest edits based on audience engagement data or generate metadata to improve discoverability. The use of trustless, onchain computation means that creators are not reliant on centralized APIs or platforms, which could compromise their data or artistic vision. Unlike many current AI agents that depend on centralized APIs like OpenAI, these decentralized agents operate sustainably and transparently, avoiding vulnerabilities tied to centralized control. Where to start for creators For creators just starting to explore decentralized platforms, it is crucial to confirm that the platform they use provides reliable and sustainable storage for their data. Many traditional NFTs store the artwork and metadata separately, which can create issues if the centralized storage provider discontinues service or stops paying for the storage costs. That’s a recipe for future headaches. Decentralized platforms like Bazar take a different approach, bundling everything together—your work, its rights, and ownership—in one permanent transaction on Arweave, called an atomic asset. Think of it like a self-contained digital artwork that carries its own rule book, no matter where it travels online. This is especially important as AI increasingly interacts with creative work, making the ability to embed programmable licensing rights essential. To that end, Bazar is experimenting with a data licensing framework called the Universal Data License that empowers artists to encode clear usage rules directly into their creations. When art includes these clear rules about how it can be used, autonomous agents can act like digital rights managers, making sure terms are followed everywhere the work appears. These rules provide transparency for users and AI agents alike, ensuring consistent adherence to terms of use. It’s like having a tireless advocate ensuring creators maintain control over how their work is used, securing credit and compensation even as their art evolves and takes on new life across the digital landscape. The future of autonomous agents Over the next decade, autonomous agents will play an increasingly important role in the creator economy. By decentralizing content monetization and distribution, these agents reduce reliance on traditional platforms, providing creators with more tools and resources to maintain control over their work while streamlining business operations. They will also help identify new monetization strategies, intelligently manage distribution, and handle data-driven financial decisions. Autonomous agents offer an opportunity for creators to regain control over their work and innovate in ways that would be previously constrained by centralized systems. As these tools evolve, they will help build a creator economy that prioritizes transparency, empowerment, and sustainable growth for all. Read more: AI is the best thing to ever happen to content creators in the web3 era | Opinion Author: Nick Juliano Nick Juliano is the lead developer of Bazar Marketplace.