Protocol Village: XProtocol Unveils ‘World’s First Node-Operated DePIN Smartphone’

XProtocol,
an

entertainment-focused
blockchain
built
on
the
U.S.
crypto
exchange
Coinbase’s
Ethereum
layer-2
network,
Base,
has
unveiled
what
it
says
is
“the
world’s
first
node-operated
DePIN
smartphone.”
According
to
the
team,
the
Web3
startup’s
new
Android
device,
XForge,
functions
as
a
fully
operational
blockchain
node.
Users
can
participate
in
the
DePIN
network
directly
from
their
phone,
earning
rewards,
airdrops
and
cryptocurrency
incentives:
“XForge
represents
the
next
evolution
in
mobile
devices,
combining
blockchain
power
with
smartphone
convenience.”

Oasys,
Arbitrum
Foundation,
and
layer-2


Uprising
have
teamed
up
to
launch
what
they
say
is
the
first
gaming-focused
Arbitrum
Orbit
blockchain
beyond
Ethereum.”
According
to
the
team:
“Uprising,
a
layer-2
gaming
yield
blockchain,
and
Oasys,
a
layer-1
gaming
chain,
are
collaborating
to
enhance
Web3
gaming
through
Arbitrum
Orbit
technology.
This
marks
the
first
deployment
of
Arbitrum
Orbit
for
gaming
outside
Ethereum,
showcasing
a
shared
vision
for
blockchain
gaming’s
future.”

The

Babylon
Bitcoin
staking
protocol
has
entered
a

strategic
alliance
with

Asphere,
a
scaling
solution
from
the
team
behind
Ankr,
“to
empower
developers
with
an
end-to-end
solution
for
launching
innovative
Bitcoin
layer
2s,
according
to
the
team:
“The
solution
will
allow
developers
to
seamlessly
deploy
highly
customizable
L2s
backed
by
the
unparalleled
security
of
the
Bitcoin
network.
This
enables
developers
to
tap
into
Bitcoin’s
vast
liquidity,
leverage
Bitcoin’s
$1
trillion
market
cap
for
ironclad
security,
and
achieve
extremely
fast
finality
when
building
new
use
cases
within
the
original
blockchain
ecosystem.”

Nomic
DAO
Foundation,
supporting
the
Nomic
Network,
a
blockchain
powering
a

decentralized
custody
engine
for
Bitcoin,
announced
the
launch
of

nBTC,
a
1:1
bitcoin-backed
token,
on
Berachain,
an
Ethereum-compatible
layer-1
network.
The
move
follows
Nomic’s
recent
Ethereum
upgrade,
which
made
nBTC
natively
available
as
an
ERC-token
on
Ethereum,
and
capable
of
deployments
to
EVM-compatible
chains,

according
to
the
team:
“This
integration
allows
users
to
directly
deposit
BTC
for
nBTC,
bringing
Bitcoin’s
substantial
liquidity
into
Berachain’s
ecosystem,
which
operates
on
a
unique
proof-of-liquidity
consensus
model.
This
will
enhance
the
capabilities
of
Bitcoin
within
Berachain’s
growing
ecosystem,
offering
developers
the
ability
to
integrate
nBTC
into
DeFi
protocols
and
to
build
BTC-backed
applications
without
relying
on
centralized
intermediaries.”

ZkVerify,
a
blockchain
designed
to
provide

zero-knowledge
proof
verifications,
and

Hyperbridge,
a
so-called

coprocessor
where
verification
operations
are
performed
offchain
and
then
the
results
securely
reported
back,
have
teamed
up
to

deliver
cross-chain
zero-knowledge
proof
(ZKP)
verification,
cutting
costs
by
over
90%,
according
to
the
team:
“ZkVerify
handles
the
computationally
heavy
proof
verification
off-chain,
enhancing
scalability,
while
Hyperbridge
makes
verified
proofs
accessible
across
multiple
blockchain
networks,
reducing
gas
fees.
This
partnership
tackles
Ethereum’s
limitations
and
supports
a
broader
range
of
cryptographic
techniques,
fostering
innovation
and
cost-effective
ZKP
solutions
for
developers
and
end-users
across
various
blockchains.”

Lido,
a
liquid
staking
project
that’s
the

largest
DeFi
protocol
overall,
has
partnered
with

Fireblocks,
a

digital-asset
security
firm,
to
make
it
easier
and
more
secure
for
institutions
to
liquid-stake
ETH,
according
to
the
team:
“This
integration
allows
institutions
to
stake
any
amount
of
ETH
and
receive
liquid
stETH,
providing
flexibility
to
trade
or
use
their
staked
assets
without
locking
them
up,
giving
instant
liquidity.
By
simplifying
the
staking
process,
this
integration
makes
liquid
staking
more
accessible
for
retail
exchanges
and
institutions.”

Theta
Labs,
the
developer
behind
the
entertainment-focused
blockchain
project

Theta
Network,
has

launched
EdgeCloud
for
Mobile,
allowing
Android
users
to
contribute
spare
GPU
power
to
the
Theta
EdgeCloud
network
and
earn
TFUEL
tokens.
According
to
the
team:
“Available
on
Google
Play,
the
app
lets
users
provide
resources
during
idle
times,
supporting
AI
research
in
media,
healthcare
and
finance.
Using
a
Decentralized
Physical
Infrastructure
Network
(DePIN),
Theta
EdgeCloud
cuts
GPU-intensive
task
costs
by
over
50%
compared
to
traditional
cloud
providers,
offering
scalable,
decentralized
AI
model
training
and
inference
services.”
The
blog
post
reads:
“For
the
first
time
ever,
the
Theta
team
has
implemented
a
video
object
detection
AI
model
(VOD_AI)
that
runs
on
consumer
grade
Android
mobile
devices,
delivering
true
computation
at
the
edge
and
enabling
unparalleled
scalability
and
reach.
VOD_AI
is
a
computer
vision
technique
that
uses
AI
to
analyze
video
frames
to
identify
objects
by
scanning
video
frames,
looking
for
potential
objects
and
drawing
bounding
boxes
around
them.
This
process
is
similar
to
how
the
human
visual
cortex
works.”

(THETA)

EOS
Network
has
successfully

launched
its
groundbreaking
Spring
1.0
upgrade,
“featuring
the
Savanna
consensus
algorithm,
which
enhances
transaction
finality
to
just
one
second,
over
100X
faster
than
previous
versions,”
according
to
the
team:
“This
significant
improvement
in
speed,
security
and
scalability
marks
a
new
chapter
for
the
network.
With
BLS
cryptography,
the
upgrade
reflects
EOS’s
community
commitment
for
future
network
development.”

(EOS)

GFT,
a
global
IT
engineering
and
solutions
provider,
and

Red
Date
Technology,
a
decentralized
cloud
infrastructure
company,
have

integrated
Hedera
network-based
stablecoins
and
the
EMTECH
CBDC
Sandbox
into
the
Universal
Digital
Payments
Network
(UDPN).
According
to
the
team:
“This
integration
will
make
it
easier
to
create
programmable
payment
applications
using
stablecoins
and
central
bank
digital
currencies
(CBDCs)
on
Hedera.
In
this
proof
of
concept,
GFT
developed
and
integrated
two
custom
transaction
nodes,
connecting
the
UDPN
to
digital
currency
systems
via
a
single
transaction
gateway—one
for
stablecoins
from
the
Hedera
Stablecoin
Studio,
and
one
for
CBDCs
from
the
EMTECH
CBDC
Sandbox.”

(HBAR)

Movement
Labs,
a
network
focused
on
open-source
tooling
for
the
Move
smart
contract
language,
announced
the
launch
of
its
elite
accelerator
program,
“Move
Collective.”
According
to
a

press
release,
“This
innovative
program
is
designed
to
nurture
and
support
the
most
promising
projects
in
the
Movement
ecosystem,
offering
comprehensive
support
to
projects
at
various
stages
of
development.”
The
following
companies
“leveraged
the
resources
and
support
provided
by
the
Move
Collective
to
connect
with
investors
and
secure
their
pre-seed
funding:”

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