Quick Take
Vitalik proposes replacing EVM with RISC-V.
Circle introduces the Circle Payments Network.
ZKsync sends an onchain message to its exploiter.
Zerion launches Zerion Copilot.
Vitalik Proposes RISC-V For Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin proposed replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with RISC-V, a widely adopted open-source instruction set architecture, with the goal of future-proofing Ethereum Layer 1 scalability. The EVM is the runtime environment in Ethereum’s execution layer that executes smart contracts and maintains state. According to Vitalik, adopting RISC-V could improve prover efficiency by up to 100x, significantly reducing zero-knowledge (ZK) proving costs and simplifying the execution layer. Vitalik notes that smart contracts could still be written in Solidity or Vyper, and existing EVM contracts would remain fully compatible with RISC-V.
Circle Introduces Payments Network
Circle introduced the Circle Payments Network (CPN), a global settlement infrastructure platform for financial institutions to enable near-instant, cross-border payments using Circle’s USDC and EURC stablecoins. The network offers a compliant, programmable, and efficient alternative to traditional cross-border payment systems. CPN supports invoice payments, payroll and contractor payouts, remittances, treasury operations, and liquidity management. The platform is designed for banks, fintechs, and payment service providers, all of whom must meet compliance standards. The network will launch in a limited release starting May 2025.
ZKsync Message To Hacker
ZKsync sent an onchain message to the attacker who exploited over 100 million ZK tokens from its airdrop contract. ZKsync is offering a 10% bounty if 90% of the stolen funds are returned within 72 hours. The exploit, which occurred last week, was caused by a compromised admin key used to mint unclaimed tokens. ZKsync noted that approximately 70% of the stolen assets remain on ZKsync Era. In response, Matter Labs—ZKsync Era’s sole sequencer—has implemented transaction filtering to block the exploiter’s addresses from transferring out funds. The attacker has not returned the funds at the time of writing.
Zerion Launches AI Copilot
Zerion launched Zerion Copilot, an AI-powered wallet assistant that helps users analyze wallets, discover yield opportunities, rebalance their portfolios, suggest actions, and identify trending tokens. Built on the Loomlay no-code AI platform, the feature is now live in beta.
Other News
ZORA launching on 23rd April
Unichain 5th largest rollup by TVL
Coinbase vs SEC update
Prysm v6.0.0 release
Tomasz comments on EF priorities
Disclosure: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.
