Come Spend Valentine’s With Me On An EasyJet Flight

(cover image by dvekukolki)

GV everyone! Writing to you from Paris—I just spent 24 hours here and am now heading back home. I attended NFT Paris to get a closer look at how that side of crypto is evolving. The conference was packed and full of energy, but unlike a typical tech conference, it felt more like a Comic-Con. The NFT space has clearly developed its own identity, separate from broader crypto—more playful, focused on collectibles, and driven by strong digital identities. Here, people refer to each other by their Twitter handles or the number of the CryptoPunk they own rather than their real names. This cultural shift reinforces the idea that NFTs are not just financial assets but part of a broader digital and social movement.

There was a strong presence of artists, curators, and collectors, but unfortunately, I was on a tight schedule and couldn’t explore as much as I wanted. However, I did get the chance to reconnect with key figures in the space, including Snowfro and John from SuperRare, as well as many friendly CryptoPunks and curators. These in-person moments are invaluable as they allow us to stay connected with the culture builders shaping the industry.

The energy at Avara this week has been incredible, with major announcements pushing the ecosystem forward. GHO was at the center of it all. We kicked off the week with the launch of Base GHO, made possible through Chainlink. On Tuesday, Aave went live on Linea, expanding access to liquidity. And on Wednesday, we announced that GHO will be the native gas token for Lens Chain—a major milestone for onchain usability.

Why is this important? Today, most users select a blockchain based on short-term profit potential rather than long-term utility. While this drives initial adoption, retention remains low. The reality is that many chains offer limited functionality, subpar user experiences, and unclear incentives for users to stay engaged. On top of that, many first-time users lose money quickly, which discourages further participation. While we can’t entirely prevent that, we can create an infrastructure that makes the experience smoother, more intuitive, and more reliable for both users and builders.

Using a stablecoin as the gas token is a key step in that direction. It eliminates unpredictable fluctuations in gas prices, making costs more stable and transactions more seamless. With GHO, users will always know that 1 USD = 1 GHO, simplifying the experience significantly. Unlike traditional stablecoins, GHO is backed by deposits in Aave, ensuring decentralization while maintaining stability. This means that Lens Chain will have end-to-end decentralization, from applications to transactions and payments.

As the blockchain landscape continues to consolidate, users will naturally move toward reliable, high-quality tech stacks. The Lens ecosystem is being built with that in mind—providing a stable, scalable, and user-friendly foundation for the next generation of onchain experiences.

And in case it wasn’t obvious—this announcement marks the beginning of the race to Lens Chain Mainnet.

Now, onto this week’s onchain digest…