Venture-Backed Ethereum Project Optimism Delays Launch
The throughput-boosting Layer 2 project said rushing its mainnet launch could have consequences for unprepared projects.
Ethereum-scaling system Optimism delayed its mainnet launch to July after the venture-backed startup’s promise of a debut in March proved to be “overeager,” the project announced Thursday.
- In a blog post, Optimism, which last month raised $25 million from Andreessen Horowitz and others, admitted the original timeline was unworkable and took many projects by surprise.
- Rushing its tech salve for raging Ethereum gas fees could have dangerous consequences. “There is a very real risk of” projects getting fraudulently forked by bad actors, the post said.
- Optimism called July a “rough estimate” for its mainnet launch. A hacker-ready testnet will debut in late April.
Read more: Andreessen Horowitz Leads $25M Round in Ethereum Scaling Solution
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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
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Solana’s new phase is ‘much more about finance,’ says Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante

The Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a financial infrastructure, Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante told CoinDesk.
What to know:
- Solana’s latest phase looks a lot less flashy than its memecoin-fueled highs, and that may be the goal.
- Armani Ferrante, CEO of crypto exchange Backpack, told CoinDesk in an interview the Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a more sober focus: financial infrastructure. A
- fter years of experimentation as the wider crypto industry focused on NFTs, games and social tokens, attention is now shifting back toward decentralized finance, trading and payments.












