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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Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture

Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.
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Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
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Deus X CEO Tim Grant: We aren't replacing finance; we're integrating it

The Deus X CEO discussed his journey into digital assets, the company's infrastructure-led growth strategy, and why his Consensus Hong Kong panel promises "real talk only."
Что нужно знать:
- Tim Grant entered crypto in 2015 after early exposure to Ripple and Coinbase, drawn by blockchain’s ability to improve traditional finance rather than replace it.
- Deus X combines investing and operating to build regulated digital finance infrastructure across payments, prime services, and institutional DeFi.
- Grant will be speaking at Consensus Hong Kong in February.









