3 September 2025

Solana Community Approves Alpenglow Upgrade with 98% Support

Key updates in cryptocurrency tech development:

Solana's Alpenglow Upgrade Approved: The Solana community voted 98.27% in favor of the Alpenglow upgrade, enhancing transaction finality from over 12 seconds to approximately 150 milliseconds. This overhaul includes new components, Votor and Rotor, aimed at improving network efficiency.
Ethereum Foundation to Sell 10K ETH: The Ethereum Foundation plans to sell 10,000 ETH, valued at around $43 million, through centralized exchanges to fund research, development, and grants. This follows a previous sale of the same amount to SharpLink Gaming.
Bruce Liu on OP_CAT: Bruce Liu advocates for re-enabling the OP_CAT opcode in Bitcoin, asserting it can transform Bitcoin into programmable money. He emphasizes that OP_CAT was originally part of Satoshi's code and can unlock new functionalities.
Holesky Testnet to Shut Down: The Holesky testnet will close after the Fusaka upgrade, having served as a platform for testing Ethereum’s proof-of-stake mechanisms. Its shutdown follows issues with validator inactivity leading to backlogs.

Galaxy Digital Tokenizes Shares: Galaxy Digital is working with Superstate to tokenize its Class A common stock on the Solana network, ensuring compliance while enabling on-chain transfers.
Ondo Finance Launches Tokenized Equities: Ondo Finance has launched its platform for tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs for non-U.S. investors, offering access to major companies like Apple and Nvidia.

ECB Calls for Stablecoin Regulations: ECB President Christine Lagarde urged EU lawmakers to enforce strict requirements on foreign stablecoins to ensure compliance with local regulations.
U.S. Government Uses Blockchains for Economic Data: The U.S. Department of Commerce has begun using various blockchains to release GDP data, marking an innovative approach to economic transparency.