Welcome to the Protocol, Coindesk’s weekly wrapping of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I am Margaux Nijkerk, Ethereum Protocol Reporter on Coindesk’s Tech Team.
In this number:
- The Solana network is now live on Metamask
- Privacy Krypto Dero Targeted with New Self -Breathing Malware
- FIFA is going along with Avalanche to build its own blockchain, expand the web3 ambition
- Square pilots in real-time Bitcoin payments in Vegas, planning full accessibility to customers in 2026
Network news
Solana now at Metamask: Metamask announced on Tuesday that its Solana integration was live, which means users can now act on the second largest smart contract platform and interact with Solana-based applications through the wallet. The integration is currently only on desktop, but is intended to launch on the Metamask Mobile app in the coming weeks, says the company. Metamask is the Ethereum network’s most popular browser design book with over 100 million annual users. – Tom Carreras Read more.
Self -dispensing malware found in privacy crypto Dero: A newly discovered Linux Malware -Campaign compromises unsecured Docker -Infrastructure around the world, making vulnerable servers part of a decentralized crypto jacking network that miner privacy coin dero. According to a report from the cyber security company Kaspersky, the attack begins by utilizing publicly vulnerable Docker APIs. In software terms, a docker is a set of applications or platform tools that provide software in small packages called containers. When access has been obtained, malware spawns malicious containers. It already infects ongoing, siphoning system resources to my dero and scan for further goals without requiring a central command reserves. From the beginning of May, over 520 Docker APIs were publicly exposed to Port 2375 worldwide – every potential target. – Shaurya Malwa Read more.
FIFA TAPS AVALANCE FOR OWN BLOCKCHIN: FIFA, Football’s global governing body, plans to use Avalanche’s network to operate its own dedicated LAG-1 blockchain. FIFA Blockchain is an Avalanche L1, an adaptable blockchain that uses Avalanche’s technology (formerly known as a subnet). The news comes when Avalanche Network recently underwent its large Avalanche9000 upgrade, aiming to attract new developers and encourage them to create customized L1s. Thursday’s message is not FIFA’s first step into the blockchain and crypto world. By 2022, the football organ released a non-fun token (NFT) collection on the Algorand Blockchain in front of the Qatar world championship. – Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
Square pilots Bitcoin payments: Jack Dorsey’s Square took Bitcoin payments a step further on the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas this week. For three days, the company pilotes a program where participants can make purchases with their Bitcoin by scanning a barcode. Payments are then made in almost real time via the lighting network, while square handles Real -time currency course calculations and confirmation messages, according to a press release. Square hopes to make the feature available to a wider audience later in the year and to all customers in 2026, pending regulatory approval. – Helene Braun Read more.
In other news
- Bitcoin’s upward trend continued to show signs of weakness early Wednesday, even when Wall Street Tech stocks rose overnight in the expectation of optimistic earnings from AI Giant Nvidia (NVDA). The leading cryptocurrency with market value is traded near $ 108,900 at the press time, teasing a downward break in a trendline that characterized the appearance from early April, according to Data Source CoingeCKO. Bullish trend lines indicate areas with strong demand, thus seeing a step underneath one generally as a sign of a potential reversal and a possible start to a downward move. – Omrar Godbole Read more.
- The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally initiated a review of the WisdomTree XRP Trust, a proposed spot exchange traded fund (ETF) that would give investors exposure to XRP. Specified by CBOE BZX Exchange marks the application the first formal SEC review of a US-based place XRP ETF. If approved, it would be the first place XRP ETF in the US – a milestone that could open the door to similar products across other crypto assets. – Shaurya Malwa Read more.
Legislative and politics
- The US Senate seems to be closer to adopting his landmark stableecoin bill, Genius Act, after a battle that Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WYO.), Bill’s most important legislative champion, called incredibly hard fought. “It’s been extremely difficult,” Lummis said during a fire chat with Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal in Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “I had no idea how hard this would be.” Last week, the Senate voted to promote the bill and easily clear the 60-vote threshold required to kick the bill for its last discussion phase before the final vote to pass it completely off the body. An earlier attempt failed on a top starting basis after the Senate Democrats, led by prolonged crypto skeptic Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), As well as several Republicans, including Missouris Josh Hawley and Kentucky’s Rand Paul, voted against koagulature. – Cheyenne Ligon Read more.
- A man suspected of helping kidnap and torture an Italian cryptocurrency -investor in a Manhattan house house has surrendered to the New York City police. William Duplessie turned on Tuesday after what officials described as days of negotiations with the authorities, the New York Times reports. He is the third suspect on an alleged plot to extract the keys to a Bitcoin design book belonging to Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan, a crypto fund employee who said he was held captive and abused for almost three weeks. – Francisco Rodrigues Read more.
Calendar
- 27-29. May: Bitcoin 2025, Las Vegas
- 27-29. May: Ethprague, Prague
- June 8-22: Berlin Blockchain Week, Berlin
- 24-26. June: Permitted, Brooklyn
- June 30. July: ETHCC, Cannes
- July 16-18: Web3 Summit, Berlin
- 22-28. September: Korea Blockchain Week, Seoul
- 1-2 October: Token2049, Singapore
- November 17-22: DevConnect, Buenos Aires
- 11-13. December: Solana Breakpoint, Abu Dhabi
- 10-12. February 2026: Consensus, Hong Kong
- 5-7 May 2026: Consensus, Miami
