Welcome to the Protocol, Coindesk’s weekly wrapping of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. We are Margaux Nijkerk and Sam Kessler, journalists at Coindesk’s tech team.

In this number:

• Eigenlayer finally ready to start critically lack of function
• Rootstocklabs preparing
• Inside North Korea’s preferred crypto -what washing tool: Thorchain
• Bitcoin developer suggests hard fork to protect BTC from quantum calculation threats

This article is mentioned in the latest edition of the Protocol, our weekly newsletter exploring the technology behind Crypto, one block at a time. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Wednesday.

Network news

Eigenlayer’s key feature comes finally: Eigenlayer, the Removing Protocol, shared last week that it will finally introduce its long -awaited slash function on April 17, marking the protocol’s first “functional” version. Slashing allows actively validated services (AVSS) apps built on top of Eigenlayer’s residual-system-to-penal operators who do not meet prior established conditions and reward those who do. Eigenlayer was originally pioneering the concept of resting, a way for Ethereum users to secure additional protocols beyond the base layer by resuming their stacked ether. Slashing should be a core part of this system, giving apps a way to punish bad actors by seizing part of their capital. Since Slashing was not part of Eigenlayer when it was originally launched in 2024, it left room for competitors to gain market share. Symbiotic, which allows to resume any asset, has been used by self -layer early adoptors, including Hyperlane, an interoperability frame, and ethhena, a popular synthetic dollar protocol. – Sam Kessler Read more.

Building LAG-2’s on Bitcoin will come soon: One of the oldest Bitcoin ecosystem projects is to move to the next step by enabling developers to build Layer-2 networks using its calculation layer. Rootstock is one of many projects that are currently promoting the goal of bringing greater utility and interoperability to Bitcoin, as it does using “BitVMX”, a modified version of BitVM programming language. The RootStockLabs project is weeks away from releasing software development kits (SDKs), giving developers the opportunity to start producing their own Bitcoin-Lag-2s using BitVMX, founder Sergio Lerner told Coindesk. SDKs are set tools that allow third parties to build applications using a particular platform or frame. “We are very close to having all the pieces ready for people to start building their own solutions on top of BitVMX,” Lerner said in an interview. – Jamie Crawley Read more.

North Korea’s Favorite Crypto -Hvide Linking Tool: In February, North Korea stole $ 1.4 billion in the biggest crypto heist ever. Thorchain, a network used to exchange crypto, has become centrally in North Korea’s laundering operations – used to bridge over 85% of the funds from the hack. Unlike some other blockchain services, Thorchain’s operators have refused to block transactions linked to Bybit -Heist, despite the requests of the FBI and other government agencies. Thorchain wallets like Asgardex and Vultisig – tools that most people use to shop on the network – also has no budget. According to estimates from blockchain security researchers who spoke with Coindesk, Thorchain’s large wallet developers and validators-many have publicly identified and based in jurisdictions with strict rules against money, including US-earned over $ 12 million in fees associated with the heist. The US Office of Foreign Authorize Control (OFAC) has previously sanctioned blockchain services used in money laundering, such as Mixer -App Tornado Cash (which has since been delisted after a court decision) and Bitzlato, an exchange. Prosecutors have also accused operators behind similar platforms. For legal experts and the Crypto Society, regardless of whether the Thorchain-a LAG-1 blockchain shell is treated differently than these other services revive a basic debate that almost all crypto platforms face: Is the network really decentralized? – Sam Kessler Read more.

Can Bitcoin resist quantum calculation?: Bitcoin could be on his way to his most celebrating cryptographic overhaul still if a new proposal gets traction. A draft of Bitcoin -Enhancing Proposal (BIP) entitled Quantum-resistant address migration protocol (Qramp) has been introduced by developer Agustin Cruz. It outlines a plan to enforce a network-covering migration of BTC from older wallets to those secured with post quantum cryptography. Quantum calculation involves moving away from a process that depends on binary code, them and zeros, and exponentially increase in computer power by using quantum bits (QUBITS) found in multiple states simultaneously. Such a jump in power is expected to threaten modern computer encryption built by classic machines. The proposal suggests that after a predetermined block height, nodes running the updated software would reject any transaction that tries to use coins from an address using ECDSA cryptography, which could theoretically make it vulnerable to quantum attacks. – Francisco Rodrigues Read more.

In other news

• The first Ripple (XRP) ETF went live on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Ripple agreed to acquire Multi-Asset Prime Brokerage Firma Hidden Road for $ 1.25 billion, marking one of the largest M&A offers in the digital asset industry to date. – Will Canny and Shaurya Malwa
• Galaxy Digital plans to Redomicile in Delaware and list shares about NASDAQ after May 9th shareholding vote. The news comes a week after Galaxy, a large crypto-venture company, agreed to pay $ 200 million in a settlement with the New York Attorney General’s Office related to the Foundation’s commitment to the Terra-Luna Collapse of 2022.- Tom Carreras Read more

Legislative and politics

• China and Europe approved both retaliatory gums against the United States – the latest developments in a trade war ignited by US President Donald Trump, who has torn through global markets, including digital asset markets. – Coindesk
• The price of Bitcoin fell under $ 77K Wednesday, representing a relatively modest 8% fall since the announcement of Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs. Fear of recession, Teed has a major test for crypto markets, which were born out of the 2008 financial crisis and has not existed through a major US recession. So far, the decentralized financing sector (defi) has shown signs of resilience. – Oliver Knight Read more
• Argentina’s Congress has launched an investigation of the weight, the alleged pump-and-dump Memecoin project promoted by President Javier Milei. Token wiped out 90% for investors and led to calls for Miles impeachment. –Francisco Rodrigues Read more

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