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The Protocol

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Exploring the tech behind crypto one block at a time.
CoinDesk Staff

CoinDesk Staff

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Screen grab from video purporting to show a user smashing a hardware wallet with a hammer and then setting it ablaze with a blowtorch. (@oklahodl1/Twitter)
Technology
Analysis
Ledger Recover Fiasco Exposes Gap Between Blockchain Ideals and Technical Reality
After a video went viral of what appears to be a hardware wallet getting smashed with a hammer and then blow-torched into a charred mass, Ledger (and all of the crypto industry) got a searing reminder on the importance of managing expectations.
Screen grab from video purporting to show a user smashing a hardware wallet with a hammer and then setting it ablaze with a blowtorch. (@oklahodl1/Twitter)
By Sam Kessler
May 24, 2023 at 5:19 p.m. UTC
May 24, 2023
Analysishardware walletLedgerTrezorBitcoinEthereumSelf custodyThe Protocol
(Shubham Dhage/Unsplash)
Technology
Ethereum
Ethereum Briefly Stopped Finalizing Transactions. What Happened?
The loss in finality meant that blocks could have been tampered with, and while it isn’t supposed to affect end-user experiences, it did lead to some inconveniences for some applications.
(Shubham Dhage/Unsplash)
By Margaux Nijkerk
May 17, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. UTC
May 17, 2023
EthereumBlockValidatorsBugBlockchainThe Protocol
Josh Lehman, executive director, Urbit Foundation, spoke at Consensus 2023 in Austin, Texas, in April. (Shutterstock/CoinDesk)
Technology
Analysis
Urbit, a Network Older and Weirder Than Bitcoin, Finally Turns Toward Growth
The peer-to-peer network started in 2002 says it's taking on "MEGACORP," much in the same vein as many blockchain networks. A bit more fun are the "secret code names" that users are assigned.
Josh Lehman, executive director, Urbit Foundation, spoke at Consensus 2023 in Austin, Texas, in April. (Shutterstock/CoinDesk)
By Bradley Keoun
May 10, 2023 at 3:54 p.m. UTC
May 10, 2023
Analysispeer-to-peerConsensus 2023DeFiZkevmThe Protocol
Blockstream's Lisa Neigut speaks at Consensus 2023 in Austin, Texas. (CoinDesk)
Technology
Bitcoin
Blockstream Developer Neigut Expects ‘Cambrian Explosion’ of Bitcoin Layer 2 Protocols
Bitcoin already has one of the most diverse layer 2 ecosystems of any network, but coming technology upgrades could lead to an acceleration in the blockchain's development, according to Blockstream's Lisa Neigut.
Blockstream's Lisa Neigut speaks at Consensus 2023 in Austin, Texas. (CoinDesk)
By Frederick Munawa
May 3, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
May 3, 2023
BitcoinLightning Networklayer 2BlockstreamTechThe Protocol
(Creative Commons, modified by CoinDesk)
Technology
Analysis
How the Hunt for Yet-to-Exist Tokens Is Shaping Ethereum’s Layer 2 Landscape
Token airdrops – and the prospect of them – have become the default customer acquisition strategy for Ethereum's layer 2 scaling projects. But is this strategy sustainable?
(Creative Commons, modified by CoinDesk)
By Sam Kessler
Apr 26, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
Apr 26, 2023
AnalysisEthereumlayer 2ZkevmZero-Knowledge ProofsOptimismArbitrumMatter LabsZksync eraValid PointsNewslettersValid PointsThe Protocol
Legend of Zelda. (Nintendo)
Technology
Valid points
CoinDesk Winds Down Ethereum Validator ‘Zelda,’ and We Now Wait to Get Money Back
Following last week's milestone Shanghai upgrade, we moved to wind down CoinDesk's Ethereum validator project, but it could be a week before the 32 ETH we staked (about $67,000 worth) hits our wallet. C. Spencer Beggs, our director of engineering, breaks down the technical steps he's taken.
Legend of Zelda. (Nintendo)
By Bradley Keoun
Apr 19, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
Apr 19, 2023
Valid PointsNewslettersEthereumValidatorsProof-of-StakeShanghai upgradeShapellaThe Protocol
(Getty Images)
Technology
Valid points
Ethereum's Shanghai Upgrade on Deck; Developers, Traders Aflutter With Anticipation
Developers and crypto market analysts are getting in their final words before staked ETH withdrawals are activated.
(Getty Images)
By Margaux Nijkerk
Apr 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
Apr 12, 2023
Valid PointsNewslettersEthereumShanghai upgradeProof-of-StakeThe Protocol
Partial snapshot of chart of CoinDesk Ethereum validator's daily financial results. (Beaconcha.in, modified by CoinDesk)
Technology
Valid points
CoinDesk’s Ethereum Validator Enters Final Weeks, Sitting on More Than $30K of Gains
To better chronicle the Ethereum blockchain's transition to a proof-of-stake network, CoinDesk started its own validator. We plunked down the 32 ETH (roughly $15K at the time) and laid the technical groundwork. With staking withdrawals due to start April 12, we take stock of the project.
Partial snapshot of chart of CoinDesk Ethereum validator's daily financial results. (Beaconcha.in, modified by CoinDesk)
By Bradley KeounSage D. YoungMargaux Nijkerk
Apr 5, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
Apr 5, 2023
Valid PointsNewslettersEthereumValidatorsThe Protocol
(Creative Commons, modified by CoinDesk)
Technology
Valid points
Arbitrum Shows Just How Messy (and Tricky) Crypto Airdrops Can Be
Bugs, server crashes and scammers continue to plague crypto airdrops. Will regulatory pressures be next?
(Creative Commons, modified by CoinDesk)
By Sam Kessler
Mar 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
Mar 29, 2023
Valid PointsNewslettersEthereumSecuritiesArbitrumHowey TestThe Protocol