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The Protocol: Ethereum Turns Ten

Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s weekly wrap-up of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, CoinDesk’s Tech & Protocols reporter.
In this issue:
- Ethereum At 10: Where Next For The World Computer?
- Linea to Burn ETH With Every Transaction in Bold L2 Upgrade
- Solana Players Unveil ‘Internet Capital Markets’ Roadmap
- Square Begins Rollout of Bitcoin Payments for Sellers, Targets Full Availability by 2026
Network news
10 YEARS OF ETHEREUM: When Ethereum launched on July 30, 2015, it set out to be more than just another cryptocurrency. It aimed to expand the boundaries of blockchain technology itself. While Bitcoin became digital gold, Ethereum pursued a more expansive vision: to be a decentralized “World Computer”—programmable, extensible, and open-ended. A decade later, Ethereum has transformed finance, culture and software. Along the way, it has faced existential crises, volatile markets and fierce internal debates. Now, it stands on the cusp of a new era—one that may see it fully embraced by traditional finance. Ethereum has seen an uptick in the last two months as the project hits the 10 year milestone, with the price of ether (ETH) rebounding to reach $3,800 in July, after it languishing around $1,500 as recnetly as April. Over the last few months, the ecosystem has seen a new wave of use cases including tokenization and stablecoin growth, and the network also benefited from the trend of companies holding ETH in their treasuries, not just for long-term value, but to earn yield. On the anniversary, leading players from Ethereum’s ecosystem weigh in on the last 10 years. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
LINEA’S COMPREHENSIVE PROTOCOL CHANGES: Linea, an Ethereum layer-2 network incubated by Consensys, has unveiled a comprehensive suite of upgrades designed to embed the network deeper into the layer 1’s economic and ideological fabric. Linea’s updated road map, expected to roll out in October 2025, introduces ETH-native staking on bridged assets, a protocol-level ETH burn mechanism, and the allocation of 85% of its token supply to ecosystem development. This move comes as momentum in the Ethereum ecosystem is building, thanks to the growing institutional interest. The Linea team wrote in a press release shared with CoinDesk that their updates will “position Ethereum to meet the needs of sophisticated capital as TradFi begins to onboard to DeFi, and reinforce Linea as a major home of future innovations in on-chain capital markets, staking, and infrastructure.” The team claims that of the updates, Linea will become the first layer 2 to burn ETH at the protocol level and commit 20% of net transaction fees toward reducing Ethereum supply. The remaining 80% of fees will be used to burn LINEA tokens, which are capped in supply, embedding deflationary pressure directly into network activity. “Linea Mainnet will burn ETH with every transaction, use the LINEA token to support users, builders, and public goods, and return value to Ethereum’s base layer, all while growing long-term value in the LINEA token-based economy,” said Declan Fox, Head of Linea, in the press release. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
SOLANA PLAYERS UNVEIL ‘INTERNET CAPITAL MARKETS’ ROADMAP: Solana’s ecosystem is coalescing around an updated vision its architects call “Internet Capital Markets”—a decentralized, high-performance foundation for the next generation of on-chain financial applications. While the network has long focused on boosting bandwidth and slashing latency, its latest roadmap dives deep into market microstructure, arguing that the next leap forward lies in giving applications granular control over transaction execution. The roadmap, which was coauthored from leaders of the Solana Foundation, Anza, Jito Labs, DoubleZero, Drift and Multicoin Capital, centers on Application-Controlled Execution (ACE), which will give smart contracts millisecond-level authority over transaction sequencing. “In our conversations with teams across the ecosystem, market microstructure is the single most important problem in Solana today,” the authors wrote. The new roadmap, published by Anza, a core contributor to the Solana blockchain, outlines six critical tradeoff dimensions: privacy vs. transparency, speedbumps vs. unfettered trading, inclusion vs. finality vs. latency, colocation vs. geographic decentralization, makers-first vs. takers-first priorities and flexible vs. opinionated architecture. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
SQUARE BEGINS ROLLOUT OF BTC PAYMENTS FOR SELLERS: Jack Dorsey’s Square (XYZ) has begun the rollout of bitcoin payments for merchants on its network. Square began onboarding the first sellers, enabling them to accept Lightning Network-powered BTC payments from customers, Owen Jennings, executive officer at Square’s parent company Block (XYZ), posted on X last week. Payments are settled in real-near time using Bitcoin layer-2 Lightning, with Square processing the exchange into fiat. Square plans to make the service available to all merchants using its sales platform by next year. The company piloted the system at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas in May, allowing attendees to make purchases in BTC by scanning a barcode. — Jamie Crawley Read more.
In Other News
- Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate owner of bitcoin said it has acquired roughly $2.4 billion worth of BTC using the funds from its new preferred stock (STRC) issuance. The firm sold nearly $2.5 billion worth of STRC, also dubbed «stretch,» to investors, significantly more than the originally planned $500 million. STRC, which aims to deliver a regular dividend to investors initially set at a 9% rate, will start trading on Wednesday on Nasdaq. With the proceeds, the company purchased 21,021 BTC at an average price of $117,256, according to a press release. That brings Strategy’s bitcoin holdings to 628,791 BTC, worth nearly $74 billion at current prices. — Krisztian Sandor Read more.
- SharpLink Gaming (SBET), the Nasdaq-listed crypto treasury firm helmed by Ethereum co-founder and ConsenSys CEO Joseph Lubin, unveiled that its ether (ETH) holdings increased to 438,190 tokens, worth roughly $1.68 billion at current prices. The company bought 77,209 ether (ETH), or $297 million, through the week ending on July 27. It has also raised $279 million by selling shares, tapping at-the-market equity facility. The Minneapolis-based firm has pursued an aggressive treasury strategy since its late May pivot, raising funds to accumulate the second-largest cryptocurrency and staking the tokens in exchange for rewards. The firm said it has earned 722 ETH since then. — Kristzian Sandor Read more.
Regulatory and Policy
- The digital assets industry’s most reliable U.S. Senate ally, Cynthia Lummis, has introduced her latest crypto bill, which would ensure mortgage borrowers could use their cryptocurrency holdings to help secure their loans. Last month, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte directed government-backed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to come up with proposals detailing how they can include crypto holdings to underpin a mortgage. Lummis’ bill would «permit the holdings of a borrower in a digital asset, evidenced and maintained pursuant to a qualified custodial arrangement, to be included in the reserves of a borrower without conversion of the digital asset to United States dollars» — essentially codifying what Pulte is already seeking. «This legislation embraces an innovative path to wealth-building, keeping in mind the growing number of young Americans who possess digital assets,» Lummis said in a statement, suggesting those assets might help bridge the gap to otherwise unobtainable home ownership. — Jesse Hamilton Read more.
- Roman Storm, the Tornado Cash developer standing trial in Manhattan on charges that the privacy tool he created helped hackers and other cyber criminals launder more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds, won’t take the stand, his lawyers told the court. Storm told District Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York (SDNY) that he was aware that he had the right to testify in his own defense but chose not to. After Storm made his decision, his defense team, led by Keri Axel and Brian Klein of Waymaker LLP, rested their case on Tuesday afternoon. — Cheyenne Ligon Read more.
Calendar
- Sept. 22-28: Korea Blockchain Week, Seoul
- Oct. 1-2: Token2049, Singapore
- Oct. 13-15: Digital Asset Summit, London
- Oct. 16-17: European Blockchain Convention, Barcelona
- Nov. 17-22: Devconnect, Buenos Aires
- Dec. 11-13: Solana Breakpoint, Abu Dhabi
- Feb. 10-12, 2026: Consensus, Hong Kong
- May 5-7, 2026: Consensus, Miami
Uncategorized
XLM Sees Heavy Volatility as Institutional Selling Weighs on Price

Stellar’s XLM token endured sharp swings over the past 24 hours, tumbling 3% as institutional selling pressure dominated order books. The asset declined from $0.39 to $0.38 between September 14 at 15:00 and September 15 at 14:00, with trading volumes peaking at 101.32 million—nearly triple its 24-hour average. The heaviest liquidation struck during the morning hours of September 15, when XLM collapsed from $0.395 to $0.376 within two hours, establishing $0.395 as firm resistance while tentative support formed near $0.375.
Despite the broader downtrend, intraday action highlighted moments of resilience. From 13:15 to 14:14 on September 15, XLM staged a brief recovery, jumping from $0.378 to a session high of $0.383 before closing the hour at $0.380. Trading volume surged above 10 million units during this window, with 3.45 million changing hands in a single minute as bulls attempted to push past resistance. While sellers capped momentum, the consolidation zone around $0.380–$0.381 now represents a potential support base.
Market dynamics suggest distribution patterns consistent with institutional profit-taking. The persistent supply overhead has reinforced resistance at $0.395, where repeated rally attempts have failed, while the emergence of support near $0.375 reflects opportunistic buying during liquidation waves. For traders, the $0.375–$0.395 band has become the key battleground that will define near-term direction.
Technical Indicators
- XLM retreated 3% from $0.39 to $0.38 during the previous 24-hours from 14 September 15:00 to 15 September 14:00.
- Trading volume peaked at 101.32 million during the 08:00 hour, nearly triple the 24-hour average of 24.47 million.
- Strong resistance established around $0.395 level during morning selloff.
- Key support emerged near $0.375 where buying interest materialized.
- Price range of $0.019 representing 5% volatility between peak and trough.
- Recovery attempts reached $0.383 by 13:00 before encountering selling pressure.
- Consolidation pattern formed around $0.380-$0.381 zone suggesting new support level.
Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.
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HBAR Tumbles 5% as Institutional Investors Trigger Mass Selloff

Hedera Hashgraph’s HBAR token endured steep losses over a volatile 24-hour window between September 14 and 15, falling 5% from $0.24 to $0.23. The token’s trading range expanded by $0.01 — a move often linked to outsized institutional activity — as heavy corporate selling overwhelmed support levels. The sharpest move came between 07:00 and 08:00 UTC on September 15, when concentrated liquidation drove prices lower after days of resistance around $0.24.
Institutional trading volumes surged during the session, with more than 126 million tokens changing hands on the morning of September 15 — nearly three times the norm for corporate flows. Market participants attributed the spike to portfolio rebalancing by large stakeholders, with enterprise adoption jitters and mounting regulatory scrutiny providing the backdrop for the selloff.
Recovery efforts briefly emerged during the final hour of trading, when corporate buyers tested the $0.24 level before retreating. Between 13:32 and 13:35 UTC, one accumulation push saw 2.47 million tokens deployed in an effort to establish a price floor. Still, buying momentum ultimately faltered, with HBAR settling back into support at $0.23.
The turbulence underscores the token’s vulnerability to institutional distribution events. Analysts point to the failed breakout above $0.24 as confirmation of fresh resistance, with $0.23 now serving as the critical support zone. The surge in volume suggests major corporate participants are repositioning ahead of regulatory shifts, leaving HBAR’s near-term outlook dependent on whether enterprise buyers can mount sustained defenses above key support.
Technical Indicators Summary
- Corporate resistance levels crystallized at $0.24 where institutional selling pressure consistently overwhelmed enterprise buying interest across multiple trading sessions.
- Institutional support structures emerged around $0.23 levels where corporate buying programs have systematically absorbed selling pressure from retail and smaller institutional participants.
- The unprecedented trading volume surge to 126.38 million tokens during the 08:00 morning session reflects enterprise-scale distribution strategies that overwhelmed corporate demand across major trading platforms.
- Subsequent institutional momentum proved unsustainable as systematic selling pressure resumed between 13:37-13:44, driving corporate participants back toward $0.23 support zones with sustained volumes exceeding 1 million tokens, indicating ongoing institutional distribution.
- Final trading periods exhibited diminishing corporate activity with zero recorded volume between 13:13-14:14, suggesting institutional participants adopted defensive positioning strategies as HBAR consolidated at $0.23 amid enterprise uncertainty.
Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.
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Dogecoin Inches Closer to Wall Street With First Meme Coin ETF

The first exchange-traded fund (ETF) built around a meme coin could hit the market this week, after multiple delays and much speculation.
The DOGE ETF — formally called the Rex Shares-Osprey Dogecoin ETF (DOJE) — was originally slated to debut last week, alongside a handful of politically themed and crypto-related ETFs. Those included funds tied to Bonk (BONK), XRP, Bitcoin (BTC) and even a Trump-themed fund. But DOJE’s debut never materialized.
Now, Bloomberg ETF analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart believe Wednesday is the most likely launch date, though they caution nothing is certain.
“It’s more likely than not,” Seyffart said. “That seems like the base case.”
Ahead of the introduction of the ETF, DOGE has been among the top performers over the past month, ahead 15% even including a decline of 3.5% over the past 24 horus.
If launched, DOJE would mark a milestone as the first U.S. ETF to focus on a meme coin — cryptocurrencies that generally lack utility or a clear economic purpose. These include tokens like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Bonk, which often surge in popularity thanks to internet culture, celebrity endorsements and speculative trading.
Balchunas described DOJE’s significance in a post on X: “First-ever US ETF to hold something that has no utility on purpose.”
DOJE is not a spot ETF. That means it won’t hold DOGE directly. Instead, the fund will use a Cayman Islands-based subsidiary to gain exposure through futures and other derivatives. This approach sidesteps the need for physical custody of the coin while still offering traders a way to bet on its performance within a traditional brokerage account.
The ETF was approved earlier this month under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which is typically used for mutual funds and diversified ETFs. That sets it apart from the wave of bitcoin ETFs that received green lights under the Securities Act of 1933, a framework used for commodity-based and asset-backed products. In short, DOJE is structured more like a mutual fund than a commodity trust.
More direct exposure may be coming soon. Several firms have filed applications to launch spot DOGE ETFs, which would hold the meme coin itself rather than derivatives. These applications are still under review by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has grown more comfortable with crypto ETFs since approving a slate of bitcoin products in early 2024.
The broader crypto market has shown that investor demand can outweigh fundamental critiques. Meme coins have long drawn skepticism for having no underlying value or use case, but that hasn’t kept them from drawing billions in speculative capital.
Seyffart said the ETF market is likely to follow the same path. “There’s going to be a bunch of products like this, whether you love it or need it, they’re going to be coming to market,” he said.
He added that many existing financial products serve no deeper purpose than providing a vehicle for short-term bets. “There’s plenty of products out there that are just being used as gambling or short-term trading,” he said. “So if there’s an audience for this in the crypto world, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this finds an audience in the ETF and TradFi world.”
Whether the DOJE ETF opens the door to more meme coin funds — or just proves the concept is viable — may depend on how the market responds this week. Either way, it signals a new phase in the merging of internet culture and traditional finance.
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