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The Protocol: Vitalik Buterin’s Latest Proposal – Transaction Gas Cap
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:
- Vitalik Buterin’s New Proposal Seeks 16.7M Gas Cap on Ethereum to Rein In Transaction Bloat
- Jack Dorsey Unveils Bitchat: Offline, Encrypted Messaging Inspired by Bitcoin
- Volkswagen ADMT Taps Solana-Based Hivemapper Bee Maps for Driverless Data
- Eigen Labs Axes 25% of Staff to Focus on Building EigenCloud
Network News
NEW ETHEREUM PROPOSAL FROM VITALIK BUTERIN: A new Ethereum proposal, co-authored by Vitalik Buterin and Toni Wahrstaetter, aims to impose a hard cap on the maximum gas a transaction can consume in a move developers say could strengthen network stability and make the chain more viable for certain applications. The proposal, EIP-7983, suggests limiting individual transactions to 16,777,216 gas (2²⁴) — a sharp change from the current design, which technically allows a single transaction to consume the gas allocation of an entire block. As a design choice, that introduces several performance and security challenges. When a single transaction consumes nearly all the available gas, it disrupts the distribution of workloads across the network and tends to make block execution less efficient. So the proposed cap is expected to simplify engineering challenges and aligns with Ethereum’s shift toward modularity, though it may require splitting large transactions. — Shaurya Malwa Read more.
JACK DORSEY UNVEILS BITCHAT WHITEPAPER: Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter (now X) and fintech company Block (SQ), published a whitepaper for Bitchat, a decentralized messaging protocol that enables fully encrypted communication without the internet. Bitchat would operate over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), allowing nearby devices to form a mesh network that relays messages hop-by-hop, according to the whitepaper. When a message is sent, it would travel across nearby devices acting as temporary nodes until it reaches its recipient, making it resilient in offline or censored environments. While not making explicit references to Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency or the blockchain, Dorsey describes Bitchat as a «decentralized, peer-to-peer messaging application,» evoking connections to the Bitcoin whitepaper’s intro in which it was described as a «peer-to-peer version of electronic cash.» — Jamie Crawley Read more.
SOLANA HIVEMAPPER AND VOLKSWAGEN TEAM UP: Volkswagen ADMT, the carmaker’s autonomous-vehicle testing subsidiary, tapped Hivemapper’s Bee Maps to support its self-driving operations with real-time mapping data. Street-level imagery collected by Bee Maps contributors using Hivemapper cameras will be used to help validate Volkswagen’s self-driving technology in an effort to boost the curbside precision of autonomous pick-ups and drop-offs, a Bee Maps spokesperson told CoinDesk. The deal highlights the growing adoption of crowdsourced geospatial data as autonomous ride-sharing firms look for more precise, up-to-date mapping infrastructure. It also showcases the growth of decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), which use blockchain incentives to crowdsource real-world data collection. Hivemapper is one of the best-known DePIN projects in the Solana ecosystem. According to the Wall Street Journal, Volkswagen’s autonomous driving unit has been testing its ‘Robotaxi’ fleet in recent months. In April, the company also announced a partnership with Uber to launch the service in U.S. markets, with pilot operations set for late 2025 and a wider rollout planned for 2026. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
EIGENLABS LAYS OFF STAFF AMID RESTRUCTURE: Eigen Labs, the main developer firm behind restaking protocol EigenLayer, cut its workforce by 25%, losing 29 roles, as CEO Sreeram Kannan said he restructured the company to focus on developing EigenCloud, which he called a “verifiable” alternative to existing, opaque cloud services. The Seattle-based startup said the dismissals were not a cash-crunch response. The news comes as the firm has dealt with its fair share of blowback, from not having certain key mechanisms in place at the launch of its main product, to having leading Ethereum Foundation figures receive big payouts for advisory roles. EigenLayer was once one of the buzziest projects in crypto, reaching $20 billion in total value locked in June 2024. It now has $12 billion. — Francisco Rodrigues Read more.
In Other News
- Bit Digital (BTBT) is now the owner of more than 100,000 ether (ETH) after swapping out its bitcoin stack along with a $172 million capital raise for even more of the world’s second-largest crypto. From a holding of 24,434 ETH as of the end of March, Bit Digital now has some 100,603 ETH ($189.2 million) making it one of the largest corporate ETH holders, the company said. Bit Digital revealed its plans to focus solely on ETH staking last month in a move that wasn’t entirely unexpected given the more challenging environment bitcoin miners have experienced since last year’s halving. — Jamie Crawley Read more.
- U.S. President Donald Trump’s Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ: DJT) filed to list a crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) that would track a selection of digital assets, the latest in a string of such efforts tied to the Trump brand. The proposed «Truth Social Crypto Blue Chip ETF» would hold a portfolio of five tokens: bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), solana (SOL), XRP (XRP) and cronos (CRO), according to a filing with the SEC. Eighty-five percent of the fund’s holdings would be split between bitcoin and ether. Solana would make up 8%, cronos 5% and XRP 2%. — Helene Braun Read more.
Regulatory and Policy
- The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control’s (OFAC) sanctions against privacy tool Tornado Cash cannot be discussed at the upcoming trial of developer Roman Storm, a federal judge ruled. At a status conference in Manhattan on Tuesday, District Judge Katherine Polk Failla initially waffled on whether she would allow expert witnesses to testify about the sanctions, which were first imposed in August 2022, removed this March and subsequently found illegal by a Texas court. After hearing arguments from both prosecution and defense, Failla decided to grant Storm’s motion in limine moving to prohibit testimony about the sanctions entirely, arguing that it would simply be too confusing for a jury to do what she described as the “mental gymnastics” of understanding why the sanctions were imposed and ultimately removed. — Cheyenne Ligon Read more.
- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged two individuals for their role in OmegaPro, a crypto and investment Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of over $650 million. Michael Shannon Sims, a founder and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, who led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and some parts of the U.S., were charged on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, according to documents published. OmegaPro was an international investment scheme that collapsed in 2022. In 2024, Andreas Szakacs, the co-founder of the scheme, was arrested in Turkey for his involvement with OmegaPro. — Parikshit Mishra Read more.
Calendar
- July 16-18: Web3 Summit, Berlin
- Sept. 22-28: Korea Blockchain Week, Seoul
- Oct. 1-2: Token2049, Singapore
- 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
Good Morning, Asia. Here’s what’s making news in the markets:
Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk’s Crypto Daybook Americas.
Bitcoin (BTC) traded just above $115k in Asia Tuesday morning, slipping slightly after a strong start to the week.
The modest pullback followed a run of inflows into U.S. spot ETFs and lingering optimism that the Federal Reserve will cut rates next week. The moves left traders divided: is this recovery built on fragile foundations, or is crypto firmly back on track after last week’s CPI-driven jitters?
That debate is playing out across research desks. Glassnode’s weekly pulse emphasizes fragility. While ETF inflows surged nearly 200% last week and futures open interest jumped, the underlying spot market looks weak.
Buying conviction remains shallow, Glassnode writes, funding rates have softened, and profit-taking is on the rise with more than 92% of supply in profit.
Options traders have also scaled back downside hedges, pushing volatility spreads lower, which Glassnode warns leaves the market exposed if risk returns. The core message: ETFs and futures are supporting the rally, but without stronger spot flows, BTC remains vulnerable.
QCP takes the other side.
The Singapore-based desk says crypto is “back on track” after CPI confirmed tariff-led inflation without major surprises. They highlight five consecutive days of sizeable BTC ETF inflows, ETH’s biggest inflow in two weeks, and strength in XRP and SOL even after ETF delays.
Traders, they argue, are interpreting regulatory postponements as inevitability rather than rejection. With the Altcoin Season Index at a 90-day high, QCP sees BTC consolidation above $115k as the launchpad for rotation into higher-beta assets.
The divide underscores how Bitcoin’s current range near $115k–$116k is a battleground. Glassnode calls it fragile optimism; QCP calls it momentum. Which side is right may depend on whether ETF inflows keep offsetting profit-taking in the weeks ahead.
Market Movement
BTC: Bitcoin is consolidating near the $115,000 level as traders square positions ahead of expected U.S. Fed policy moves; institutional demand via spot Bitcoin ETFs is supporting upside
ETH: ETH is trading near $4500 in a key resistance band; gains are being helped by renewed institutional demand, tightening supply (exchange outflows), and positive technical setups.
Gold: Gold continues to hold near record highs, underpinned by expectations of Fed interest rate cuts, inflation risk, and investor demand for safe havens; gains tempered somewhat by profit‑taking and a firmer U.S. dollar
Nikkei 225: Japan’s Nikkei 225 topped 45,000 for the first time Monday, leading Asia-Pacific gains as upbeat U.S.-China trade talks and a TikTok divestment framework lifted sentiment.
S&P 500: The S&P 500 rose 0.5% to close above 6,600 for the first time on Monday as upbeat U.S.-China trade talks and anticipation of a Fed meeting lifted stocks.
Elsewhere in Crypto
Wall Street giant Citigroup (C) has launched new ether (ETH) forecasts, calling for $4,300 by year-end, which would be a decline from the current $4,515.
That’s the base case though. The bank’s full assessment is wide enough to drive an army regiment through, with the bull case being $6,400 and the bear case $2,200.
The bank analysts said network activity remains the key driver of ether’s value, but much of the recent growth has been on layer-2s, where value “pass-through” to Ethereum’s base layer is unclear.
Citi assumes just 30% of layer-2 activity contributes to ether’s valuation, putting current prices above its activity-based model, likely due to strong inflows and excitement around tokenization and stablecoins.
A layer 1 network is the base layer, or the underlying infrastructure of a blockchain. Layer 2 refers to a set of off-chain systems or separate blockchains built on top of layer 1s.
Exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, though smaller than bitcoin’s (BTC), have a bigger price impact per dollar, but Citi expects them to remain limited given ether’s smaller market cap and lower visibility with new investors.
Macro factors are seen adding only modest support. With equities already near the bank’s S&P 500 6,600 target, the analysts do not expect major upside from risk assets.
Read more: Ether Bigger Beneficiary of Digital Asset Treasuries Than Bitcoin or Solana: StanChart
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.
Asia Morning Briefing: Fragility or Back on Track? BTC Holds the Line at $115K
Wall Street Bank Citigroup Sees Ether Falling to $4,300 by Year-End
XLM Sees Heavy Volatility as Institutional Selling Weighs on Price
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