Welcome to The Protocol, a weekly cryptocurrency tech development roundup by CoinDesk. This issue features insights from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who stresses that the crypto industry must mature and make decentralization more than just a catchphrase.
Buterin proposes a set of tests for crypto projects, including the 'walk-away test' and the 'insider attack test', to ensure user guarantees and security. Other key stories include the launch of Bitcoin's Botanix Layer-2, which slashes block addition time to five seconds, and the introduction of the XRP Ledger's EVM-sidechain, enhancing interoperability and allowing Ethereum-based dapp deployment. Additionally, Securitize and RedStone have released a whitepaper introducing the Trusted Single Source Oracle model for securely verifying Net Asset Value data on-chain, addressing a crucial gap in DeFi infrastructure.