ChainCatcher news, Andreessen Horowitz's cryptocurrency division a16z crypto has launched two new SNARK-based technologies, Lasso and Jolt, providing a more efficient approach to SNARK design that could make it faster and easier for developers to understand, potentially facilitating the development of ZK-rollups in Layer 2.The article states that Lasso employs a "lookup parameter" mechanism, which is beneficial for faster zero-knowledge proofs. Jolt is a framework specifically designed for Roll-ups compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine. It is described as a novel method that utilizes Lasso to build a SNARK VM (a virtual machine executing through SNARK proofs).

Chain Catcher news, digital asset and NFT utility tracking startup Lasso Labs announced the completion of a $4.2 million seed round financing, led by Electric Capital, with participation from Ethereal Ventures, Village Global, OpenSea, and Page One Ventures.It is reported that Lasso Labs primarily provides tools for NFT owners to track their digital assets and the benefits that come with owning these assets. Its platform can obtain real-time data from both on-chain and off-chain sources, identify digital asset and NFT utility instances, and share information with users. Users can also track NFT airdrops, minting windows, exclusive content, and more. Currently, its services mainly support Ethereum, with plans to support blockchains such as Flow, Polygon, and Solana in the future. (source link)