ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Zerion has launched its Ethereum Layer 2 network ZERO Network, allowing Zerion Wallet users to be exempt from Gas fees when trading, minting, exchanging, and cross-chain transactions.ZERO Network is built on ZKsync technology and is part of the Elastic Chain ecosystem, utilizing a dynamic scoring system "Onchain DNA" to assess whether an address qualifies for Gas-free transactions.Zerion also announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount of funding from angel investors, including Cooper Turley, Spencer Noon, Yearn chief developer Banteg, Alex Gluchowski, Patricio Worthalter, and NBA player Duncan Robinson. According to the project, angel investors from companies such as Lido, Daylight, Celestia, ETHGlobal, and OpenSea also participated.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, OKX Ventures has announced an investment in Corn, marking an important step in introducing Bitcoin applications within the Ethereum ecosystem. Corn is based on Arbitrum and integrates support from Coinbase, enabling BTC holders to easily access the Ethereum DeFi ecosystem. Through a unique, secure, and sustainable approach, Corn maximizes the potential of Bitcoin and has achieved several significant milestones, such as becoming the first Ethereum L2 network to use hybrid tokenized Bitcoin (BTCN) as Gas fees, and also the first network to implement Bitcoin security guarantees through Babylon, supporting BTC LST liquidity.At the core of Corn's innovation is BTCN, a hybrid tokenized Bitcoin supported 1:1 by native BTC. This unique model allows BTC holders to use BTC to pay Gas fees within the Ethereum DeFi ecosystem, preserving the core value of Bitcoin. Users can easily cross-chain their BTC to the Ethereum ecosystem with just one click.The ecosystem development of the Corn network is driven by its CORN token (popCORN) staking program, allowing community members to direct earnings towards ecological applications. This approach ensures sustainable growth of the network and incentivizes community members to actively participate in the network's development.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Ethereum Layer 2 developer Polymer Labs has launched a real-time interoperability protocol called Polymer Hub. It is reported that Polymer Hub can verify and store all connected aggregated headers, allowing applications to prove any state in the aggregation with significantly reduced overhead.It is said that Polymer Hub initially supports the OP Stack ecosystem, including OP Mainnet, World Chain, and the Base network incubated by Coinbase, and plans to expand to other Ethereum Rollup ecosystems.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin responded to criticisms regarding the current user experience of Ethereum's Layer 2. He stated that while the current experience is often seen as fragmented and complex, "the Ethereum community does not need to justify the current shortcomings while building for the future."On Monday, Camila Russo, founder of the DeFi media platform The Defiant, posted on X that she loves Ethereum and its community, but they need to stop downplaying the poor experience of Layer 2. "Even for crypto natives, the experience is bad, not just bad, but painful. If you are already using cryptocurrency, this experience is painful. For newcomers, it is even harder to accept, it's practically unusable."Buterin responded that when we are "powerless" to build for the future, we naturally tend to justify current shortcomings. "But we are building for the future," the Ethereum co-founder emphasized, referencing his earlier article on the roadmap for cross Layer 2 interoperability.Improvements in cross Layer 2 interoperability aim to reduce reliance on centralized elements, simplify cross-chain transactions, and make the Ethereum ecosystem more cohesive. Proposed solutions include standardizing chain-specific addresses, payment requests, and key storage wallets, allowing assets to move more seamlessly between Layer 2s while reducing gas fees. Achieving a more streamlined cross Layer 2 interaction requires not only technical support but also community collaboration to establish consistent standards, ultimately providing a more uniform experience between Ethereum's Layer 1 and Layer 2.

ChainCatcher news, the TON ecosystem Layer 2 project DuckChain announced on X that it will conduct an airdrop snapshot on November 18.

According to ChainCatcher news and L2BEAT data, the current total locked value of the Ethereum Layer 2 network is $36.33 billion, down 4.84% over the past 7 days. The top five in locked value are: Arbitrum One ($13.36 billion, down 2.87% over the past 7 days); Base ($7.53 billion, down 4.75% over the past 7 days); OP Mainnet ($5.9 billion, down 7.68% over the past 7 days); Mantle ($1.35 billion, down 5.84% over the past 7 days); Blast ($1.32 billion, down 8.6% over the past 7 days).

ChainCatcher message, the Ethereum Layer 2 network Base has currently become the Rollup with the highest total locked value.According to data from DeFiLlama, Base's TVL is $2.49 billion, distributed across 366 protocols, slightly higher than Arbitrum's $2.39 billion TVL. A significant portion of Base's TVL comes from the decentralized exchange Aerodrome, which has deposits exceeding $1.3 billion.In addition, in terms of TVL, Base now ranks among the top five blockchain networks, following L1 chains such as Ethereum, Tron, Solana, and BNB Chain.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, cryptocurrency venture capital firm Paradigm has announced a $20 million investment in its spin-off company Ithaca. Ithaca is developing a new Layer 2 blockchain called Odyssey, aimed at accelerating the development of blockchain technology.Paradigm's Chief Technology Officer and General Partner Georgios Konstantopoulos will serve as the CEO of Ithaca while retaining his position at Paradigm. Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang will serve as the chairman of Ithaca.The Odyssey Layer 2 is built on Reth and the OP Stack and is currently live on the testnet. Konstantopoulos stated that Ithaca is building a complete technology stack needed by developers and users for faster deployment and lower barriers to entry.

ChainCatcher news, Sonic Labs (formerly Fantom) co-founder Andre Cronje tweeted: "Investors and businesses want to achieve centralization. Decentralized profitability is difficult and challenging. In the future, we will see many DApps become L2, and eventually (when they get tired of managing) decentralize and become L1. Just as many L1s will become L2 until they need to decentralize and become L1 again. Let the fragmentation continue. Compared to all the technical concepts I've learned, I believe monolithic technology is the winner."

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Web3 infrastructure provider Ava Protocol has partnered with Sony Block Solutions Labs' Layer 2 blockchain Soneium.This collaboration will integrate Ava Protocol's intent-based no-code automation into the Soneium Spark incubation program, aimed at supporting developers and creators. It simplifies the blockchain experience for developers and non-technical users.

ChainCatcher news, stablecoin protocol Usual has partnered with LayerZero. With LayerZero's cross-chain interoperability, the Usual protocol will introduce Layer 2 networks.In addition, Usual stated that it is also focusing on collaborations in CeFi and other areas, aiming to establish a seamless bridge between decentralized finance and traditional finance.