ChainCatcher news, Swell Network announced that its Layer 2 solution Swell L2 will join the Superchain as an Optimistic Rollup based on the OP Stack, officially migrating to the Optimism ecosystem.Currently, the Devnet of Swell L2 has successfully launched, and several top protocols have deployed their dApps on the testnet to test user experience, with the mainnet expected to officially launch in mid to late December.

ChainCatcher news, Ethereum Layer2 scaling solution Starknet officially launches its crypto staking feature, becoming the first Ethereum L2 network to support users earning rewards through staking tokens. Users holding at least 20,000 STRK (approximately $12,000) can become validators, staking their assets as collateral to validate transactions and earn rewards; users holding less than 20,000 STRK can delegate their tokens to validators for staking.Users must wait 21 days to stake and retrieve their tokens, including the rewards generated during the staking period. Meanwhile, Bitwise Asset Management announced that it will operate a public validator node for STRK holders to delegate staking and provide independent validator services for institutional clients.

ChainCatcher news, Arthur Hayes stated in a podcast, "I will pay attention to meme coins, new Layer 1 blockchains, Layer 2 projects, NFTs, and the gaming sector, etc. Everyone knows that you can make quick money in a bull market, but the key is how to preserve those gains. If you earn some money that can change your life, then take out a portion to cash out."

ChainCatcher news, according to SoSoValue data, the encrypted market sector continues to show a general upward trend, with the PayFi sector leading the way, achieving a 24H increase of 21%; notable performers include Ripple (XRP) with an increase of 25.75% and Stellar (XLM) with an increase of 19.59%. Additionally, the ssiPayFi index, which represents the historical performance of the PayFi sector, currently has a price of $21.2, with a weekly increase of 44.44% and a monthly increase of 123.47%, ranking first among the increase lists of other sector indices.SoSoValue analysts indicate that, influenced by the news that SEC Chairman Gary Gensler is expected to resign on January 20, 2025, PayFi is anticipated to strengthen and maintain an upward trend in the long term.Moreover, it is worth noting that the Layer 2 sector has increased by 11.68%, the Defi sector by 7.29%, and the Layer 1 sector by 7.2%.

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.