Automata Network Joins Superchain Ecosystem

Centralized exchanges (CEXs) have quietly become significant distributors of onchain activity, according to a new analysis from Optimism. The shift represents a notable evolution in the crypto ecosystem. While decentralized exchanges (DEXs) were designed to eliminate intermediaries, CEXs have adapted by facilitating onchain transactions at scale. **Key developments:** - CEXs now process substantial volumes of onchain transfers and settlements - Traditional exchanges are bridging users to Layer 2 networks and DeFi protocols - The trend challenges assumptions about the CEX vs DEX divide This development suggests the future may involve coexistence rather than competition between centralized and decentralized platforms. CEXs bring regulatory compliance and user familiarity, while enabling access to onchain infrastructure. Read the full analysis: [Optimism Blog](https://www.optimism.io/blog/how-centralized-exchanges-quietly-became-crypto-s-biggest-onchain-distributors)

Five major cryptocurrency exchanges—Coinbase, Kraken, OKX, Upbit, and Bitpanda—are operating on the same OP Stack blockchain infrastructure despite serving different products and markets. **Key figures:** - $495M in combined application revenue across these chains in H2 2025 - The OP Stack now supports 50+ chains processing 6B+ transactions, up from 200M transactions two years ago **What this means:** Multiple competing exchanges have adopted the same underlying blockchain technology stack, demonstrating the infrastructure's ability to support diverse business models while maintaining enterprise-level performance guarantees. Each exchange retains its own chain and revenue while benefiting from shared technical foundations.

**Over half of Fortune 500 companies are now exploring blockchain infrastructure**, with many choosing Optimism as their platform of choice. Kyle Jenke from Optimism explains the shift: enterprises are building next-generation financial products on the network, driven by three key factors: - Enterprise demand for blockchain solutions - The need for infrastructure ownership - New capital flows entering the space The trend signals a significant move toward institutional adoption of Ethereum-based infrastructure, with major corporations prioritizing scalability and stability in their blockchain strategies.

Optimism has launched a **four-week opt-in experiment** with stake-based priority ordering on OP Mainnet, running until June 23. **How it works:** - Participants stake 100,000 OP tokens into the PolicyEngineStaking contract - Stakers receive priority block positioning for their transactions - Non-participants continue using standard Priority Gas Auction (PGA) as usual **Key details:** - The experiment was approved by Optimism Governance earlier this month - After four weeks, OP Mainnet automatically reverts to standard PGA - The system was previously tested on Sepolia testnet **Resources available:** - [Official notice](http://docs.optimism.io/notices/stake-based-priority-ordering) - [Governance proposal](http://gov.optimism.io/t/upgrade-proposal-stake-based-priority-ordering-experiment/10655) - [Technical disclosure](https://docs.optimism.io/public/disclosures/stake-based-priority-ordering-disclosure.pdf) This experiment explores alternative transaction ordering mechanisms while maintaining backward compatibility for users who choose not to participate.

A new Ethereum experiment is testing transaction ordering based on staking behavior across two phases: **Phase 1 (Week 1)** - Eligible stakers' transactions ordered first-in, first-out (FIFO) - Staking above minimum threshold has no additional impact - Simple queue-based priority **Phase 2 (Weeks 2-4)** - Introduces stake-time weighted multiplier on priority gas - Longer staking duration + higher stake amount = higher multiplier - Maximum 3x advantage with diminishing returns - Designed to resist stake-rent attacks through time component **Key Parameters** - Up to 20% of blockspace reserved for experiment - Unused space flows back to normal transactions - Non-staking transactions remain unaffected - Fee market mechanics preserved The experiment aims to reward long-term stakers while maintaining network accessibility for all users.