Optimism Season 8 Launches with 182 Builders Receiving Retro Funding
Optimism Season 8 Launches with 182 Builders Receiving Retro Funding
馃幆 182 builders rewarded
Optimism Season 8 has officially launched, distributing Retro Funding rewards to 182 builders who contributed to advancing the Superchain ecosystem.
Funding breakdown:
- 109 onchain applications
- 79 developer tools
This follows Season 7's success, which rewarded 158 onchain apps and 93 dev tools with 2.6M OP tokens in July.
What is Retro Funding? Optimism's retroactive funding program rewards builders who have already contributed value to the ecosystem, supporting both applications and the infrastructure tools that enable development.
Developers can explore qualifying projects and learn about future funding opportunities at atlas.optimism.io.
Ready to build on the Superchain? Season 8 grants are currently open for applications.
馃摙 Season 8 grants are now open! If you're building on the Superchain, it's time to apply. Discover more at: atlas.optimism.io
Season 8 kicks off with 182 builders rewarded through Retro Funding for advancing the Superchain: -109 onchain apps -79 dev tools
Ethena Expands Across 18 OP Stack Chains with OVaults
**Ethena is expanding its DeFi ecosystem** across 18 OP Stack-powered networks, including OP Mainnet, Frax Finance, Mode Network, and Base. **OVaults technology** enables seamless cross-chain yield farming, connecting previously isolated DeFi protocols across multiple networks. Key benefits: - Enhanced scalability through OP Stack infrastructure - Unified yield opportunities across chains - More connected DeFi ecosystem This expansion demonstrates how **modular blockchain frameworks** like OP Stack are enabling the next generation of cross-chain DeFi applications.
Optimism Opens Citizenship Registration for Superchain Governance
Optimism Collective announces its H2 strategic goal: achieving $100M monthly in cross-chain asset transfers across interoperable Stage 1 chains. The Citizens House introduces three stakeholder groups: - Top 15 chains by revenue - Top 100 apps by gas fees - End-users with verified activity Key registration requirements: - End-users must prove human status via WorldCoin - Limited spots available - Sybil protection through HumanPassport screening This follows Optimism's recent $2M bug bounty extension for Superchain protocol upgrades, which has already paid out $2.6M since 2022. [Register for citizenship](http://atlas.optimism.io/citizenship)
Superchain Interop Incubator Shows Progress
The Superchain ecosystem continues to expand with the OP Stack emerging as the dominant L2 solution. Key metrics include: - 50+ chains and $17B+ in TVL - 6 of top 10 L2s running OP Stack - Powers 70% of all L2 transactions Recent developments: - Four networks (OP Mainnet, Base, Unichain, Ink) reached Stage 1 decentralization - Flashblocks upgrade reducing transaction times to ~200ms - Native interop features coming this summer - Growing number of teams joining Superchain Incubator The platform emphasizes security, speed, and seamless cross-chain interactions while maintaining Ethereum compatibility.
Audit Contest Announcements for Superchain and STRK Staking
Two major audit contests have been announced for blockchain security: - **Superchain Security Contest** Open invitation for whitehats and developers to audit code for secure interoperability [Contest Details](https://cantina.xyz/competitions/44b385bf-e51a-4e6c-b3a8-adbbe24d16e1) - **STRK Staking Contract Audit** CodeHawks contest starting April 4th Prize pool: $80k USDC KYC required [Registration Link](https://codehawks.cyfrin.io/c/2025-04-starknet-part-2) *Both contests offer opportunities for security researchers to contribute to blockchain infrastructure security.*