Arbitrum

**Arbitrum is positioning itself as the trusted infrastructure for institutions entering the programmable economy.** As the global economy shifts from manual systems to programmable infrastructure, businesses seek platforms that offer: - **GTM-ready market launches** with global accessibility - **Reliability and customization** capabilities - **Programmable compliance** features Institutions are actively evaluating blockchain infrastructure based on these criteria as they transition operations onchain.

**GMX has launched 24/7 gold and silver markets on Arbitrum**, crossing $10 million in trading volume within the first day. **Key highlights:** - Permissionless access to precious metals exposure - No brokerage account or custody requirements needed - Trading live on the Arbitrum platform - Demonstrates strong demand for programmable traditional assets The launch showcases how traditional markets are becoming programmable and accessible through DeFi infrastructure, with Arbitrum providing the liquidity and execution layer for these new asset classes.

Following the success of Open House NYC in March, the Arbitrum Foundation is launching **Open House London** - a two-phase program for early-stage teams building AI, payments, or DeFi primitives. **Program Structure:** - 3-week online Buildathon for building and iteration - Top teams advance to an in-person Founder House in London - Technical workshops, product sessions, and hands-on mentoring - Investor pitching opportunities - **$415K total** in prizes and grants The program is supported by the Arbitrum Foundation, Offchain, Robinhood Chain, and the broader ecosystem. Registration is now open at [openhouse.arbitrum.io](https://openhouse.arbitrum.io/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oh-london-buildathon). This accelerator aims to help founders launch new businesses into the programmable economy on the Arbitrum Platform, building on the momentum from hundreds of teams and real businesses that emerged from the NYC edition. [Read more details](https://blog.arbitrum.foundation/open-house-london-registration-is-now-open/)

Arbitrum has published guidance comparing Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchain architectures for enterprise use cases, focusing on cost structures. **Key differences:** - **L1 chains** require fixed overhead for validator maintenance and ongoing security subsidies - **L2 solutions** offer usage-based costs with shared security from Ethereum The analysis emphasizes that aligning costs with actual demand is critical for enterprise blockchain deployments. [Read the full comparison](https://blog.arbitrum.io/l1-vs-l2-choosing-the-right-chain-architecture-for-your-enterprise/)

Multiplifi has reached $25M in total value locked (TVL) by building a unified credit layer through rwaUSD. The platform converts tokenized real-world assets into more liquid and composable forms across DeFi protocols. **Key developments:** - rwaUSD creates a programmable credit layer from tokenized assets - Integration with Arbitrum provides access to deep liquidity and active markets - Infrastructure enables TradFi and DeFi convergence The milestone reflects growing adoption of real-world asset tokenization in DeFi.

**El Dorado has grown to over 1 million users** across 7+ Latin American countries by providing stablecoin-based financial services. The platform addresses regional challenges including: - High inflation rates - Expensive transfer costs - Limited USD access **Core features include:** - Saving and sending digital dollars - Currency conversion - Upcoming spending capabilities - Built on USDT via [Arbitrum](https://arbitrum.io) The app consolidates these services into a single interface, enabling instant, low-cost access to USD-denominated accounts. El Dorado has processed over 4 million peer-to-peer transfers, demonstrating practical stablecoin adoption in emerging markets where traditional banking infrastructure faces limitations.

Arbitrum has launched the **Fiet model**, a new approach to reserve-backed liquidity designed for institutional adoption in DeFi. **Key features include:** - Reserve-backed liquidity without requiring idle capital - Integration with existing custody and treasury systems - Onchain policy enforcement at execution level - Lower-cost, scalable market infrastructure Built by @usher_web3 on the Arbitrum Platform, Fiet addresses a critical challenge: **capital efficiency for institutions moving onchain**. The model allows DeFi protocols to integrate with traditional capital systems, creating a more practical pathway for institutional participation in the programmable economy. This development represents a bridge between traditional finance infrastructure and decentralized systems, potentially lowering barriers for institutional entry into onchain markets. [Read the full technical details](https://blog.arbitrum.io/how-fiet-made-reserve-backed-liquidity-practical-onchain/)

Arbitrum's new dynamic pricing system delivered significant results during a recent high-demand period across major networks. **Key Performance Metrics:** - Reduced fee spikes by up to 98% - Handled 2.4x more demand than competitors - Achieved 15% lower fees overall - Delivered ~17x less fee volatility The improvements came after the ArbOS Dia upgrade, which introduced a more sophisticated pricing model that tracks real network bottlenecks instead of relying on a single gas number. **Why It Matters:** Predictable fees enable businesses to forecast costs accurately, manage risk effectively, and scale operations reliably. This stability is crucial for programmable economies operating onchain. The system measures compute, storage, and history growth to create sustainable scaling without traditional surge pricing. [Read the full analysis](https://blog.arbitrum.io/predictability-at-peak-demand/)

Arbitrum Foundation is hosting an **in-person Open House in New York City** from March 6-8, 2026. This selective 3-day program targets founders ready to deploy on-chain applications. **What founders get:** - Direct collaboration with Arbitrum teams and ecosystem builders - Product feedback and technical guidance - Hands-on support for shipping projects This follows their online Buildathon that started January 29, which offered workshops, mentorship, and $60k in prizes. The NYC event is more exclusive and focused on teams closer to launch. Applications are open now at [luma.com/openhouse-newyork](https://luma.com/openhouse-newyork?utm_campaign=oh-nyc-founder-house&utm_content=sponsor-fh&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter).

Variational has become one of the leading perpetual trading platforms on Arbitrum, processing over **$136 billion in total trading volume** with **$1.09 billion in open interest** across hundreds of markets. The platform's growth demonstrates how Arbitrum's infrastructure - including fast confirmations, deep liquidity, and predictable costs - enables decentralized perpetual exchanges to compete with centralized platforms. Variational has maintained an average of **22,000+ weekly users** since launch, leveraging Arbitrum's scaling capacity to deliver exchange-level performance for on-chain derivatives trading.