SKALE Manager

The SF x402 Hackathon has announced two major partnerships to advance payment protocol development. **Vodafone's Pairpoint** joins as a partner, bringing enterprise experience to help builders understand how x402 payments can function across different networks and real-world environments. **Google Cloud** is also supporting the hackathon, providing infrastructure for developers working on agent-native payment solutions that require reliability and performance at scale. Both partnerships aim to bridge the gap between payment protocols and practical implementation, focusing on cross-network operability and global infrastructure needs.

**Virtuals.io joins the SF x402 Hackathon** as a partner to help developers build agent-based economic systems. The partnership focuses on: - Enabling agents to participate in real economic systems - Moving beyond code to include coordination and ownership structures - Using the x402 framework for experimentation Builders can explore how autonomous agents interact within economic frameworks, addressing the infrastructure needed for agent economies to function beyond technical implementation. [Learn more about the hackathon](https://x402.superfluid.org/)

A new hackathon opportunity has launched for Web3 developers, offering **$50,000 in prizes**. **Key Details:** - Partnership includes Google Cloud, Coinbase Developer Platform, Edge & Node, Virtuals, and Vodafone's Pairpoint - Focus area: agentic commerce development - Registration is now open The competition brings together major tech and blockchain infrastructure providers to support builders working on autonomous commerce solutions. Developers interested in exploring AI-driven commerce applications on blockchain can sign up to participate. This follows similar developer initiatives, including Ocean Protocol's recent hackathon that offered Google Cloud credits for eligible teams.

**Khorus partners with SKALE** to deploy their agent launchpad on SKALE's Base integration, focusing on **ERC-8004 AI agents**. **Key features:** - Fast, gas-free transactions via sFuel - Privacy-focused infrastructure - High-throughput capabilities - Developer-optimized environment The partnership positions Khorus as **one of the first builders** on SKALE's Base implementation, targeting the growing AI agent ecosystem. **Why it matters:** AI agents require speed and scalability - SKALE's zero-gas architecture removes friction for autonomous operations. [Read the full deployment details](https://blog.skale.space/blog/khorus-partners-with-skale-to-bring-their-agent-launchpad-to-skale-on-base)

**Khorus becomes first partner** building on SKALE's Base integration, bringing ERC-8004 AI agents to a **gas-free, privacy-focused chain**. **Key benefits for developers:** - Zero gas fees for agent operations - High-speed transactions with instant finality - Privacy protection through SKALE's infrastructure - Full EVM compatibility on Base This partnership follows SKALE's recent milestones: - **2+ billion transactions** processed with zero gas fees - Successful Base integration for the "Internet of Agents" - SKALE V4 launch with enhanced privacy features The move positions SKALE as infrastructure for the next wave of AI agents requiring **speed, scale, and privacy** for real-world applications.

**AI agents face critical scaling barriers** due to blockchain transparency issues that expose their strategies to exploitation. **Key privacy challenges:** - MEV bots front-run agent transactions - Trading strategies get copied by competitors - User identities become exposed (doxxed) **The proposed solution** involves implementing onchain privacy through encrypted execution, allowing agents to operate without revealing their strategies or user data. This privacy infrastructure could be essential for **mass adoption of autonomous agents** in DeFi and other blockchain applications. *Without privacy protection, agents remain vulnerable to predatory behavior that undermines their effectiveness.*

The BITE (Blockchain Integrated Threshold Encryption) Protocol whitepaper has been released, introducing a novel approach to eliminate MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) attacks that have cost users nearly $2B since 2020. Key features: - Implements threshold encryption at consensus layer - Encrypts transactions before mempool entry - Decryption occurs only after finalization - No reliance on secondary networks The protocol's roadmap includes: 1. Transaction encryption 2. Smart contract data protection 3. Selective disclosure capabilities 4. Fully homomorphic encryption integration Read the whitepaper: [BITE Protocol Whitepaper](http://skale.space/BITEWhitePaper)

SKALE Network has emerged as a significant force in blockchain gaming, according to recent CoinGecko data. The network now hosts: - Over 100 active games - 48M unique active wallets (UAW) - Gas-free transaction environment The platform's success is attributed to its *invisible blockchain experience*, making Web3 gaming accessible to mainstream users. Key features include: - Zero gas fees - High throughput capacity - Seamless user experience This growth follows SKALE's strong 2024 performance, where its gaming hub Nebula saw a 1,000% year-over-year increase in daily active users.

Industry experts Cedric Schmidt (ForumAILabs) and Andrew Saunders discuss the role of decentralized AI agents in game development. While these agents offer potential benefits in speed, quality, and cost-efficiency, they emphasize that successful games must be engaging even without AI features. Key points: - AI should enhance, not replace, core gameplay - Focus remains on creating fundamentally enjoyable games - ForumAILabs' NPC Maker demonstrates practical applications - Technology offers optimization opportunities in development process The experts suggest a measured approach to AI integration, prioritizing player experience over technological novelty.

SKALE Network is positioning itself as a significant player in blockchain gaming and Web3 with its zero-gas-fee model. Key features include: - Complete elimination of gas fees, saving users over $282m in recent weeks - High scalability through multi-chain architecture - Focus on gaming and AI applications - Over 1.2 million active wallets The platform is gaining recognition from analysts for its potential to remove traditional blockchain friction points. German tech media @btcecho highlighted SKALE as a promising breakthrough candidate for blockchain gaming. *Notable advantage*: Users can interact with the blockchain without dealing with complex gas fee structures.