Ethereum’s Comeback, Solana’s Upgrades, Plasma’s Token Sale, and the Rise of Zora | Livestream

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Jul 28, 2025

Ian Unsworth, a research powerhouse from Kairos Research, and Mark Arjun from Blockworks delve into the exciting world of crypto. They discuss Ethereum's strong comeback and staking dynamics amidst rising ETF flows. Solana's upgrades, including scalability improvements, are highlighted too. The conversation shifts to Plasma's token sale and its implications for the market. Zora's innovative monetization models and its resurgence in the crypto space spark intriguing insights on user engagement and market sentiment, making this a must-listen for crypto enthusiasts.

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INSIGHT

Institutional ETH Yield Strategies

Institutional treasury codes stake Ethereum heavily, competing to maximize per-share returns.
They may soon diversify into on-chain vaults and lending to boost yield beyond basic staking.

INSIGHT

Solana’s Incremental Scaling Strategy

Solana is incrementally raising compute units (CUs) to scale, from 48 million to 60 million, aiming for 100 million this year.
Current demand doesn't fully utilize increased capacity; gradual scaling fits both hardware limits and traffic.

INSIGHT

Firedancer’s Potential and Tradeoffs

Firedancer client offers superior performance but remains underused on Solana around 10% stake.
Increasing Firedancer usage could unlock higher throughput and rewards, but risks raising hardware needs for small validators.

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This week, we cover market sentiment, Ethereum’s roadmap and staking dynamics amid rising ETF and treasury flows, and Solana’s recent network upgrades, including CU limit increases and client diversity. We also discuss Zora’s monetization model and growth, Plasma’s token sale and stablecoin strategy, and broader questions about crypto monetization and network design. Thanks for tuning in!

As always, remember this podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely their opinions, not financial advice.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:11) Market Outlook

(5:52) Ethereum's Resurgence

(16:04) Ads (Katana & Ledger)

(16:55) Solana's Upgrades

(36:55) Ads (Katana & Ledger)

(37:49) Plasma's Token Sale

(52:49) Marinade Ad

(53:42) Is Zora the Future of Finance?

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Disclaimer: Nothing said on 0xResearch is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Boccaccio, Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.