The Protocol: Polygon, Once a Scaling Leader, Eyes a Revamp

In this issue:

Sandeep Nailwal Takes Control of Polygon Foundation, Charts New Course, Retires ZkEVM
Ethereum Foundation Unveils New Treasury Policy With 15% Opex Cap
Bitcoin Core 30 to Increase OP_RETURN Data Limit After Developer Debate Concludes
Plume Launches Genesis Mainnet to Bring Real-World Assets to DeFi

Safe, the popular multiparty crypto wallet previously called Gnosis Safe, has launched a new development unit, Safe Labs, in a move aimed at consolidating its operations and sharpening its product roadmap after it was targeted in February’s $1.4 billion ByBit hack — the largest crypto heist to date. Along with the change, Safe is building a more “opinionated” V2 of its platform targeted at enterprise customers. — Sam Kessler Read more.
Morpho, a permissionless cryptocurrency lending protocol, unveiled an update that seeks to further align decentralized finance (DeFi) with traditional lending by bringing more in the way of bespoke, predictable loan terms. Morpho V2 delivers market-driven fixed-rate, fixed-term loans with customizable terms, features previously unseen in DeFi, which are required to meet the demands of institutions and enterprises looking to build or migrate financial products on-chain, Morpho said in a press release on Thursday.— Ian Allison Read more.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is working on policy to exempt decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms from regulatory barriers, said Chairman Paul Atkins. Software developers building DeFi tools have no business being blamed for how they’re used, Atkins and other SEC Republicans contended at the final of five crypto roundtables that have been held at the agency since the leadership turnover under President Donald Trump.The chairman told a roundtable of DeFi experts that he’s directed the SEC staff to look into changes to agency rules “to provide needed accommodation for issuers and intermediaries to seek to administer on-chain financial systems.” Atkins called that potential exemptive relief “an innovation exemption” that would let entities under SEC jurisdiction bring on-chain products and services to market “expeditiously.” — Jesse Hamilton Read more.
The international unit of Alipay owner Ant Group plans to seek stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong and Singapore, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. Ant International will apply for a stablecoin issuer’s license once the regulatory regime comes into effect in August, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter. The firm is also planning to apply for a similar license in its native Singapore, as well as Luxembourg. — Jamie Crawley Read more.