# Blockdaemon Ethereum Newsletter **December 2023** By: Freddy Zwanzger ### December Ethereum insights: DevConnect Istanbul recap, EigenLayer's restaking with Blockdaemon, Goerli testnet's phase-out, and Ethereum's evolving dominance. **In this month’s newsletter:** - DevConnect Istanbul conference recap - EigenLayer restaking with Blockdaemon on testnet - Goerli testnet depreciation - Eventually, We Are All Ethereum? ### DevConnect Istanbul conference recap [DevConnect](https://devconnect.org/) is Devcon’s little sibling, bringing together many ecosystem participants before the next big Ethereum Foundation conference (planned for Nov 2024 in Southeast Asia). In Istanbul, there seemingly were fewer participants than in previous conferences, even though it is difficult to tell since DevConnect mainly consists of decentralized organized events. Some noticeable themes and announcements: - Liquid staking continues to boom (e.g. [StakeWise V3 launch](https://stakewise.medium.com/announcing-the-launch-of-stakewise-v3-55effc24dbe4); “LSTfi”) - Restaking becomes more tangible (e.g. [EigenLayer testnet with EigenDA launched](https://www.blog.eigenlayer.xyz/launch-of-the-stage-2-testnet-eigenlayer-eigenda/)) - L2s continuously evolve (e.g. [shared sequencing](https://www.espressosys.com/), [“based” roll-ups](https://www.youtube.com/live/YqiCpLd8ecM?si=XnNtIOqid3WT8_wF&t=1981)) The talk recordings are spread across the different event websites (e.g. L2days [1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsUC0jZzP8E) + [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqiCpLd8ecM&t=1981s), [Restaking Summit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aK6VrmK0yk&list=PL9sM6KtdZxrUflYepNbNVGFNH8Cong0oB), [LidoConnect](https://blog.lido.fi/lidoconnect-2023-recap/), and many more on [DevConnect](https://devconnect.org/)) - simply reply to this newsletter for personal recommendations on what to watch! Image source: [DevConnect Announcement](https://blog.ethereum.org/2023/04/20/announcing-devconnect-ist) ### EigenLayer restaking with Blockdaemon on testnet Blockdaemon is [ready to accept your delegations](https://goerli.eigenlayer.xyz/operator/0xdda538c29b6d569252e127c266a8a4cd77ea0bd8) on Goerli testnet for the recently launched EigenDA there. This is the first Actively Validates Service (AVS) on top of restaking protocol [EigenLayer](https://www.eigenlayer.xyz/). Many more AVSs are in the pipeline, with EigenLabs own Data Availability service for L2s likely to be the first launching on Mainnet in Q1-2024. Learn more about institutional restaking in general in our [recent blog](/content/blog/institutional-restaking-with-eigenlayer/index.html) - and [contact us](/content/get-started/staking/index.html) to explore the right option for you to double-dip on rewards for your ETH collateral! Simplified Architecture of EigenLayer. Image source: [EigenLayer Blog](https://www.blog.eigenlayer.xyz/ycie/) ### Goerli testnet depreciation As recently [confirmed officially by the Ethereum foundation](https://blog.ethereum.org/2023/11/30/goerli-lts-update), the Goerli testnet will be discontinued soon. It will last likely until around Feb-March 2024 due to the upcoming Dencun hard fork slipping into the new year. Either three months after the Goerli Dencun activation, or one month after the Dencun mainnet activation, whichever comes later, large contributors will begin exiting their Goerli validators with network instability expected/planned at that time. Blockdaemon’s [Holesky staking testnet](https://github.com/eth-clients/holesky) support will be available across all product lines by the end of year, and we are looking to support [Sepolia application testnet](https://github.com/eth-clients/sepolia) in Ubiquity and our wallet products in Q1. Please plan your migration away from Goerli and we will follow up with definite timelines soon. Image source: [https://github.com/eth-clients/holesky](https://github.com/eth-clients/holesky) ### Eventually, We Are All Ethereum? Food for thought for 2024: If history is a prologue, then Ethereum is going to eat the entire blockchain sector and everything that is not Ethereum will eventually become an Ethereum Layer 2. In a [recent CoinDesk column](https://insights.ey.com/NTIwLVJYUC0wMDMAAAGPMM8mSoM3UZzJuqpPkQxx-Myj4G0HKyaVV2AR0rI1kUznzwEHilGe4WVkc0hjSSLV20jbmWU=), EY Global Blockchain Leader Paul Brody argues that the recent decision by CELO stakeholders to shift into operating as an Ethereum Layer 2 is just the beginning of an avalanche of similar integrations and shifts that lead us to an end-state where Ethereum ultimately operates as the Layer 1 for all blockchains. Let me know what you think! Image source: Author ### **Blockdaemon Resources** - Blog: [All things staking ETH with Blockdaemon](/content/blog/discover-shapella-revolutionize-your-ethereum-staking-experience-with-blockdaemon/index.html) - Staking API Docs: [Integration](https://docs.blockdaemon.com/reference/ethereum-api-overview) & [Reporting](https://docs.blockdaemon.com/reference/ethereum-staking-reporting) - [ETH staking](/content/blog/new-upgrades-to-blockdaemon-institutional-wallet/index.html) in Blockdaemon Institutional Wallet™ - Upgraded [ETH Staking Rewards Dashboard](https://docs.blockdaemon.com/docs/ethereum-dashboard-overview) ### **Previous Ethereum Newsletters** - [Nov 2023 - Institutional Restaking & Rewards Dashboard](/content/blog/blockdaemon-ethereum-newsletter-november-2023/index.html) - [Oct 2023 - Stake Smartly & The MEV Revolution](/content/blog/blockdaemon-ethereum-newsletter-october-2023/index.html) - [Sept 2023 - AA, MPC, or Both?](/content/blog/blockdaemon-ethereum-newsletter-september-2023/index.html)