Payment apps are key drivers of stablecoin adoption across high-inflation markets
El Dorado is doing this in LATAM via instant, low-cost USD access through USDT on Arbitrum
With 1M+ users and 4M+ P2P transfers, @eldoradoio shows why payment apps scale on Arbitrum's platform
In 2014, there was a vision: you can have permissionless, decentralized applications that could support finance, social media, ride sharing, governing organizations, crowdfunding, potentially create an entire alternative web, all on the backs of a suite of technologies.
Ethereum: the blockchain. The world computer that could give any application its shared memory.
Whisper: the data layer. Messages too expensive for a blockchain, that do no need consensus.
Swarm: the storage layer. Store files for long-term access.
Over the last five years, this core vision has at times become obscured, with various "metas" and "narratives" at various times taking center stage. But the core vision has never died. And in fact, the core technologies behind it are only growing stronger.
Ethereum is now proof of stake. Ethereum is now scaling, it is now cheap, and it is on track to get more scalable and cheaper thanks to the power of ZK-EVMs. Thanks to ZK-EVM + PeerDAS, the "sharding" vision is effectively being realized. And L2s can give additional and different kinds of gains in speed on top.
Whisper is now Waku ( https://t.co/uj5h9iSpIL ), and already powers many applications (eg. https://t.co/owlo5yoS68, https://t.co/hDizYCFjuq just to name two I use). Even outside of Waku, the quality of decentralized messaging has increased. Fileverse (decentralized Google Docs and Sheets alternative: https://t.co/ZIKj4U5pQe ) has seen massive gains in usability over the past year.
IPFS is now highly performant and robust as a decentralized way of retrieving files, though IPFS alone does not solve the storage problem. Hence, there is still room to improve there.
All of the prerequisites for the original web3 vision are here, in full force, and are continuing to get stronger over the next few years. Hence, it's time to buidl, and buidl decentralized.
Fileverse is an excellent example of the right way to do things:
* It uses Ethereum and Gnosis Chain for what they are good for: names, accounts and permissioning, document registration
* It uses decentralized messaging and file storage to store documents and propagate changes to documents
* The application passes the walkaway test: https://t.co/xO1dNLlnhf (even if Fileverse disappears, you can still retrieve them and even keep editing them with the open source UI)
This is what we mean by "build a hammer that is a tool you buy once and it's yours, not a corposlop AI dishwasher that requires you to register for a google account and charges a subscription fee per month for extra washing modes, and probably spies on you and stops working if you get politically disfavored by a foreign country".
If you think this criticism of corposlop is hyperbolic, well turns out, it's literally a concatenation of these three:
* https://t.co/GBNaXOa454
* https://t.co/saD3cNp4Ae
* https://t.co/skoJ58vbqz
In 2014, decentralized applications were toys, hundreds of times more difficult to use in web2. In 2026, fileverse is now usable enough that I regularly write documents in it and send them to other people to collaborate. The decentralized renaissance is coming, and you can be part of making it happen.
This Week in the Virtuals Ecosystem 🟩
VIRTUALS
🟩 We’ve updated https://t.co/vktrrpKVAQ to clearly reflect what we are focused on in 2026, including our four core pillars and a sharper articulation of where the protocol is heading.
🟩 We shared a full recap of what the protocol shipped and achieved throughout 2025.
ECOSYSTEM
🟩 @GAME_Virtuals utility clarification. For every 1 dollar of agent revenue processed by @Butler_Agent, 1% flows into $GAME treasury. (Agent revenue refers to the fees earned by agents for performing tasks and is what drives $GAME utility.)
🟩 @openmind_agi demos robot on OM1 OS integrated with Virtuals AI agents, autonomously executing voice-commanded DeFi tasks like cross-chain USDC transfers targeting 10% APY, merging physical robotics with digital agents.
🟩 @predibot_ hits a new all-time high in daily active volume, surpassing $150,000 USDC
🟩 @acolyteAI closes deal with RezendeEzil (34M YouTube subs) for video generation.
🟩 @pilot3ai launches V2 dashboard: trending tokens explorer, deep-dive research on fundamentals/metrics/unlocks, market pulse with 24h trends, Virtuals insights across projects, and portfolio intelligence
🟩 @GigabrainGG is now live on ACP. Token analysis, trade setups, and Polymarket insights are all now available via ACP through Butler.
🟩 @Wach_AI introduces Verification Cluster on Virtuals ACP: WachAI Mesh links TokenSense (asset verification) and Sentry (contract audits) for coordinated, high-confidence cross-validation
🟩 @capminal launches X402 Orchestrator live: discover, call, and pay for x402 APIs (V1/V2) directly from Terminal with full support, backward compatibility, and builder-optimized flow.
🟩 @NeoxInfra Phase 1 live in production, enabling direct connections to on-chain yield markets across 4 chains.
🟩 @717CapitalAI completes onboarding of 4 new HK-based settlement counterparties.
🟩 @vPay_Global launches limited-time promotion offering free vPay Virtual Cards to community members; no fees, instant claim for seamless crypto-to-real-world spending; available in limited supply for early adopters.
🟩 @reppo × @Starlythestar partner to accelerate city-scale activations and AI training data infra: Reppo captures preference data, Sponstar operationalizes it with verified Proof of Presence, and Starly transforms it into predictive intelligence; enables subnet owners to enforce privacy-preserving geographic access controls without KYC.
Agents keep shipping.
See you next week.
RESERVE UPDATE
Today, the Chainlink Reserve has accumulated 94,267.77 LINK.
The Chainlink Reserve now holds a total of 1,416,379.61 LINK.
https://t.co/BJYimLa2Fv
The Chainlink Reserve is designed to support the long-term growth and sustainability of the Chainlink Network by accumulating LINK using offchain revenue from large enterprises adopting Chainlink and onchain revenue from service usage.
This week on Base:
NEWS
■ @jpmorgan’s USD deposit token (JPMD) is now live on Base for institutional transfers. Commercial banking is moving onchain.
■ Base transactions hit a new all-time high with 16.1 million in a single day.
■ Base Chain’s gas limit is now 150 Mgas/s, completing a full 2x capacity increase over the past month.
■ Base introduced BaseLayer, a video series spotlighting the builders shaping the global economy. Episode 001 features @wagmiAlexander of @aeroxyz.
■ Base is heading to @EFDevcon. Meet the team at the Base Booth (Nov 17–22), watch 50 startups pitch at Base Batches Demo Day (Nov 17), catch @jessepollak on the main stage, and join our Base Meetup (Nov 19).
■ @PythNetwork and @conduitxyz added new discounts for the Base ecosystem through the Base Services Hub, giving builders more support.
LAUNCHES
■ @noicedotso rolled out Oracle, a social trading experiment where liking a post lets you buy the ticker.
■ @MetaMask released the MetaMask Card so users can spend IRL.
■ @DromosLabs hosted A New Horizon in NYC, where @jessepollak and @wagmiAlexander discussed @aeroxyz and the future of DEXs on Base.
■ @official_pucca debuted official digital collectibles on Base, available on @opensea.
■ @KPRVERSE opened the public mint for New Eden Keycards, giving early players access to game credits, leaderboards, and bonuses.
■ @TheMotorverse kicked off Lamborghini Urus Racing Royale, a week-long competition.
■ @sportfun introduced NFL player ownership so fans can draft, trade, and compete.
■ @HeyElsaAI launched the Elsa Based Trading Arena, letting users discover and trade tokens through simple prompts.
■ @hinkal_protocol enabled private wallets and shielded transactions using zero-knowledge tech.
■ @glider__ rolled out portfolio automation tools inside one smooth app.
■ @myprasanna introduced 0xPPL 2.0, a crypto super-app that unifies fragmented onchain experiences.
■ @BrackyHQ added thread-native markets where pricing and settlement happen entirely inside a post.
■ @feyprotocol enabled permissionless token deployment.
■ @CreatorBid announced Pokéthon, a Pokémon-inspired hackathon for AI agents with a $20,000 prize pool.
■ @DefiMaseer launched a fully permissionless RWA backed 1:1 by California compliance carbon credits, tradable on @aeroxyz.
■ @districtxyz celebrated @nemesisdottrade reaching the number one spot on DEXScreener.
■ @districtxyz also partnered with @TheAgencyVC to help launch global cultural movements and onboard new builders through its Launchpad.
■ @edeldotfinance introduced a transparent, onchain alternative to traditional equity markets.
■ @bpdotfun hit its largest prize pool yet at $22,000, while collectors earned $133,758.34 in loyalty coins.
■ @dockerxyz expanded its presence in @baseapp and is building a treasury focused on creator and content coins.
■ @vibe3_build introduced the Vibe3 Creator Fund, offering weekly prizes to support new onchain apps.
■ @JoinPond shared its vision for a decentralized accelerator that focuses on validating and scaling real startups.
MINI APPS
■ @fhenix launched CoFHE along with its first encrypted mini app, inviting builders to create encrypted applications and demo them during Encryption Day in Buenos Aires.
■ @Uptopia_xyz’s Maze Runner mini app crossed 20,000 transactions.
■ @Unchained_pod went live in @baseapp with its own mini app for onchain publishing.