Ethereum Pectra Upgrade Delayed as Holesky Testnet Finally Reaches Finality

Ethereum’s Holesky testnet has finally reached finality, overcoming a software bug that delayed it for nearly two weeks after the Pectra upgrade. This milestone comes as developers postpone setting a mainnet launch date for Pectra, keeping the crypto community waiting for the major upgrade.

Starknet is expanding beyond Ethereum to integrate with Bitcoin, partnering with BTC wallet Xverse to enhance DeFi accessibility. By becoming Bitcoin’s execution layer, Starknet aims to boost its scalability from 13 TPS to thousands, offering a more efficient DeFi experience by Q2 2025.

Ethereum Foundation’s former researcher Danny Ryan is transitioning to Wall Street through Etherealize, a firm dedicated to Ethereum adoption in traditional finance. Ryan believes Ethereum is at a turning point, emphasizing its growth beyond the foundation’s leadership.

Sony’s blockchain arm is collaborating with Japanese social media giant LINE to bring Web3 experiences to millions. Popular LINE mini-apps like Sleepagotchi and Farm Frens will be integrated into Sony’s Soneium network, an Ethereum layer-2 powered by Optimism’s OP Stack, pushing mass adoption of blockchain gaming.

The U.S. House of Representatives has blocked an IRS rule that would have required decentralized entities to report user information. In another regulatory shift, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) now allows banks to engage in crypto activities without prior approval, further legitimizing crypto in traditional finance.

Upcoming industry events include Digital Asset Summit (March 18-20), Paris Blockchain Week (April 8-10), and Token2049 in Dubai (April 30-May 1). With growing institutional interest and regulatory changes, the crypto landscape is evolving rapidly, making these updates crucial for investors and developers alike.