Web3 Industry Weekly Report: Highlights from Week 1 of August 2026
Tech Headlines
1. EF Protocol Team July 2026 Monthly Update: Glamsterdam Expected to Go Live on Mainnet in Q4, Devnet-8 Coming Soon
https://learnblockchain.cn/article/27245
On August 1, the Ethereum Foundation protocol team released its first monthly work update after the reorganization. The Glamsterdam upgrade is expected to go live on mainnet in Q4; Devnet-7 has passed rigorous chaos testing, and Devnet-8 is coming soon. The Hegotá upgrade is in the scoping phase, with priority on resolving the interaction issues between FOCIL and Frame transactions. The upgrade will introduce ePBS and Block-level Access Lists (BAL), paving the way for a 200 million Gas Limit baseline and parallel execution.
2. Polygon Ithaca Hard Fork Goes Live on Mainnet, Improving Payment Reliability
https://x.com/0xPolygonFdn/status/2079589497281347676?s=20
At 22:00 on July 29, the Polygon Ithaca hard fork went live on mainnet at block height 50,185,000. The upgrade centers on improving payment reliability: automatic failover when block producers experience rare stalls to ensure smooth transactions, new safeguards to block transactions that may slow down the network, and clearer visibility for node operators. All node operators are required to upgrade as soon as possible to ensure compatibility and network security.
3. Coldcard Hardware Wallet Vulnerability Continues to Escalate, Losses Rise to Nearly $89 Million
On August 2, Galaxy Research disclosed that the Coldcard wallet security incident continued to expand: three rounds of attacks have cumulatively scanned 4,585 addresses and transferred 1,367 BTC (about $89 million). The flaw traces back to a firmware build error in March 2021, where seed generation was routed to a software pseudorandom number generator, allowing attackers to reproduce private keys offline without touching the device. Coinkite has released a hotfix, but it does not protect already generated seeds; affected users need to rebuild their wallets and migrate funds.
4. Coinbase Discloses That Over 97% of On-Chain AI Agent Transactions Use the x402 Protocol
On July 31, Coinbase disclosed in its 2026 Q2 earnings report that over 97% of on-chain AI agent transactions use its contributed x402 protocol, and over 90% of agent-related stablecoin transactions run on Base. By activating HTTP status code 402, x402 enables AI agents to complete stablecoin payments directly when requesting services, without human intervention. The data points to Coinbase's key position in AI agent payment infrastructure.
Industry Dynamics
1. People's Bank of China Holds 2026 H2 Work Conference, Emphasizes Improving Cross-Border Digital RMB Infrastructure
https://www.pbc.gov.cn/goutongjiaoliu/113456/113469/2026080209562668921/index.html
The People's Bank of China held its 2026 second-half work conference. In the section on external opening-up, the conference proposed actively and prudently carrying out central bank currency swaps and local-currency settlement cooperation, supporting overseas institutions in participating in Panda bond issuance, coordinating the development of the offshore RMB market, consolidating Hong Kong's position as an offshore RMB business hub, and deepening reforms to facilitate cross-border trade and investment financing. It also clearly stated the need to advance the construction of RMB cross-border payment systems, intensify international cooperation on cross-border payments, and improve cross-border digital RMB infrastructure. This deployment is related to the global competition and coexistence among stablecoins and tokenized payment infrastructure, and the improvement of digital RMB infrastructure in cross-border scenarios remains a gradual process.
2. CLARITY Act in the Senate Goes Through Suspension and Revival, Aiming for a Full-Senate Vote Before the August Recess
On July 27, the U.S. Senate majority leader temporarily shelved the CLARITY Act to prioritize sanctions on Russia and federal nominations; on July 29, bipartisan lawmakers finalized a compromise on ethics provisions and prepared to submit it to the White House, still aiming to schedule a full Senate vote before the August recess. The bill aims to establish federal crypto rules through a division of responsibilities between the SEC and CFTC. The House passed it in July 2025, and its outcome will directly affect the compliance boundaries and market structure regulation of U.S. crypto companies.
3. a16z: From Companies to DAOs, DUNA May Become the Next-Generation Organizational Form
https://www.techflowpost.com/article/32958
On August 1, a16z crypto published an article tracing the 500-year evolution of organizational forms, pointing out that the DAO dilemma lies not in technology but in the legal wrapper—namely, the lack of an entity form broadly understood by courts, regulators, and counterparties. DUNA (Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association), as the only legal entity explicitly recognized in the market structure legislation currently advancing in the U.S. Congress, is seen as the strongest competitor for internet-native organizations and offers reference value for compliant organization of Web3 projects.
In-Depth Analysis
1. Ethereum's 11th Year: Why Is This Year Especially Critical?️
https://www.odaily.news/zh-CN/post/5212264
On July 31, a Foresight News special column outlined Ethereum’s dual-track reconstruction in its 11th year: Fusaka, via PeerDAS, raised the Blob target to 14, laying the foundation for L2 scaling; the Foundation’s reorganization cut 54 people, and R&D, institutional, and privacy functions were split into independent entities such as Ethlabs. Lean Ethereum and Strawmap proposed goals of 1 gigagas/s L1, Teragas L2, post-quantum security, and native privacy. Multiple upgrades are expected to roll out over the next 3–4 years, and Glamsterdam (ePBS + BAL) and Hegotá (FOCIL) are currently advancing.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this document is based on publicly available market data and industry trends, and is for reference only. Please note that this information does not constitute any form of investment advice or recommendation, nor should it be considered as the basis for buying or selling any financial products or services. In case of any translation errors in English, inaccuracies, or situations requiring further clarification, please contact us through 'Contact Us' so that we can verify and make necessary corrections in a timely manner.
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