Tech Headlines

1. Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum Protocol Development Must Introduce Simplification and "Garbage Collection" Features to Avoid Bloat

https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/2012819160426807639

Vitalik stressed that "protocol simplicity" is key to achieving trustlessness and self-sovereignty, warning that excessive bloat and complex cryptography will undermine Ethereum's long-term security. Continuously adding new features to meet specific needs and maintaining backward compatibility have led to redundant protocol code, increasing the difficulty of client development and maintenance. Vitalik suggested introducing a "garbage collection" mechanism to streamline the protocol by reducing code, removing complex dependencies, and increasing protocol immutability (such as EIP-6780). By downgrading old features to smart contracts or simplifying historical versions, the development threshold can be lowered, enabling Ethereum to become a decentralized "superstructure" capable of lasting for centuries.

2. ZKsync Releases 2026 Roadmap: The Era of Scaled Applications Arrives

https://foresightnews.pro/article/detail/93909

ZKsync aims to use ZK technology to meet four core needs of financial institutions: privacy protection, system control, risk management, and interoperability. In 2025, it launched three major modules: Atlas, Prividium, and Airbender. In 2026, it will shift from foundational building to scaled deployment: Prividium will drive the integration of privacy technology into the banking stack, ZK Stack will enable native interoperability among appchains, and Airbender is committed to becoming a universal zkVM standard. Through deep institutional partnerships, it will empower payments and capital markets, enabling real-world applications at a scale of tens of trillions of dollars.

3. BSC Mainnet Fermi Hard Fork Upgrade Activated

https://x.com/BNBChainDevs/status/2011268132409917684

On January 14, BNB Chain successfully activated the Fermi hard fork on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) mainnet. This upgrade shortened the block time from 0.75 seconds to approximately 0.45 seconds. The main technical improvements include: shorter block times, more reliable transaction confirmations, and better performance for real-time applications.

Industry Dynamics

1. Pakistan's Central Bank to Partner With Trump Family Crypto Project WLFI to Explore Using USD1 for Cross-Border Payments

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/pakistan-partner-with-world-liberty-financial-dollar-linked-stablecoin-source-2026-01-14/

On January 14, according to a Reuters report, sources said on Wednesday that Pakistan has reached an agreement with World Liberty Financial, a crypto company linked to the family of U.S. President Trump, to explore using its U.S. dollar stablecoin USD1 for cross-border payments. Under the agreement, World Liberty will work with Pakistan's central bank to integrate its USD1 stablecoin into a regulated digital payments architecture, allowing it to operate in parallel with Pakistan's domestic digital currency infrastructure. The news is expected to be officially announced during a visit to Islamabad by World Liberty CEO Zach Witkoff.

2. West Virginia Lawmaker Proposes Allowing the State Treasury to Hold Digital Assets With a Market Cap Exceeding $750 Billion

https://cointelegraph.com/news/west-virginia-bill-treasury-digital-assets

U.S. West Virginia State Senator Chris Rose introduced a new legislative proposal called the "Inflation Protection Act." The proposal aims to amend state law to allow the state treasurer's office to invest funds in precious metals, certain digital assets (requiring a market cap exceeding $750 billion), and stablecoins.

3. Bermuda Announces Plans to Build a Fully On-Chain National Economy

https://www.circle.com/pressroom/the-government-of-bermuda-announces-plans-to-be-the-worlds-first-fully-onchain-national-economy-with-support-from-circle-and-coinbase

According to Circle's official website, the Government of Bermuda announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos that it plans to build a fully on-chain national economy with support from Circle and Coinbase. The plan will promote digital payments, asset tokenization, and financial education through the USDC stablecoin, alleviating issues such as high local payment costs and constrained infrastructure. Circle and Coinbase will provide blockchain infrastructure and tools for the government, banks, merchants, and others. The initiative is based on Bermuda's digital asset regulatory framework introduced in 2018.

In-Depth Analysis

1. As Hackers Use AI "More Efficiently," How Will the Web3 "Spear and Shield" Arms Race Escalate?

https://www.panewslab.com/zh/articles/286c34f9-1347-41fe-b060-3fb98dd8a589

As AI technology is being used by hackers to generate precise phishing attacks and social engineering scams at scale, Web3 security is facing an industrialized threat. Traditional defense methods that rely on human judgment have already fallen behind, and users face multiple risks throughout the entire transaction process. The significance of AI×Web3 lies in turning security into a capability that can be replicated at scale, rather than pursuing absolute security, thereby supporting the large-scale adoption of Web3.