Web3 Industry Weekly Report: Highlights from Week 2 of October 2026
Tech Headlines
1. Base Completes Cobalt Mainnet Upgrade, Introducing Conditionally Block-Eligible Transaction Mechanism
Base's official status page shows that the Cobalt mainnet upgrade was completed on September 30 (UTC). The new version introduces Validity Transactions, allowing users to submit a single signed transaction with conditions such as on-chain state and block height; the transaction will not be included in a block until the conditions are met, reducing continuous querying and repeated submissions. The upgrade also extends the B20 asset standard, allowing existing whitelists and blacklists to be combined using "AND" or "OR" logic, with rules read during transfers. The new version supports preset times for changes to asset display multipliers for scenarios such as stock splits, while underlying balances and transfer behavior remain unchanged; for assets with relevant permissions enabled, administrative transfers can include on-chain memos. The above are protocol capability updates, with specific asset rules configured by their respective administrators.
2. Unichain Announces Migration to OP Enterprise, with Testnet and Mainnet Scheduled for October 13 and 29 Respectively
https://blog.uniswap.org/unichain-is-upgrading-to-op-enterprise
Uniswap Labs announced on October 9 that Unichain will migrate to Optimism's OP Enterprise infrastructure in preparation for OP Stack native interoperability capabilities. The testnet migration is scheduled for October 13, and the mainnet migration for October 29. According to the announcement, Optimism will be responsible for mainnet and testnet sequencers, RPCs, monitoring, and incident response, while chain IDs, contracts, balances, applications, and deployments of all Uniswap versions remain unchanged. Unichain remains a Stage 1 Rollup with permissionless fault proofs, and contract upgrades are overseen by Optimism governance and the Security Council. Once native interoperability goes live, it is planned to first support ETH transfers across relevant chains; specific activation and migration completion status will be subject to subsequent announcements.
3. Chainlink Launches CCIP 2.0 and Vault Adapters, Expanding Cross-Chain Verification and Deposit Access Capabilities
https://dev.chain.link/changelog/announcing-ccip-2-0
Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0 on September 28, adding optional independent cross-chain verifiers, confirmation parameters, modular fee and execution method configurations, and integrating a compliance engine; the cross-chain Router interface remains unchanged, allowing developers to add institutional or third-party verification as needed. On October 8, the team further released CCIP Vault Adapters, enabling vaults deployed on a single network to receive deposits from over 80 supported networks while keeping accounting, strategy, and governance on the original chain. Standard ERC-4626 vaults can be integrated via factory contracts using cross-chain deposit receipts. The first batch of adapters focuses on standard deposits and redemptions, with asynchronous interactions, multi-asset, and permissioned vault models still planned for later.
4. Ant Digital Technologies and HSBC Complete AI Agent Micropayment Technical Verification, Using Tokenized Deposits for Real-Time Settlement
Ant Digital Technologies and HSBC announced on October 9 the completion of an AI agent micropayment technical verification. The test combined HSBC's Tokenized Deposit Service (TDS), Ant Digital Technologies' Anvita Flow network, and the Jovay testnet to demonstrate the process of agents discovering and invoking digital services on behalf of users, initiating micropayments, and completing real-time settlement. HSBC provides real-time risk checks and settlement capabilities via the MCP interface, Anvita Flow handles service interaction and payment integration, and Jovay provides a Layer 2 blockchain testing environment. The announcement generally defines micropayments as under $2 but did not disclose the transaction amount, clarifying that this verification is a technical exploration and does not yet constitute a commercial launch or product service for real customers.
5. zkAPI Goes Live on Ethereum Mainnet, Separating API Usage from Payment Identity via Zero-Knowledge Proofs
https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/10/01/introducing-zkapi
The Ethereum Foundation's dAI team introduced zkAPI, built in collaboration with the Open Anonymity Project, on October 1, disclosing that it is already running on Ethereum mainnet. After users deposit usage credits into a vault contract, they generate zero-knowledge proofs locally to demonstrate sufficient and unspent credits without linking payment identity to the billing layer. The runtime key model issues short-lived, quota-limited API keys; requests are sent directly to model providers, and usage is settled via signed receipts. This mechanism can be applied to AI inference, blockchain RPCs, and machine-to-machine metered services. The team clarified that payment unlinkability does not equal network or content anonymity, as providers may still correlate sessions through IP addresses, timing patterns, and prompt content.
Industry Dynamics
1. CPC Central Committee and State Council Release Guidelines on Developing New Quality Productive Forces, Proposing a National Blockchain Network
https://www3.xinhuanet.com/politics/zywj/20261009/f4bdabfe2bfa489fbeaf6d57bac21c22/c.html
Xinhua News Agency released the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Developing New Quality Productive Forces" under authorization on October 9. In its deployment to promote the deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy, the document proposes building a national integrated computing power network and a national blockchain network, requires optimizing the layout, construction, and operation of national data infrastructure, and calls for in-depth implementation of manufacturing digital transformation initiatives. The document also deploys projects such as "Eastern Data, Western Computing," intelligent manufacturing, and industrial internet innovation and development. Regarding data elements, it proposes improving systems for data property rights attribution, market transactions, rights distribution, and interest protection, implementing related pilot demonstration projects, and refining policy frameworks that promote digital industrialization and industry digitalization. This new item refers to the release of the aforementioned policy document.
2. U.S. SEC Proposes New Crypto Asset Custody Rules, Conditionally Allowing Self-Custody and State Trust Company Custody
https://www.sec.gov/files/ia-7023-fact-sheet.pdf
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed crypto asset custody rules for investment advisers and regulated funds on October 1. The proposal would conditionally allow self-custody under specific circumstances, such as when no qualified custodian can be found, requiring periodic assessments of custodian availability, the establishment of private key management, at least two-person joint authorization, independent addresses for client assets, and cybersecurity controls, along with obtaining an independent internal control report. Fund boards would also be required to oversee these arrangements. The proposal additionally sets a conditional pathway for state trust company custody, requiring verification of their authorization, protective measures, and audit materials, as well as segregation of client and proprietary assets. Recordkeeping and disclosure requirements would also be adjusted. The document remains a proposal open for public comment, with a comment period of 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.
3. ESMA Clarifies Supervisory Expectations for Stablecoin Services Non-Compliant with MiCA, Requiring Remediation of Existing Risk Exposures Within Three Months at the Latest
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a supervisory statement on October 8, clarifying that MiCA-authorized crypto-asset service providers should cease providing EU clients with services involving asset-referenced tokens and e-money tokens that do not comply with MiCA requirements. The scope covers trading, exchange, order execution, advice, transfers, custody, and portfolio management; firms should implement technical, contractual, and organizational controls to prevent clients from adding to or increasing such exposures. For existing positions, competent authorities should require remediation as soon as possible, no later than three months after the statement's publication; residual services such as liquidation, conversion, transfer out, or safekeeping may only be provided on a time-limited basis and strictly to the extent necessary to protect clients and ensure an orderly exit. The document does not list specific token names.
In-Depth Analysis
1. Ethereum Foundation Introduces Native Transaction Assertions Research, Proposing Post-Execution Verification of Final Transaction Results
https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/10/05/transaction-assertions
The Ethereum Foundation's Access Cluster introduced native transaction assertions research on October 5, aiming to check after transaction execution whether the final state satisfies rules pre-signed by the user. Rules can cover minimum received amounts, spending caps, authorization changes, and account control logic; if the check fails, the transaction's execution effects are rolled back. The article lists EIP-7906 as one implementation path: based on EIP-8141 framed transactions, a read-only POST_TX phase is added at the end to check net state changes and events. The approach can also be used to constrain the outcomes of agent operations on behalf of users. This mechanism is still under design, and EIP-7906 has not been confirmed for inclusion in an upgrade; the article emphasizes that assertion rules must derive from trusted, independent user intent or account policies.
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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