ConsenSys ZK-EVM Testnet Private Beta

Quick Take

• ConsenSys releases its ZK-EVM testnet to private beta.
• Socket introduces bridge protection.
• LlamaNodes releases free RPC endpoints.
• Yearn is now live on Legder.

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ConsenSys zkEVM Testnet Private Beta

ConsenSys announced the private beta release of its zkEVM testnet. ConsenSys's zkEVM is an EVM-equivalent ZK-rollup that is capable of handling native EVM bytecode for proving and verification. This enables the execution of Solidity smart contracts. Developers can use the zkEVM testnet to deploy smart contracts and migrate dapps.

Users can bridge tokens, transfer tokens, and interact with deployed dapps on the network. An Infura account is required to retrieve a unique RPC endpoint for testing the testnet. ConsenSys plans to gradually allowlist external users for the testnet starting in January 2023. ConsenSys also plans to open-source its ZK-EVM at a later date.

Socket Introduces Bridge Protection

Interoperability protocol Socket introduced a bridge protection product in collaboration with risk management platform RiskHarbor. The product promises to guarantee bridge transfers for users and developers who opt-in for protection. It also protects users against hidden bridging losses and delayed bridge transfers.

In the event of a hack, protected users are provided with their quoted bridge transfer amount in full. RiskHarbor features an AMM-style marketplace where users can purchase protection. Premiums are sent to underwriters who post collateral and take on risk on behalf of users. A guarded launch for bridge protection is expected by EOY.

certDAO Contract-To-Domain Verifier

certDAO introduced a contract verifier for frontends. Coined as a decentralized certificate authority for Web3, certDAO allows users to verify contract-to-domain address mappings. certDAO alerts users against unverified contracts, phishing attacks, and frontend exploits. Users can also flag malicious smart contracts on domains.

Contract owners are required to register contracts for their domain on certDAO, which verifies that the smart contract lives on the URL. CertDAO aims to create a standard for wallets and interfaces to verify contracts for a given domain. certDAO is not yet audited and is currently being developed by an independent developer.

LlamaNode Releases Free RPC Endpoints

LlamaNodes released free-to-use public and custom RPC endpoints for Ethereum and Polygon. Users can input LlamaNodes’ public RPC URL directly into their dapp or wallet. For custom RPCs, users can generate an API Key in the LlamaNode dashboard. which also provides usage stats. RPCs serve as the messaging layer between dapps and blockchains.

LlamaNodes plans to add support for Arbitrum, Optimism, Fantom, BNB Chain, and Gnosis Chain. It’s also working on a premium service called LlamaNodes Premium, which is designed for larger protocols. LlamaNodes Premium provides faster load times, unlimited requests, private transactions, an advanced dashboard, and archived data.

Yearn Finance Live On Ledger

Yearn Finance is now live on the Ledger Live desktop app. Ledger users can also access Yearn through the hardware wallet plugin. Users can deposit assets into Yearn’s Vault products from their ledger devices. Yearn Finance is a leading yield aggregation protocol that offers users access to boosted and risk-adjusted yields.