AI Key to Web3 Competitiveness, Says Gate CEO

The post The Channel Factories We’ve Been Waiting For appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Visions of future technology are often prescient about the broad strokes while flubbing the details. The tablets in “2001: A Space Odyssey” do indeed look like iPads, but you never see the astronauts paying for subscriptions or wasting hours on Candy Crush.  Channel factories are one vision that arose early in the history of the Lightning Network to address some challenges that Lightning has faced from the beginning. Despite having grown to become Bitcoin’s most successful layer-2 scaling solution, with instant and low-fee payments, Lightning’s scale is limited by its reliance on payment channels. Although Lightning shifts most transactions off-chain, each payment channel still requires an on-chain transaction to open and (usually) another to close. As adoption grows, pressure on the blockchain grows with it. The need for a more scalable approach to managing channels is clear. Channel factories were supposed to meet this need, but where are they? In 2025, subnetworks are emerging that revive the impetus of channel factories with some new details that vastly increase their potential. They are natively interoperable with Lightning and achieve greater scale by allowing a group of participants to open a shared multisig UTXO and create multiple bilateral channels, which reduces the number of on-chain transactions and improves capital efficiency. Achieving greater scale by reducing complexity, Ark and Spark perform the same function as traditional channel factories with new designs and additional capabilities based on shared UTXOs.  Channel Factories 101 Channel factories have been around since the inception of Lightning. A factory is a multiparty contract where multiple users (not just two, as in a Dryja-Poon channel) cooperatively lock funds in a single multisig UTXO. They can open, close and update channels off-chain without updating the blockchain for each operation. Only when participants leave or the factory dissolves is an on-chain transaction…

The post Ethereum unveils roadmap focusing on scaling, interoperability, and security at Japan Dev Conference appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Key Takeaways Ethereum’s new roadmap was presented by Vitalik Buterin at the Japan Dev Conference. Short-term priorities include Layer 1 scaling and raising gas limits to enhance transaction throughput. Vitalik Buterin presented Ethereum’s development roadmap at the Japan Dev Conference today, outlining the blockchain platform’s priorities across multiple timeframes. The short-term goals focus on scaling solutions and increasing Layer 1 gas limits to improve transaction capacity. Mid-term objectives target enhanced cross-Layer 2 interoperability and faster network responsiveness to create a more seamless user experience across different scaling solutions. The long-term vision emphasizes building a secure, simple, quantum-resistant, and formally verified minimalist Ethereum network. This approach aims to future-proof the platform against emerging technological threats while maintaining its core functionality. The roadmap presentation comes as Ethereum continues to compete with other blockchain platforms for market share in the smart contract and decentralized application space. Source: https://cryptobriefing.com/ethereum-roadmap-scaling-interoperability-security-japan/

The post UK crypto holders brace for FCA’s expanded regulatory reach appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. British crypto holders may soon face a very different landscape as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) moves to expand its regulatory reach in the industry. A new consultation paper outlines how the watchdog intends to apply its rulebook to crypto firms, shaping everything from asset safeguarding to trading platform operation. According to the financial regulator, these proposals would translate into clearer protections for retail investors and stricter oversight of crypto firms. UK FCA plans Until now, UK crypto users mostly encountered the FCA through rules on promotions and anti-money laundering checks. The consultation paper goes much further. It proposes direct oversight of stablecoin issuers, custodians, and crypto-asset trading platforms (CATPs). For investors, that means the wallets, exchanges, and coins they rely on could soon be subject to the same governance and resilience standards as traditional financial institutions. The regulator has also clarified that firms need official authorization before serving customers. This condition should, in theory, reduce the risk of sudden platform failures or unclear accountability. David Geale, the FCA’s executive director of payments and digital finance, said the proposals are designed to strike a balance between innovation and protection. He explained: “We want to develop a sustainable and competitive crypto sector – balancing innovation, market integrity and trust.” Geale noted that while the rules will not eliminate investment risks, they will create consistent standards, helping consumers understand what to expect from registered firms. Why does this matter for crypto holders? The UK regulatory framework shift would provide safer custody of assets, better disclosure of risks, and clearer recourse if something goes wrong. However, the regulator was also frank in its submission, arguing that no rulebook can eliminate the volatility or inherent risks of holding digital assets. Instead, the focus is on ensuring that when consumers choose to invest, they do…