Ethereum Bulletin #100: Stateless Scaling, New Testnet, and More!

We've hit 100 editions! It’s been a long journey covering Ethereum’s progress, and we appreciate everyone who’s been following along. This week, we’re looking at Ress: Stateless Reth Nodes, the Summer of Protocols 2025, and Ethereum’s newest testnet, Hoodi. Plus, some discussions on slowing things down a bit, let’s get into it.

TL;DR

• 1. Ress – Stateless Nodes Revolutionizing Ethereum: Reth v1.3 introduces Ress, a stateless execution layer that cuts node storage needs to 14GB and boosts network scalability.
• 2. Hoodi – A New Testnet for Pectra Testing: Ethereum launches the Hoodi testnet to replace Holesky, providing a stable, mainnet-like environment for testing upgrades and staking operations.
• 3. Summer Of Protocols 2025: Applications are open for the third cohort of a program offering grants, contests, and workshops to drive protocol research and education.
• 4. OKX Update & Big News Hints: OKX pauses its DEX aggregator to enhance security, while Offchain Labs and partners hint at major interoperability breakthroughs on the horizon.
• 5. Ethereum Film Global Release: “Vitalik: An Ethereum Story”, a community-funded documentary exploring Vitalik Buterin’s journey and the Ethereum community, debuts on April 15 via Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

Ress – Stateless Nodes Revolutionizing Ethereum

Reth v1.3 introduces Ress (Reth Stateless), a fully validating Ethereum Execution Layer that reduces node storage requirements to just 14GB. By using state proofs (witnesses) included in each block, Ress allows nodes to operate without holding the full chain state. This new approach can lower operational costs, boost decentralization, and help scale both L1 gas limits and L2 systems, all without any hard forks. Initial tests on the Holesky testnet have already shown promising results, paving the way for further improvements.

Hoodi – A New Testnet for Pectra Testing

Introducing Hoodi: In response to issues with Holesky, like prolonged non-finality and massive validator exit queues, Ethereum developers have launched Hoodi. This new testnet mimics Mainnet conditions to provide a stable environment for testing Pectra upgrades, validator exits, and staking operations. Hoodi aims to deliver realistic, reproducible results and reduce the time and hassle of fixing past testnet problems.

Hoodi Testnet coming soon!!!

Congratulations to the #Ethereum Community, especially the #Indian contributors! We now have an Indian Metro station added to Ethereum history—welcome, Hoodi! 🚆https://t.co/mvo791SJua#Pectra #NetworkUpgarde https://t.co/R0ruP6zLj7

— Pooja Ranjan | ranjan.eth (@poojaranjan19) March 14, 2025

Summer Of Protocols 2025

Apply Now: The Summer of Protocols (SoP) is now accepting applications for its third cohort, with this year’s theme, "Accelerating Order". The program is divided into three tracks:

• Protocol Education: Grants totaling 500,000 USD for educators to build courses on protocols.
• Scene-Making: Competitions and contests to explore protocol fiction.
• Technical Foundations: Workshops focused on formalizing protocols.
  This initiative offers a great opportunity for researchers, developers, and educators to push the boundaries of protocol innovation.

OKX Update & Big News Hints

Security and a Glimpse of What’s Next:
OKX has temporarily paused its DEX aggregator to fix tagging issues on blockchain explorers and roll out new security features after recent coordinated media attacks and misuse attempts by threat groups. Meanwhile, tweets from industry voices hint that major news, possibly tied to enhanced Ethereum interoperability, could be coming soon. Stay tuned as further details emerge on these promising developments.

We are temporarily pausing our DEX aggregator to address incomplete tagging on blockchain explorers while we also roll out new security features. This is to address the recent coordinated attacks by media along with unsuccessful efforts by Lazarus group to misuse our DeFi… pic.twitter.com/r6oHNIaalT

— OKX (@okx) March 17, 2025

Ethereum Film Global Release

Vitalik: An Ethereum Story – A community-funded documentary capturing the journey of Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin and the global developer community is set for a worldwide release on April 15. Filmed across 28 cities in 15 countries over three years, the film will debut on major streaming platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime, making Ethereum’s history accessible to a broader audience.

Vitalik: An Ethereum Story is releasing globally on April 15th on @appletv and @primevideo! You can preorder today to give the film a boost. pic.twitter.com/DKBEVAQ7Ao

— Vitalik: An Ethereum Story (@EthereumFilm) March 14, 2025

If you have any thoughts or feedback that you would like to share, you can write them to team@etherworld.co or @ether_world

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• New Ethereum Testnet ‘Hoodi’ Announced for Pectra Testing
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• Coinbase’s Daring Comeback to Ignite India's Crypto Revolution
  
• Will Fusaka Be Ready in Time? Vitalik's 2025 Vision