In a recent interview with Sreeram Kannan, the founder of EigenLayer and a computing professor at the University of Washington, Margaux Nijkerk explored the concept of “restaking” on Ethereum. Restaking involves sharing the Ethereum blockchain’s security with other protocols and networks. Kannan highlighted the systemic risks associated with restaking, acknowledging concerns raised by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
The article also covered Google’s increasing involvement in blockchain technology. Google Cloud, the company’s cloud-computing division, recently announced the addition of 11 networks, including Polygon, Optimism, and Polkadot, to its ‘BigQuery’ program for public datasets. James Tromans, Google Cloud’s global head of Web3, emphasized the company’s commitment to the blockchain space and its focus on hiring, growth, and product development in this area.
The performance of the Ethereum blockchain since the Shapella upgrade in April was a topic of discussion. JPMorgan analysts noted a decrease in network activity, with a 12% drop in daily transaction count and a 20% decrease in daily active addresses. However, Akash Mahendra, director of the Haven1 Foundation, pointed out that the focus on Ethereum alone might overlook the rapid growth of layer-2 networks built on Ethereum, which have absorbed many transactions that would have otherwise happened on the main blockchain.
Other topics covered in the article include the median pay for blockchain engineers, recent developments in the crypto space, and upcoming events in the blockchain industry.
Overall, the article provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the blockchain space, highlighting the involvement of big tech companies like Google and discussing the performance of the Ethereum blockchain.
