Yesterday, zkSync, a well-known zkrollup developer on the Ethereum blockchain, announced a partnership with the crypto developer platform Alchemy.
This news brings new features to the crypto ecosystem, expanding the connections of the layer-2 with the rest of the web3 world.
Meanwhile, a former zkSync engineer has decided to launch his own project Sophone, a hyperchain focused on the entertainment sector, inaugurating the sale of a series of validator nodes.
Let’s see all the details below.
Ethereum’s zkRollup solution lands on the web3 development platform Alchemy: progress for the zkSync crypto ecosystem
Yesterday, Matter Labs, the company behind the developments of the Ethereum zkSync zkrollup layer-2, announced integration with the Alchemy development platform.
Now the high-throughput second-layer blockchain, which represents the first rollup compatible with EVM guaranteed by zero-knowledge proofs, can be more easily leveraged by the developer community, relying on a convenient and secure tool like Alchemy.
Get the most reliable @zkSync RPC data that scales as you do.
If you believe ZK is the endgame, sign up for Alchemy today: https://t.co/auw4Pd3miJ
Web3's best free tier. Enhanced APIs. Giveaways. And more. 
pic.twitter.com/N8HeLjb3tq
— Alchemy | Powering Web3
(@AlchemyPlatform) May 1, 2024
Specifically, on Alchemy developers can access advanced APIs, custom RPCs, Supernode, Alchemy Signer for embedded accounts, and much more, all within a single dashboard.
By doing so, industry professionals are encouraged to build new blockchain applications, being able to rely on a suite of tools to scale and distribute such products efficiently across the web.
One of the unlocked features closest to the non-developer world is definitely that of custom RPC, which allows you to use zkSync zkrollup through an endpoint different from the one offered by MetaMask, often overcrowded with requests.
By creating a private API key (and going to the command line), users can use Ethereum’s scalable secondary network by sending transactions through a secondary endpoint.
Alternatively, you can go through Chainlist for the same purpose.
Soon on Alchemy new features will be unlocked at home zkSync like now the Sepolia Faucet, a developer education program a “collab merch” dedicated to chain operators.
Just one step away from the launch of the ZKS crypto and the supposed airdrop that will be dedicated to chain users, zkSync opens the doors to a new era of development for its ecosystem.
Based on zkSync with Alchemy, developers will be able to rely on a reliable, scalable, and accurate web3 infrastructure, ensuring a seamless development experience.
Former zkSync developer creates his own hyperchain Sophon: public sale of nodes announced
Another crypto news from the zkSync ecosystem, concerns the departure of the developer “0xsebastiena” from the Ethereum zkrollup team, in order to launch his own personal project.
This is Sophon, an entertainment platform that presents itself as a modular rollup that leverages zkSync’s Hyperchain technology and the ZK stack as the operating framework.
Basically, it acts as a layer-2 rollup that operates in validium mode, meaning it does not store transaction data on the main Ethereum network (thus it is cost-effective to use), designed to be customized for any high-performance application.
Its main fields of application are gaming, NFT ticketing , artificial intelligence for consumer and other entertainment sectors
0xsebastiena presented the project to its audience on April 15, announcing in parallel two partnerships with Beam Network and Aethir Cloud.
The project has recently raised $10 million in VC funding through a round led by Paper Ventures and Maven11.
Some personal news:
I will be leaving @zksync at the end of April.
I've been working on starting my own project.
Allow me to introduce @sophon
Sophon is a general purpose hyperchain, focused on ██████ and ██████, using ██████ as DA, leading us all towards a…
— seb ∎ (@0xsebastiena) April 15, 2024
Just 15 days after the introduction of Sophon, a high hand grenade was dropped, starting the public sale of infrastructure nodes.
Anyone can decide to purchase a node, or better a token ERC-721 that gives the right to run the node itself (or delegate it) on Sophon.
The choice of public sale was made because the founder of the project has a great interest in the crypto world and can afford this option in order to decentralize their network as much as possible.
During this phase, you will be able to purchase a node at the price set by the reference tier: when the allocation of nodes for that specific tier ends, we move on to the next slot with a higher price, of course: first come, first served.
The node operators will obviously receive the commissions from the Sopshon network as well as an incentive directly in the next governance token $SOPH (20% of the total supply) that will be issued in the first 36 months after the mainnet launch.
More than 18,500 ETH have already been collected in this public fundraiser.
18,500 ETH raised so far!
Today the @sophon public node sale starts.https://t.co/FRuhBVq7SE
1/3 of all node tiers have been reserved for the public sale!
What we've done so far:
– Raised approx. $10m seed from renowned investors, such as @Papervc @Maven11Capital…
— seb ∎ (@0xsebastiena) April 30, 2024
Attention if you are new to this field and want to expose yourself to the purchase of nodes.
Assess the situation carefully and make the necessary considerations in light of the expenses you will have to incur to keep the node operational and the economic incentives you will receive.
A particular user has pointed out how this sale of nodes represents only and exclusively a method that allows the project team to make money.
DYOR
The Sophon node public sale is one of the most disgusting raises I've seen in a while.
Purchasing one means you'll become their exit liquidity.
Right now, buying one means buying tokens at ~$300M FDV with 36 month lineal vesting + 3 months lockup.
I've improved their google… pic.twitter.com/74Gh5Tvwmc
— Ericonomic (@ericonomic) April 30, 2024
