The crypto industry saw major advancements this past week across DeFi, NFT, Layer 2, and AI-powered platforms.
From high-profile governance votes to billion-dollar TVL milestones and expansion into new consumer markets, many of the ecosystem’s leading projects made headlines. According to weekly data compiled by Wu Blockchain, developments ranged from infrastructure launches and tokenomics reveals to bold policy proposals and cross-border partnerships.
Here’s a rundown of the 10 most important crypto project updates from the past seven days.
World Liberty Financial’s community has overwhelmingly passed a proposal to open WLFI token trading. The vote, held from July 10 to 17, marks a pivotal step in transitioning WLFI from a closed environment to an open ecosystem. Once implemented, the proposal will allow peer-to-peer and secondary market trading, enabling broader participation in governance.
Aave reached a historic milestone this week, with its total value locked (TVL) surpassing $50 billion for the first time. The protocol recorded a 13.93% TVL increase over the past seven days, reinforcing its position as the leading DeFi platform. Overall DeFi TVL now stands at $284.39 billion—closing in on its all-time high of just over $300 billion.
Ethereum SVM Layer 2 protocol Eclipse published its ES tokenomics, confirming a 1 billion token supply. Allocations include 15% for airdrops and liquidity, 35% for ecosystem and development, 19% for current and future contributors, and 31% for early supporters and investors. ES tokens will also serve as the native gas token for the Eclipse blockchain.
Pudgy Penguins has announced a major partnership with Chinese toy and lifestyle company Suplay. While full details are pending, Suplay is known for its IP collaborations with the likes of Genshin Impact, Sanrio, Disney, and the Palace Museum. The partnership marks a significant step in Pudgy Penguins’ expansion into the Asian market.
Kaito AI revealed its upcoming “Capital Launchpad,” designed to offer crypto-native investors early access to promising projects. Unlike meme token platforms, it aims to resemble Echo—a blockchain-based angel investing network. KAITO token stakers and top Yappers may gain early entry into private token sales once the platform goes live.
Sonic Labs unveiled Spark, an AI-powered development platform that lets users create and deploy Web3 apps using simple natural language commands. Built on Google’s Gemini model, Spark offers full-stack generation, real-time debugging, and risk scoring—all within the browser and without coding knowledge. The tool is designed to dramatically lower the barrier to blockchain development.
To fast-track the growth of its real-world asset (RWA) platform, Ondo Finance has acquired Strangelove Labs. The blockchain infrastructure firm contributed to various multi-chain and SDK innovations. Jack Zampolin, former CEO of Strangelove, will now serve as Ondo’s Vice President of Product to spearhead RWA product strategy.
Cryptocurrency exchange Bullish, backed by billionaire investor Peter Thiel, has officially filed for an initial public offering (IPO), marking a major step toward entering the public markets.
With President Trump officially signing the GENIUS Act into law, the regulatory landscape for stablecoins in the U.S. has entered a new phase—prompting major reactions from the industry’s top players.
Block Inc. (NYSE: XYZ), the fintech powerhouse behind Cash App and Square, will officially join the prestigious S&P 500 index next week.
On July 18, Ethereum ETFs in the U.S. recorded a combined net inflow of $402.5 million, signaling strong institutional demand even as some funds saw outflows.