Key Highlights: The x402 payment protocol, published by Coinbase in May 2025, intentionally excludes dispute mechanisms to enable sub-cent, millisecond settlements for machine-to-machine transactions. A systematic security study by researchers at EPFL and Zhejiang University revealed that all 15 live facilitators tested breached at least one of eight foundational safety rules. Transaction data on the ...
Key Highlights Blockchain security firm ChainSecurity identified technical risks stemming from the concurrent rollout of Ethereum Improvement Proposals EIP-8037 and EIP-8038. The potential vulnerability involves altered error-handling outcomes during gas exhaustion in cross-contract calls, which could disrupt existing smart contracts. Ethereum developers have revised the upgrade roadmap and postponed the deployment of the Glamsterdam upgrade ...
Key Highlights S&P Global has entered a definitive agreement to acquire OpenZeppelin, a leading smart contract security and auditing firm widely used across Ethereum and DeFi ecosystems. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. The deal signals a strategic convergence of traditional financial risk analytics ...
Key Highlights S&P Global agreed to acquire smart contract security firm OpenZeppelin, expanding its digital asset business into the technology layer underpinning tokenized finance. OpenZeppelin will operate as a separate business unit under CEO Demian Brener, reporting to S&P Global Ratings President Yann Le Pallec; financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition gives S&P direct ...