Layer-2 networks are one of the hottest topics in blockchain right now, providing advantages for blockchain users such as virtually instant transaction speeds, lower gas costs and greater energy efficiency.
L2s are seen as vital for blockchain to achieve mainstream adoption, as they pave the way for them to scale to support billions of users. On the other hand, the main drawback with most existing L2s is that very few can claim to be fully decentralized, at least not in the case of Ethereum’s L2s.
However, that’s not so on Tezos, where Etherlink has emerged with its novel data availability layer and smart rollups, enabling truly decentralized blockchain scaling. As an EVM-compatible L2, Etherlink is being built by Tezos to make its blockchain a more attractive and accessible alternative to Ethereum.
What’s new on Etherlink?
Etherlink was seeing plenty of action even before its mainnet launch, with so many projects building on it that it became a struggle to keep up with all of the latest goings on. Among the most notable early adopters were Rarible, the popular NFT marketplace, the crypto on-ramp Transak and the blockchain games, BattleRise and Sugarverse.
In recent months, Etherlink has been gaining even more traction, partnering with some of the most powerful entities in the blockchain industry, playing host to some of its most innovative emerging projects, and launching big incentives to boost adoption.
Exaion adds credibility
One of the most intriguing names associated with Etherlink is Exaion, the new blockchain subsidiary of the IT consultancy EDF Group. It’s a leading provider of high-performance computing solutions for the Web3 industry, where it plays a key role in supporting decentralized networks, managing RPC nodes, validation nodes and blockchain archives.
Exaion’s expertise in blockchain security will be extremely valuable to every Etherlink user. It has signed on as one of the first validators on Etherlink, operating a Smart Rollup node to help validate transactions on the network and boost its security. Exaion was able to deploy its Smart Rollup node rapidly through the use of its Exaion Node Service, setting itself up as one of its first corporate “Bakers”.
The presence of Exaion provides a critical boost for Etherlink, helping to increase its credibility at a time where it’s still looking to establish itself.
New Validator Alert 🚨
Exaion, a subsidiary of @EDFofficiel and a leading specialist in blockchain and high-performance computing is now validating Etherlink 🔒
Learn more ⬇️https://t.co/pFERDWV7Yj pic.twitter.com/yeJWqwygGj
— Etherlink 🔗 (@etherlink) April 10, 2025
Tokenized uranium trading
Few platforms are more innovative than Uranium.io, a new decentralized marketplace for trading tokenized uranium that’s hosted on Etherlink. The dApp is designed to eliminate the barriers to entry for retail traders in the uranium marketplace, which has always been tightly restricted to only the richest institutional investors.
Unlike with precious metals like gold, silver and platinum, uranium is an incredibly difficult substance to obtain and invest in. For traders, the only way to invest in this commodity was through over-the-counter deals. But with its minimum lot sizes of 50,000 lbs, that throws up an almost insurmountable barrier to entry, with investors required to spend more than $4 million.
But Tezos, Etherlink and Uranium.io are changing that thanks to the concept of tokenization, where uranium lots can be represented as tokens hosted on the blockchain, paving the way for fractional ownership of traditional lots.
It’s a novel idea because demand for uranium is likely to increase dramatically with the artificial intelligence revolution. Many of the world’s biggest AI developers, including Microsoft, Google and Amazon, are looking to acquire nuclear power to fuel their AI ecosystems, and that means they’ll be needing lots more uranium in future.
By tokenizing uranium “yellowcake”, it becomes possible for retail investors to get in on the uranium market with much more reasonable starting prices, enabling them to invest in one of the most promising commodities on the market today. Because Uranium.io runs on Etherlink, it means anyone can sign up to the platform, complete a simple onboarding process and start buying and selling yellowcake in a matter of minutes.
Trades on Uranium.io are automated using smart contracts, while all of the uranium represented on the platform is held securely by the leading uranium provider Cameco.
To encourage the Tezos community to invest, Uranium.io has launched a new tap-to-earn game on Etherlink called Uranium Miner, where players can tap away at their smartphone screens to earn “Uranium Points” and mine tokenized yellowcake. Users will earn points for every 100,000 shards they refine, enabling them to receive tokenized uranium via the upcoming xU3O8 airdrop, which is set to take place at the end of season one.
Uranium Miner is now LIVE 💥
Tap, mine, and own uranium! Turn your phone into a uranium mine – tap daily to collect shards, build up stacks of 100k, and refine them into physical uranium, stored in a regulated facility.
No wallet needed. No crypto experience required. Just… pic.twitter.com/NbbyJoyAv6
— XU3O8 (@uranium_io) April 10, 2025
DeFi incentives drive significant trade volume
To coincide with the launch of its mainnet in February, Etherlink announced a $3 million rewards program called AppleFarm, alongside a dedicated initiative aimed at making its network more attractive to EVM developers.
With its launch, AppleFarm reportedly drove a $2 million surge in trading volume on Etherlink. It provides strong incentives for users to jump into its nascent DeFi ecosystem, partnering with its top three protocols – Superlend, Hanji and IguanaDEX.
With AppleFarm, DeFi users on Etherlink can earn “apples”, which are points awarded for performing various on-chain activities, such as swapping tokens, depositing liquidity, borrowing funds, interacting with smart contracts and so on. The system is powered by Merkl, which is a widely established rewards platform that has helped to distribute more than $80 million in token rewards across more than 40 blockchains.
you won’t find these yields anywhere else in crypto!
• 230%+ APR on tokenized uranium
• 45%+ APR on USDC
• 60%+ APR on USDTstart earning on Apple Farm 👉 https://t.co/6vGRfYaC3x pic.twitter.com/3RxA4LafFO
— Etherlink 🔗 (@etherlink) April 11, 2025
AppleFarm lists a range of reward-generating DeFi activities on its platform and allows users to keep track of their progress through its community leaderboards, encouraging a kind of gamified contest with prizes at stake that go beyond the standard apple rewards, including special Discord roles, exclusive NFTs and other bonuses.
Buzzing with activity
These latest updates show that Etherlink is well on the way towards establishing itself as one of the most prominent players in the L2 space, following earlier developments such as the successful Bitfrost upgrade and the rollout of dedicated Etherlink domain names.
Admittedly, it’s still very early days for Etherlink, but already it has emerged as a network that’s buzzing with activity, innovation and development, laying the groundwork for Tezos itself to establish itself as one of the key movers and shakers in the broader Web3 ecosystem.
