In February, the total funding for crypto companies reached $883 million, but the number of transactions hit a 5.5-year low.

Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum's Core Value is to Serve as a "Public Bulletin Board"

Gate News reported that on March 12, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin published an article expounding on Ethereum's core value. He stated that Ethereum's most fundamental purpose is not smart contracts or payments, but rather serving as a "public bulletin board," providing a publicly readable and writable data availability layer for cryptographic protocols such as voting, certificate revocation, and version control. Additionally, he pointed out that ETH can serve as a payment tool against Sybil attacks, while smart contracts function as a shared programming layer and collateral enforcement tool.

Outset Media Index Beta Launch, Introducing Standardized Media Benchmark Assessment to Drive Data-Driven Decision Making

Outset Media Index (OMI) began its trial operation on March 12, with the goal of providing media organizations with clear, data-driven analytical benchmarks. OMI consolidates 38 indicators from over 340 media outlets, focusing on audience stability and engagement, and breaking away from traditional traffic-based evaluation methods. The index aims to enhance media performance assessment through a transparent methodology, allowing all parties to plan media strategies and allocate resources more effectively.

Apple will incorporate fully homomorphic encryption as a core infrastructure starting with iOS 18, supporting millions of iPhones.

Gate News reported that on March 12, Mind Network, an FHE infrastructure project, stated that Apple has been operating fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) as core infrastructure since iOS 18. Features such as real-time caller ID can directly process user queries while data remains strictly encrypted at all times. The technology is currently supporting millions of iPhones.

Swedish AI programming tool Lovable's annual recurring revenue surpasses $400 million

Swedish startup Lovable has reached $400 million in annual recurring revenue, with both enterprise and individual users adopting its AI programming tool, surpassing growth expectations by five months. Founded in 2023, Lovable is dedicated to helping users rapidly create application and website prototypes through natural language prompts.

DeFi's Yield Winter: Liquidity Stagnation, Leverage Contraction, Arbitrage Opportunities Closed

The DeFi market has entered an "interest rate winter," with mainstream stablecoin lending rates declining sharply due to supply-demand imbalance and liquidity surplus. Weakened arbitrage activities and decreased market risk appetite have led to a sharp drop in stablecoin borrowing demand. Meanwhile, the Sky protocol provides stable yields through real-world assets, becoming the "de facto floor" for on-chain yield rates. Overall, the current environment is prompting investors to reassess their risk strategies, and falling interest rates may become the foundation for DeFi's future recovery.

Nic Carter: BIP-360 Authorship Dispute Irrelevant, Focus Should Be on Proposal Technical Quality and Quantum Resistance Goals

Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures, in responding to the BIP-360 authorship controversy, emphasized that the Bitcoin community should focus on the technical quality of proposals rather than the author's background. He pointed out that anonymous developers are not uncommon in Bitcoin's history, and the BIP-360 proposal aims to enhance Bitcoin's quantum resistance.