Dencun Approaches, Binance Faces Legal Action, and Neuralink’s Brain Implants

“Should Have Bought” — a news podcast with the ForkLog editorial team and friends, covering the week’s main industry events and the hottest tokens. 

Topics of the episode: the launch of Dencun on the Ethereum Sepolia testnet, Vitalik Buterin’s anniversary, the rise of certain crypto assets against the broader market, lawsuits against Binance by victims of Hamas, and Neuralink’s brain chip implantation by Elon Musk.

Participants: ForkLog authors Lena Jess, Alex K., Vasily Smirnov.

Special guest: DeFi/DAO consultant and cryptocurrency researcher Denis Smirnov.

Dencun Nears

Ethereum developers have successfully implemented the Dencun hard fork on the ecosystem’s second test network, Sepolia.

The deployment proceeded without incident—there was no split, unlike with Goerli. The update is planned for deployment on the third testnet, Holesky, on February 7. Following this, developers will set a date for the mainnet hard fork.

EIP-4844 is the most anticipated element of the upcoming upgrade, aimed at reducing L2 operation costs by at least tenfold and significantly increasing Ethereum’s throughput.

Vitalik’s Reflections

Vitalik Buterin published an essay titled “The End of My Childhood,” marking his 30th birthday. The Ethereum co-founder reflected on his journey as a blockchain developer and shared thoughts on the future of digital assets. 

Buterin recalled the bygone narrative of Bitcoin as the “killer of the financial system.” He urged the community to consider “broadening horizons” and creating an “open and democratic technology stack” that extends far beyond financial use cases. 

Previously, Buterin discussed the prospects of cryptocurrency interaction with AI, such as how blockchain can counteract AI centralization, ensure transparency, and provide data storage and security.

Binance Again

A U.S. citizen taken hostage by Hamas and relatives of two men killed in an attack on Israel have filed a lawsuit against the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

The plaintiffs allege that the company indirectly supported and sponsored violent actions by allowing terrorists to trade on its platform.

The victims’ lawyer stated that they are entitled to “substantial damages” under U.S. law, including CFT provisions.

Neuralink and Telepathy

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has successfully implanted a brain chip in its first volunteer. The startup’s first product is named Telepathy. 

According to Musk, “promising” neural activity was observed following the procedure, and the patient is “recovering well.”

The project’s goal is to merge the human brain with computers to help people cope with complex neurological disorders. For instance, paralyzed patients could control digital devices with their thoughts.