Weekly Article Recap: 4/21-4/25

The Stories that You Can’t Afford to Miss This Week

As the DeFi and crypto space continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it's essential to stay informed about the latest developments and trends. Our weekly recap provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the most significant news and trends in the DeFi and crypto space, helping you stay informed and up-to-date with the latest happenings.

Vitalik Buterin Proposes Radical Overhaul for Ethereum by Replacing EVM

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed replacing the network’s Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) with the RISC-V instruction set architecture. The move aims to improve scalability, cut transaction costs, and enhance performance as Ethereum faces mounting competition in the blockchain space.

Learn what RISC-V is and why it matters.

PancakeSwap Volume Hits $205 Billion: Record-Breaking Q1

PancakeSwap posted a record $205.3 billion trading volume in Q1 2025, its best quarter since launching in 2020. The platform shared the results on X, citing Dune Analytics data. Trading volume surged 921% from Q1 2023, while unique users rose 81% to 5.8 million and transactions jumped 159% to 114.4 million. The milestone comes as the global DeFi market eyes a $351.75 billion valuation by 2031, according to Research and Market projections.

Details here. 

Which Protocols Dominated BNB Chain TVL Incentive Program #5?

BNB Chain has wrapped up its TVL Incentive Program #5, a performance-based initiative aimed at boosting liquidity in DeFi and restaking protocols. Concluding on March 21, 2025, the program awarded delegation support to the top five protocols based on Total Value Locked (TVL) metrics.

By offering up to 5% of each protocol’s incremental staked BNB, the program strengthened BNB Chain’s security, scalability, and DeFi growth.

Learn about the top 5 protocols here. 

Solana Advances in Asia with $100M Astra Fintech Initiative

Astra Fintech has unveiled a $100 million fund to support startups and projects building on the Solana blockchain across Asia. The fund will provide financial, operational, and strategic backing to help projects scale. Astra has already supported initiatives like Mulex, DEPE, and MoNE through its sponsorship of Seoulana, a major Solana ecosystem event hosted by Superteam Korea.

Read the full story. 

Polymarket Brings Sperm Racing into Spotlight with Live Crypto Bets 

Polymarket, the crypto betting platform, is expanding into new territory with live sperm racing. The first event takes place April 25 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, with up to 3,700 spectators expected. Participants from top universities like USC and UCLA will race their sperm through microscopic tracks, and attendees can place bets on the outcomes.

The project, backed by $1.5 million in seed funding from investors including Figment Capital, is led by Eric Zhu, Nick Small, Shane Fan, and Garrett Niconienko.

Find details in the article.