Weekly project updates: Ethereum zkAPI, Base Cobalt and USDT on Bitcoin

Three major infrastructure trends in this week's crypto project landscape

This week's cryptocurrency landscape is defined by three major infrastructure initiatives: Ethereum launched zkAPI, an API payment layer built based on the Open Anonymous Project to protect privacy;Base Network officially deployed its Cobalt upgrade to the main network; Tether's plan to bring USDT natively to the Bitcoin network through the RGB protocol is closer to reality, with secondary reports stating that the launch will be supported by the Utexo platform.

Ethereum zkAPI launched: separating payment and identity

The Ethereum Foundation announced on October 1, 2026 that zkAPI has been launched on the main Ethereum network. The system utilizes zero-knowledge certificates and vaults holding ETH or USDC credits to authorize on-demand API services without having to associate the developer's payment identity with a single request. This implementation was developed in collaboration with the Open Anonymous Project.

By separating payment credentials from API calls, zkAPI solves a long-standing infrastructure problem: developers currently using on-chain APIs expose their billing identity with every request, creating a monitoring risk point at the protocol level. This change has a direct impact on the Creator Economy and NFT tools built on top of Ethereum. Marketplace back-ends, metadata resolvers, and royalty enforcement contracts all rely on API infrastructure;zkAPI means that these infrastructures no longer reveal operator identity for normal use.

后续关注要点：

• 采用率将取决于文档质量、SDK 可用性以及工具团队整合基于金库信用模型的进度。
• 以太坊基金会的公告是主要信号；接下来需要追踪的关键指标是各大 API 提供商实施范围的广度。
• Zcash 生态系统今年在隐私工具方面的进展，为隐私原语如何从利基领域转变为标准基础设施提供了有益的参考。

Base Cobalt 升级上线主网：升级内容详解

Base 网络的 Cobalt 升级于 2026 年 9 月 30 日正式在主网上线，此前该升级已于 9 月 23 日在 Sepolia 测试网部署。此次升级引入了 B20 改进、有效性交易、动态节点升级，以及链上的 AWS Nitro 和 P-384 TEE（可信执行环境） attestations 验证功能。

Cobalt 主网上线日期：2026 年 9 月 30 日

其中，链上 TEE attestation 组件是技术上值得关注的亮点。在链上运行 P-384 attestation 验证意味着 Base 节点可以在协议层证明其执行环境的完整性，而无需依赖链下的信任假设。动态节点升级则降低了历史上使 L2 维护窗口复杂化的协调开销。

需监控的开发者和生态细节：

• 有效性交易和 B20 改进集将是 Base 上的 NFT 平台和游戏资产合约需要审查兼容性的重点。
• The launch of Cobalt also sets a benchmark for how Base handles future confidential computing integrations, which is critical for any creator contract that handles sensitive royalties or licensing logic.
• Eco-wide capital inflow trends, including recent ETF inflow reports, suggest that Base's expanded infrastructure coincides with a period of continued focus on Ethereum-related chains.

USDT returns to Bitcoin via Utexo: This week's Bitcoin-focused development news

Tether announced plans to launch USDT on Bitcoin's RGB protocol, emphasizing private, scalable and user-controlled stablecoin issuance directly at the Bitcoin base layer. The announcement, released in August 2025, confirmed Tether's intention to introduce native USDT issuance into Bitcoin without relying on a separate chain.

According to secondary reports, a platform called Utexo is expected to launch a user-oriented version in October 2026, including private transfers, direct BTC-USDT conversions, and loans backed by BTC. However, these specific product details and schedules come from a single secondary source and have not been independently confirmed by Tether's official access; readers should view Utexo's specific scope as unconfirmed reports pending further disclosure.

As of the study time, the trading price of Bitcoin was US$85,266, up 0.58% in 24 hours, and the market value was approximately US$1.71 trillion. The 24-hour trading volume was close to US$14.8 billion. The Fear and Greed Index is 65, which is classified as "greedy", indicating that the market context in which native Bitcoin stablecoins enter is generally constructive.

RGB's client-side verification model means that USDT balances and transfer certificates are held by users rather than posted to the chain, which is consistent with the privacy framework in the Tether announcement. For NFT and digital asset creators who have historically had to bridge to other chains to gain stablecoin liquidity, if Utexo's implementation can deliver on its reported feature set, then issuance at the native level of Bitcoin represents a major infrastructure shift.

Why confirming implementation models is important

The gap between Tether's confirmed RGB intentions and the reported Utexo product range deserves close tracking. RGB is a relatively young agreement, and the specific mechanisms for BTC-USDT conversions and BTC collateralized lending on top of it involve trust assumptions and liquidity models that have not yet been independently documented. Analysts observing the trajectory of Bitcoin, including comments surrounding the macro price drivers of Bitcoin, may note that a credible layer of native stablecoin may significantly change demand dynamics along the chain.

The recent disagreement between altcoin trading volume and Bitcoin also provides background information: Currently, liquidity flowing through other on-chain packaging or bridging USDT, if the scale of RGB native issuance is expanded, it may eventually Consolidate on Bitcoin.

Weekend Highlights (TLDR)

• Ethereum zkAPI: 自 2026 年 10 月 1 日起在主网上线；使用零知识证明和信用金库，将 API 支付身份与单个请求解耦，由 Open Anonymity Project 协助构建。
• Base Cobalt：于 2026 年 9 月 30 日上线主网；增加了链上 P-384 TEE attestation、有效性交易、B20 改进和动态节点升级。
• 比特币上的 USDT via Utexo：Tether 已确认 RGB 协议计划；据次要来源报道，Utexo 将于 2026 年 10 月推出包含私密转账和 BTC 抵押借贷的版本，但尚未得到独立验证。