Cartesi Ecosystem Updates #3, 2025

Newsletter/Apr 11, 2025/Marketing Unit

Tech

The markets are going through a challenging time right now, that’s something we can’t ignore. We feel the pain, and it's a sentiment shared by everyone in the ecosystem. That said, we couldn’t be more proud of what Cartesi is building, and our belief in the vision remains stronger than ever.

On the tech front, exciting progress is underway. Rollups V2 is on the horizon, marking a major leap forward in the maturity of Cartesi's technology. This brings us closer to the vision we've long held, reaching Stage 2 Rollups. It's not just a milestone for the Cartesi ecosystem; it's something the broader Web3 community both needs and wants.

Node V2 has reached a key point: it’s now ‘’feature complete’’. While it’s still in testing, all intended capabilities are already in place, including the JSON-RPC API, which offers more flexibility and ease of use for both clients and node operators. One big highlight is the integration of Data Availability (DA), which is now part of the application deployment process. We're calling on builders to help battle-test the node and push it to its limits.

Meanwhile, the Cartesi CLI is evolving right alongside the node. The alpha release is already out, built to support Node V2. Additionally, the node now includes optional components. An example would be a local execution environment with Espresso infrastructure, if you're using Espresso. The CLI itself has been overhauled with a new command structure to better support both Rollups and the Cartesi Coprocessor. And for even more good news, it now starts up in just 3 seconds.

On the Cartesi Coprocessor front, we’ve released v1.1.0, addressing the majority of issues developers encountered during Experiment Week with EigenLayer. To keep momentum and continued progress, we've also restarted the Coprocessor workgroup with a clear goal in mind: having active builders on the Cartesi Coprocessor.

For the full Ecosystem Updates Call, watch it here.

Ecosystem

World Tycoon is bringing the SimCity-style simulator into the crypto era, letting players build cities using the same classic game engine, now powered by real economics. All core features are complete, and the team is working on deploying on the Base testnet! We’re super excited to try it out, explore the game, and share feedback to help them keep evolving it.

What’s on the horizon for Comet? A testnet alpha launch with Cartesi Rollups 2.0 is coming soon. We're excited to gather player feedback during the beta testing phase, with the aim that anyone can build their own Comet using Cartesi and Espresso.DCA.Monster, a DEX enabling stream swaps and conditional swaps for optimal onchain DCA, has been quietly building behind the scenes, focused on securing long-term funding. They’re cooking and will share more soon as they will continue code audit and mainnet launch prep.

Cartesi Grants Program

Last month, Michael Asiedu stepped up to tackle the RFP for integrating RISC Zero with Cartesi aiming to bring privacy-preserving computations to the Cartesi Machine. The goal? To give developers a plug-and-play framework for executing zk-proof verifications within Cartesi’s infrastructure.

The latest update: Michael now has a fully functional toolkit that bridges RISC Zero’s ZK proofs with Cartesi’s offchain computation stack, leveraging both Rollups and Coprocessor patterns.

Ready to build? Explore all available RFPs and find the perfect place to put your programming skills to work. Want to see what others are working on? All proposals are publicly listed here.

Not a developer yourself, but know someone who is? Refer them through the DevDrop Incentive Program and earn $500 in CTSI when they submit a proposal that gets successfully funded!

Developer Advocacy

Our Cartesi DevAd team is always ready to support developers with top tier resources and mentorship. Whether you're just getting started or deep into building your Cartesi dApp, you can count on them every step of the way.

Last month, the team zeroed in on Node v2, now live on staging, and rolled out a brand new series of Golang tutorial videos, which you can check out here.

More curious about the Cartesi Coprocessor? Say less.

They also dropped two fresh episodes of I Build, Therefore I Am (Brain to Board)! This time, João Garcia sat down with Nick Dodson, CEO of Fuel, and Carsten Munk, Cartesi Foundation Member. It was an absolute joy to have them on the podcast, and we’re grateful for their hot takes. For a full list of all episodes, check it out here on the podcast page.

Cartesi Foundation

The Cartesi Foundation is reaffirming its long-term commitment to the ecosystem through a strategic open market purchase of at least $500,000 worth of CTSI. These tokens will be gradually acquired over time and added to the Foundation’s treasury, with the purchase plan subject to adjustment in the Foundation’s discretion depending on market conditions.

This move reflects the Foundation’s strong belief in Cartesi’s long-term vision. As the ecosystem continues to grow, gain technical traction, and break new ground, it’s clear that Cartesi is in a prime position to help shape the future of dApps.

Events

Cartesi joined a week-long series of Web3 Global Talks Spaces, hosted by Web3 Global. Tuning in was a great way to catch up with the team and dive into some insightful discussions. Their topics are always on trend and relevant, so you should definitely give them a follow.

Core contributor Siannie also made an appearance at Web3 Global’s live event in Amsterdam, showing our penguin mascot some well-deserved love in person. Meanwhile, our South Korean ambassador Jay repped Cartesi at Southeast Blockchain Week!

That doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything happening online. Carsten Munk jumped on a DeFi Roundtable hosted by KernelDAO, with Venn Network and Interstate, which you can listen to here.