Boosting DeFi ROI in 2026

If you want to seriously boost your ROI in the DeFi world by 2026, you’ve got to get a handle on two main things. First up, there's the constantly shifting fee markets--this includes stuff like blobs and how calldata is priced. Then, you need to pay attention to the shift towards more private, MEV-aware, and intent-driven order flows. These are the game-changers you’ll want to watch! Check out how 7Block Labs is turning these exciting components into actual, tangible benefits.

Boosting Bottom Lines: 7Block Labs on Maximizing DeFi ROI

If you're jumping into the world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), it's super important to really maximize your investments. 7Block Labs has some awesome tips on how to score a solid return on your investment (ROI) in the DeFi world. Let me give you a quick rundown of the top strategies they suggest:

1. Do Your Homework

Before you dive into any DeFi project, make sure you do your homework. Check out the project's whitepaper, get a feel for the team that's working on it, and don’t forget to dive into the community surrounding it. Getting a grasp on the basics can really help you make smarter choices.

2. Diversify Your Portfolio

Just like with regular investing, diversifying your assets can really help reduce your risk. It's all about not putting all your eggs in one basket, right? Go ahead and diversify your portfolio by exploring different DeFi protocols, stablecoins, and throw in a few solid blue-chip cryptocurrencies while you're at it. It’s all about finding that balance, you know? This way, if one of your investments takes a nosedive, you won't lose everything.

3. Leverage Yield Farming

Yield farming has really taken off in the DeFi world, and honestly, it’s easy to see why! If you lend or stake your crypto, you can actually earn some interest or rewards. It's a pretty cool way to make your digital assets work for you! Just make sure to keep an eye on the fine print! Some of those yields can come with pretty high risks. It's always good to know what you're getting into.

4. Keep an Eye on Gas Fees

When you're trading or swapping assets, those pesky gas fees can really catch you off guard and chip away at your profits. Just keep an eye on the Ethereum network traffic and try to time your transactions for when the fees are a bit more manageable. Another option is to give layer 2 solutions a shot to help cut down on costs.

5. Stay Updated

The DeFi scene is constantly evolving, and keeping yourself updated can really help you take advantage of fresh opportunities. Stay in the loop by checking out industry news, jumping into community forums, and chatting it up with folks on social media. It’s a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening!

6. Use Tools and Analytics

There are a bunch of tools available these days that can really help you dig into your investments and keep an eye on how they're doing. Whether you're using a portfolio tracker or diving into a DeFi calculator, tapping into these tools can really boost your strategy. They can help you get a clearer picture and make smarter decisions.

7. Know Your Risk Tolerance

Every investment has its ups and downs, and when it comes to DeFi, things can get pretty wild. Figure out what level of risk feels right for you, and make sure to only invest money that you’re okay with possibly losing. Having this mindset can really help you keep your cool when the markets start to get a bit shaky.

With these handy tips from 7Block Labs, you'll feel way more confident diving into the DeFi world and really boosting your returns. Happy investing!.

The specific technical headache you’re living with

Wow, it’s been quite a ride for your unit economics this past year--things have really been turned upside down, not just once but twice! Thanks to Dencun’s EIP-4844, the costs for data availability have now been transferred to blobs. So, on May 7, 2025, Pectra dropped and it really ramped up blob throughput with EIP-7691. Not only that, but it also nudged up the calldata floor pricing to make sure those data-hungry transactions get what they need (thanks to EIP-7623). Oh, and let’s not forget EIP-7702, which brought in some cool features for programmable EOAs. Pretty exciting stuff! Hey there! If you’re still running your batching, gas estimator, or sequencer settings based on the idea that “calldata is a steal” or just aiming for that “3 blobs target,” you might be off in your calculations. This could mean you’re overlooking some core costs and missing out on some potential returns on investment. Just something to keep in mind! (eips.ethereum.org).

The order flow game has really changed lately. We're seeing a move away from public mempools and towards private or intent-based channels. UniswapX is currently taking care of nearly a third of all the swaps happening on Uniswap over on Ethereum. Meanwhile, CoW Protocol’s aggregator share has really taken off, jumping past 25-30% in 2025. It's pretty impressive to see how these platforms are evolving! If you haven't started using solver markets or private RPC yet, you might be missing out. Chances are, you're paying more in slippage and not getting as solid of fill quality as some of your competitors.
(community.dune.com).

It's pretty wild how fast wallet user experience and conversion rates are changing right now! So, it turns out that ERC-4337 Paymasters have really taken off, racking up tens of millions of “gasless” UserOps. Pretty impressive, right? On top of that, Pectra’s EIP-7702 lets externally owned accounts (EOAs) temporarily hand off some tasks to smart logic. This is super handy for things like batching transactions and sponsoring gas fees. At the same time, OP-Stack L2s have introduced RIP-7212/P256VERIFY, which allows passkeys to work seamlessly. This all comes in at about 3,450 gas per verification, making everything run a bit smoother! Things are moving pretty fast these days! The procurement and finance teams are probably going to start asking why you’re still relying on ETH for those approvals that didn’t go through. (chaincatcher.com).

ZK economics are still kind of an enigma, aren’t they? For example, if you look at Groth16 verification, it typically costs around 207,700 plus an additional 7,160 times the number of linear combinations (or "l" as we like to call it) when you're working with BN254, which involves four pairings. But here’s the exciting part: when you shift to BLS12-381 after the Pectra update, those figures actually improve, making things even more efficient! Batching and aggregating strategies can really throw a wrench in costs. If you're struggling to wrap your head around l-sensitivity or picking the right curve/precompile, then explaining the ZK features in your profit and loss statements might be a bit of a challenge. (hackmd.io).

What This Costs You (Beyond Fees)

**Deadlines were missed because of those “silent” protocol changes that flew under the radar.
So, here's the deal: EIP-7623 has introduced a new minimum requirement for calldata, and this could really throw a wrench in your budget plans for cross-L1 settlements or oracle updates. If your transactions happen to take the data-heavy route when you deploy, you might be looking at some unexpected costs. Just something to keep in mind! Oh, and just a heads up--since there's been some under-utilization with blobs after EIP‑7691, your fee predictions based on averages from 2024 could be pretty off, and in some cases, really off. (eips.ethereum.org).
**Loss of margin due to MEV and subpar routing. Hey there! So, it looks like Flashbots is really highlighting how private order flow is gaining some serious momentum--like, we're talking over 2. So, we've got a million unique Protect users and a whopping $43 billion in protected DEX volume! That’s pretty impressive, right? But here’s the catch - it seems like spam and arbitrage bots are now hogging a lot of that extra Layer 2 throughput. It’s a bit of a bummer, honestly. If you're not keeping your execution MEV-aware and you don't have simulator gates in place, you're essentially throwing away cash on failed transactions and losing out on the better prices that come from order flow auctions, like MEV-Share and intents. It's definitely something to consider if you want to maximize your profits! (writings.flashbots.net).
**Growth hits a wall without getting customers directly through their wallets. Hey there! So, based on the ERC‑4337 numbers, it looks like Paymasters are pretty great at driving that top-of-funnel traffic. But here's the catch: retention tends to drop unless those new users keep coming back for some DeFi fun. It's all about keeping that flow connected to repeat actions! If you haven’t linked your account abstraction spending to things like the lifetime value of your cohorts and the cost limits for each UserOp, you might end up facing some pretty steep customer acquisition costs. Plus, it could mean your total value locked isn’t getting any real traction. (chaincatcher.com).
**Security budget misallocated. In the first quarter of 2025, we saw losses hit an eye-popping $1. A whopping 6 billion, and guess what? A staggering 94% of that was tied up in centralized finance. But DeFi didn’t come away completely intact; it definitely faced its fair share of bumps along the way. Alright board, here’s the deal: You’ve got to demonstrate that your controls really do help reduce the risk of an exploit and speed up recovery times. It’s all about proving that what you’re doing is making a difference! A regular audit report isn’t going to be enough; you’ll definitely want to include some pre-production property tests, do some fuzzing, and set clear boundaries on the blast radius. Just think rate limits, circuit breakers, and solid solver guardrails! (theblock.co).

7Block Labs’ Approach to Boosting DeFi ROI

We’ve got four different streams going on at the same time, and we make sure they’re all working toward the same goals. Every recommendation is linked to some important “money phrases” like cutting down transaction costs, getting the best prices possible, avoiding failed transactions, and speeding up how quickly you can bring in revenue.

1) Fee-Market and Gas Optimization (Post-Pectra)

Here’s what we’re rolling out:

Blob-First Batching with Dynamic Schedulers: We’re now filling up those blobs using the new 6-target/9-max configuration. If EIP-7623 doesn't come into play, we'll just go back to using calldata. We're tweaking the blob gas bidding to make it more responsive to base fees, so you can look forward to an increase of around +8. So, we’re looking at a 2% gain on full blobs compared to a drop of about -14. 5% on empty ones. That way, you can avoid shelling out more than you need to when prices go up. Take a look at this link: (eips.ethereum.org). You'll find some interesting info there!
OP-Stack Brotli Compression and Fjord/Canyon Upgrades: With these new enhancements, you might find yourself saving anywhere from 5% to 15% on your batches. Pretty neat, right? We've seen how much of a game changer this can be, letting apps that are cost-sensitive roll out 2 to 3 updates every minute. That's pretty impressive! More details here: (gov.optimism.io).
Exciting Compiler and Tooling Upgrades: We're rolling out Solidity 0.

8. So, we're looking at 29 for a few EOF trials that are focused on the Osaka EVM target. We’ve tackled those annoying “Stack too deep” problems by using SWAPN/DUPN, and we even customized some storage layouts to play nicely with EIP-7702 wallet plugins. We're excited to let you know that we're rolling out via-IR builds that come with optimizer profiles tailored just for those gas-heavy paths you use.
Check out all the details right here: (soliditylang.org). You won’t want to miss it!

Stylus (Arbitrum) for Compute-Heavy Logic: We’re tapping into WASM paths to slash computation gas costs by roughly 26-50% for those oracle and crypto tasks. It’s pretty exciting to see how much we can save on those heavy workloads! We're moving our hot loops--like the math and crypto stuff--over to Rust, but we’ll still handle the state management with Solidity. Hey, take a look at these insights: (blog.redstone.finance). You might find some really interesting stuff there!

What you’re tracking: Let’s break this down a bit. We’re looking at the cost per 1,000 actions compared to what you were doing before you really got into this. Also, we’ll consider how much you’re spending for each user action, and take a look at the calldata floor exposure rate after the EIP-7623 update. Lastly, we need to factor in the revert-adjusted unit cost on L2.

2) MEV-aware Execution and Intents Integration

What We’re Implementing:

Private Routing Defaults with Refunds: So, we’re rolling with RPC/MEV-Share as our go-to route. On top of that, we've added builder-sharing to help speed up inclusion. We also do simulator checks to ensure that any changes we make won’t cost you a thing. To make sure everything stays fair, we’re keeping an eye on something called “reordering slippage” as a metric on the blockchain. If you're interested in diving deeper into this, check it out here.
Intents/Solvers Where They Pay: We’re teaming up with UniswapX fillers and CoW solvers to make things smoother for you. We’re tweaking things like price and timeouts depending on the assets you're dealing with. Here’s a fun tidbit for you: UniswapX accounts for roughly 30% of all Uniswap swaps. And get this--there have been moments when CoW has grabbed more than 25% of the aggregator market. Pretty interesting, right? Both of these markets are fantastic for boosting execution quality! Take a look at the details right here. You won't want to miss it!
Anti-Spam Measures on L2: We're rolling out some mempool filters and putting limits on backrun/simulation activities to help reduce that pesky bot spam. Flashbots has discovered that this kind of spam can actually consume more than 50% of the gas on certain OP-Stack rollups. Pretty wild, right? If you want to dive deeper into this topic, check out this article. It's definitely worth a read!

Here are a few things to look out for:

You’ll see better price improvements here, measured in basis points when compared to the standard router.
ETH credited back to each user. We're working on slashing the costs of "failed transactions" to almost nothing.
For priority flows, the average time for inclusion is under 1 block.

3) Wallet Conversion with ERC‑4337 + EIP‑7702 + Passkeys

So, here’s what we’ve got going on:

Dual-rail AA: We're making use of EIP-7702 to enable temporary delegation. This means you can get batched approvals and swaps done without the hassle of migrating wallets. How cool is that? On top of that, we’re using ERC-4337 for gas sponsorship to really boost our conversion rates. Paymasters are going to set some strict limits on how many UserOps each person can have. Plus, there will be drop-off kill switches in place. If you want to dive deeper into this, just check it out here.
RIP-7212/P256VERIFY Passkey Authentication on OP-Stack L2s (Base/OP): So, here's the scoop--when it comes to native secp256r1 verification, we're talking roughly around 3,450 gas. So, what this really means is that there will be fewer support tickets coming in about seed phrases, and we're also going to see an increase in KYC conversion rates when it comes to fiat ramps. If you want to get more info, just click here!
Growth Experiment Design: We're gearing up for some 2-4 week sprints where we’ll connect gas sponsorship with lifetime value (LTV) by cohort. This should give us some exciting insights! We're going to stop sponsoring activities that don't really boost retention. This way, we can steer clear of that common trap that often pops up in 4337 programs. If you're looking for more details, you can check it out here.

What you're measuring:

CTR → let's talk about the swap conversion lift, customer acquisition cost (CAC) for each funded wallet, and how the lifetime value stacks up against the CAC ratio for different cohorts. Also, don't forget to keep an eye on the cost per successful UserOp and the rate at which people are adopting passkeys.

4) ZK Verification Economics That Finance Can Get Behind

What We’re Doing:

Exploring Proof-System Options with Straightforward Gas Math: We're taking a closer look at BN254 Groth16 versus BLS12-381 (big thanks to Pectra for EIP-2537!) to really break down the advantages and disadvantages. We'll be considering things like pairing costs, how easy it is to get multi-scalar multiplication (MSM), and the size of the calldata. Just to give you a ballpark figure, we're probably looking at something like around 207. 7k + 7. You’ve got two choices here: you can go with 16k·l gas for BN254, which gives you four pairings, or you could choose to use BLS12-381. If you pick BLS12-381, you'll end up with fewer pairings, but keep in mind that you'll also have a bit more calldata to deal with. It's all about what works best for your needs! And on top of that, we’re trying to fit in 3-pairing checks whenever it’s safe to do so. It’s a little move that can help us save around 34k gas for each proof. Hey, if you want to dive into the details, just click here. You’ll find all the info you need!
Aggregation Patterns: We’re diving into some cool stuff like super-proofs and off-L1 aggregation to bring down the cost per proof to just tens of thousands of gas.
We're excited to let you know that for per-user verification, we're introducing inclusion proofs that will cost around 16k gas. If you want to dive deeper into the topic, you can check it out here.

What You Measure:

So, basically, we've got the gas/proof at the level you picked (those are your public inputs), along with the DA cost share in blobs. And then, when you throw all of that together, you get the average cost for each user action when they’re batched up.

Proof We Can Ship (GTM Metrics You Can Benchmark Against)

Fees: So, after the Dencun update, L2 fees really plummeted--like, more than 10 times lower! Plus, thanks to Pectra’s EIP-7691, we've got a boost in blob capacity with a 6-target/9-max setup. This means blob prices stay nice and low most of the time, unless it gets really hectic. Pretty cool, right? Oh, and check this out: OP-Stack chains have rolled out Brotli batch compression, which is pretty cool because it can save you around 5-15% on data availability! Here are some great tips to help you cut down on your costs per action! (eips.ethereum.org).
Throughput: In 2024-25, L2 throughput really soared, breaking some amazing records! We saw multi-million daily transactions rolling in, and BASE took the lead with its Mgas/s performance. This just goes to show that there’s a ton of potential out there if you're savvy with efficient batching and take the time to set up some solid anti-spam measures. (coindesk.com).
What's Happening: So, check this out--CoW Swap’s aggregator share has really taken off, soaring into the high 20s and even hitting the 30s! On another note, UniswapX is making waves too, now handling about 30% of all the Ethereum swaps on Uniswap. Pretty cool, right? This really shows that solver markets are fast becoming the top choice for a lot of transactions. (theblock.co).
Private Orderflow at Scale: We've got some exciting news! Flashbots Protect is now handling more than 2. We've got 1 million unique accounts buzzing around, managing over $43 billion in protected DEX volume. And the cool part? The average inclusion time is less than a block!
Private channels have definitely found their groove lately! You can check out some cool insights over at writings.flashbots.net.
Wallet Experience: With the help of ERC-4337 Paymasters, a lot of UserOps got funded during those busy months. Absolutely! I get that usage can have its highs and lows, which is why it’s super important for programs to stay on top of their budgets. But honestly, when you look at the numbers, the benefits in conversion for Base, OP, and Polygon really stand out. (chaincatcher.com).
ZK: These days, the costs for Groth16 verification are pretty easy to anticipate and actually pretty affordable on Layer 2, especially when you’re uploading proof bytes to blobs. In unsaturated blob markets, you can actually find data availability costs that go below a penny per proof! When it comes to L1, gas costs are definitely the biggest thing to keep in mind. (hackmd.io).

Two Practical Examples with Current Details

"Stop Paying the Calldata Tax"

Situation: Imagine this scenario: your rollup is sending L2 batches through calldata, and it’s doing that mainly for reliability. On average, each batch is about 450 KB. So, after the Pectra upgrade, EIP-7623 comes into play. It sets a baseline cost for those data-heavy transactions--basically, it’s around 10 gas for every 40 bytes, as long as the EVM workload isn’t too intense. On top of that, EIP-7691 has boosted blob capacity and tweaked the price decay, making everything run a lot more efficiently. We're here to help you transition to a blob-first strategy! If the price floor doesn't activate, we can always fall back on using calldata as a backup. So, what's the bottom line? You'll end up with more predictable costs for data availability, plus you’ll have some extra cushion to handle those busy spikes. (eips.ethereum.org).
What Changes:
Batch Compressor: Alright, it’s time to shake things up a bit! If it works for you, let’s switch to Brotli on the OP-Stack. Also, aim for those blob payloads that match what your app is doing.
Bidder Logic: Set the prices for those blobs based on the asymmetric base-fee updates. If you notice the mempool getting jam-packed with a bunch of full blocks, don’t hesitate to accept a slightly higher bid.
Alerts: Make sure to set up alerts so you get a heads-up whenever the transaction composition is creeping close to that EIP-7623 threshold.
Expected Impact: You might notice some pretty solid savings on data availability, around 5-15%, all thanks to Brotli. Plus, say goodbye to those wild spikes from the calldata floor! So, what that really means is you'll see cheaper costs for every 1,000 actions, plus way more reliable response times when things start to heat up. (gov.optimism.io).
Implementation Surface: To get your batcher up and running, you’re looking at needing around 3-5 pull requests. You'll also want to set a single flag in your sequencer pipeline. Don't forget to set up some dashboards to track your blob spending for each action and keep tabs on how close you are to hitting that floor exposure rate.

“Make MEV Work for You, Not Against You”

Situation

When you route swaps using a typical public path, it can sometimes end up costing you with those pesky revert fees and slippage. It's definitely not ideal! We're shaking things up a bit! First off, we're making Protect/MEV-Share the default option. On top of that, we're bringing in UniswapX and CoW intent routing to the mix. And just to sweeten the deal, we're also launching a pre-trade simulator that features hard revert caps. Exciting stuff, right?

What Changes

Wallet RPC Default: We’re making a switch to Protect with multi-builder sharing to help speed things along. And hey, if a swap doesn't go through, you won't have to worry about any gas fees eating into your wallet. Take a look at this: collective.flashbots.net. You might find it interesting!
Intents: You’ll be getting those on-chain RFQs taken care of by UniswapX and CoW solvers. You can pick your routing for each pair depending on how deep and volatile the market is. Plus, we’ll make reporting super easy across all the different routers! If you want to dive deeper, check out the details over at community.dune.com. You'll find a lot of useful info there!
KPI: We’re working on getting those reordering slippage benchmarks sorted out for private flows. This way, we can make sure everyone gets a fair shake when it comes to execution! Dive deeper here: blog.uniswap.org.

Expected Impact

We’re expecting to see some really nice price improvements at the basis-point level once we account for fees. Plus, we’re looking at a big reduction in costs for failed transactions. As for priority flows, we should be able to keep the inclusion times to under one block on average. Exciting stuff ahead!

Governance and Procurement Framing (How We Tie to ROI)

We're really focused on making sure we're transparent about our savings and ways to increase revenue.
DA Cost Curve: This handy graph lays out our expected spending on blobs, using the guidelines from EIP‑7691. We’ve also thrown in a few "what-if" scenarios that look at how EIP‑7623 might play out, breaking it down by transaction type. Check it out here.
Execution Lift: We're exploring ways to give our baseline router a nice upgrade. This covers the refunds we've picked up on, the spending from transactions that didn’t go through and have been removed, and our awareness of how sensitive we can be to volatility events, particularly on days like CPI and FOMC meetings.
AA Conversion: Let’s dive into the numbers! We’re taking a closer look at how much it costs to fund each wallet and comparing the lifetime value to customer acquisition cost across various groups. If any of the groups aren’t performing well by week four, we'll need to scale back on the gas sponsorship.
ZK Opex: We've settled on our proof system, which is exciting! Now, we're diving into the nitty-gritty of things like gas per proof and data availability bytes per proof. We're also taking a good look at the overhead for batch processing and inclusion verification. It's a lot to unpack, but we're on it!

We're aligning our milestones with the procurement cycles.

30 Days: We're gearing up to roll out our blob-first scheduler, make Protect the default option, and integrate a new intent. Exciting times ahead! In just 60 days, we’re gearing up to launch our paymaster with some hard caps. We’ll also be getting the passkeys up and running on the OP-Stack and introducing a cool simulator gate for swaps. Exciting times ahead!
In 90 Days: If everything goes according to plan, we’ll nail down the ZK economics. Once we get the green light, we’ll have both the aggregate proofs and batch routes all set and ready to roll!

Where 7Block plugs in today

Architecture and Delivery: We provide custom blockchain development services that really fit your needs. This includes designing rollups that take fees into account (you know, blob-first and ready for EIP-7623), integrating solvers and intents, and helping with Stylus migrations for all those heavy-duty computing tasks. Take a look at our custom blockchain development services and our web3 development services to get more details. You might find exactly what you need!
Diving into Protocol Engineering for DeFi: We're all about creating cool DeFi solutions! Our projects include automated market makers (AMMs), perpetual contracts, vaults, and routers. We’ve got a keen eye on things like optimizing gas costs, reducing MEV issues, and making sure everything runs smoothly across different chains. Check out our awesome DeFi development services, as well as our DEX development services and smart contract development for all the details you need!
Security and resilience: We really prioritize security around here. We run thorough tests on our property before production, use techniques like fuzzing, and have circuit breakers in place. Plus, we’re super careful with our solver guardrails and always review the MEV attack surface after merging. Take a moment to explore our security audit services and see all the great things we have to offer. We’ve got you covered with some in-depth insights!
Cross-chain and bridges: Looking to wrap things up on your L2 or L3? No worries, we’ve got your back! We offer OP-Stack and Arbitrum deployments, along with some secure, fault-isolated bridge paths to make your life easier. Check out our awesome cross-chain solutions, dive into our bridge development, and take a look at our blockchain integration services. We’ve got you covered!
Dapps featuring AA and growth loops: We build Dapps that come with Paymaster-backed flows, use 7702 plug-ins, and incorporate a bunch of different token or asset programs. Check out our awesome dApp development, asset tokenization, and asset management platforms. We've got a ton of cool solutions to help you out!

“Cheat Sheet” for 2025-26 Developments We're Working On

Pectra shipped on May 7, 2025: So, here’s the scoop: we got EIP‑7702, which introduces programmable EOAs. Then there’s EIP‑7691, boasting a blob throughput of 6 targets with a max of 9, and it also comes with an asymmetric base fee. Oh, and let’s not forget EIP‑7623, which sets the calldata floor. Pretty exciting stuff! We've rolled out some updates to the validator and infrastructure EIPs, and guess what? All clients are now up to date on both the Execution Layer (EL) and the Consensus Layer (CL)! It’s great to see everything in sync! If you're interested in diving deeper into this topic, check it out here.
Hey there! Check out what's new in OP-Stack: We've just rolled out the RIP-7212/P256VERIFY feature at 0x…0100, also known as "Fjord." With this update, you can now use passkeys for about 3,450 gas per verification. Plus, we’ve added Brotli batch compression, which helps reduce data availability (DA) by around 5-15%. How cool is that? If you want to dive into the specifics, just give this link a click: here. Happy exploring!
Stylus has officially launched on the Arbitrum mainnet! With its “ink + gas” pricing model for WASM, you can expect some pretty impressive savings on compute costs--like, we're talking between 26% and 50% for certain workloads. That's a big win! Make sure you take some time to think through your stateful and EVM interoperability! If you’re looking for more details, check out this link here. Happy planning!
ERC-4337: Paymasters have really stepped up their game, covering a huge chunk of the UserOps, especially during those busy months on Base, OP, and Polygon. Trends usually come and go in cycles, so when you're designing, it’s a good idea to think about setting budgets with limits and retention gates. This way, you can keep everything in check! Learn more here.
Private order flow is now a big deal: Protect is now helping over 2. We’ve got a whopping 1 million unique accounts, and they’re hitting the landing page in under just one block on average! Plus, we’ve managed to secure a stunning $43 billion in DEX volume. How cool is that? Keeping an eye on execution is super important, and using fairness metrics like reordering slippage can really help with that! Details are available here.
ZK Gas Math That Finance Will Give the Thumbs Up: So, we're checking out Groth16 verification, and it looks like it's coming in around 207. 7k + 7. So, you've got 16k·l gas (BN254) on one side, right? That one means a bit more when it comes to costs. On the flip side, BLS12-381 might save you some cash with its pairings, but just keep in mind, it comes with a bit more bulk in the calldata department. On top of that, super-proof aggregation really drives down the costs per proof, putting them in the ballpark of 10 to 20 grand in gas fees--especially when you factor in those inclusion checks. If you want to dive into the details, just click on this link. It’s got all the info you need!

Brief In-Depth Details (Bridging Engineering and ROI)

Pricing Blobs with Purpose: So, with EIP-7691 aiming for that 2:3 ratio, the blob base fee actually decreases faster than it increases--around -14, to be more specific. 5% compared to +8. 2%). So, if you can hang tight and be a little patient, you’ll actually see some great benefits, even when demand goes through the roof! Our scheduler really knows how to make the most of that imbalance, helping you sidestep those crazy bidding wars whenever it’s smart to just hold off for a bit. If you're interested in the details, you can take a look here.
Steering Clear of Calldata Fees: So, with EIP-7623, they're hitting those data-heavy transactions with some extra charges based on how much gas is used for execution. We’ve got a unique approach when it comes to handling transactions. For instance, we shift proofs into blobs and break up payloads. This way, we make sure that intrinsic gas doesn’t get overshadowed by calldata, which ultimately helps you stay above that minimum threshold. If you're looking for more info, you can check it out here.
Intents Are Always in Motion: We keep an eye on how much better you’re doing compared to your previous route, measure the max skew on quotes, and take a good look at solver win rates depending on what the market is doing. UniswapX is getting close to grabbing a solid 30% of the market on Ethereum, and with CoW starting to make waves, there’s a lot of liquidity to take advantage of. But you know what really matters? Those safety measures--they're the ones that can seriously impact your return on investment. Dive into it here.
Account Abstraction That Actually Delivers: We're mixing EIP-7702--which keeps things simple with no migration and allows for batched actions--with EIP-4337, which brings in sponsored gas where it really counts. Also, Passkeys (RIP-7212) make things way easier by getting rid of those annoying seed phrases, which means less support issues for everyone. We need to make sure that every dollar we put into sponsorship connects back to the cohort's lifetime value, or we’ll have to reconsider our investment. If you want to dive into all the details, check out the full scoop here. You'll find some great insights waiting for you!
ZK Proof Costs “On One Slide”: We've put together everything you need to know, including your public inputs, the number of pairs, calldata bytes, and the DA share--all in one handy slide! If you’re working with some complex circuits, the BLS12-381 along with the MSM precompile could really outshine BN254, especially when you’re batching things up. But, if you're looking to keep those bytes in check, BN254 is definitely your friend. Finance is really looking to get their hands on the table instead of just reading a whitepaper. You can find all the info you need over on HackMD. Check it out!

So, if you're aiming to up your DeFi returns in 2026, here's the playbook: pay attention to those blob-era fees, think like a pro when making moves, swap out assets like a savvy wallet, and don’t forget to consider what those proof costs really are.

Schedule a Protocol Growth Sprint

Are you all set to supercharge your project? Let’s jump right into planning a Protocol Growth Sprint!

Here’s how we can get started:

Define Your Goals
So, what are you hoping to accomplish in this sprint? Maybe you want to amp up user engagement, boost transaction volume, or fine-tune some features. Whatever it is, having clear goals can really change the game!
Assemble Your Team
Get a group together that’s really enthusiastic and knows their stuff. Let’s get everyone from development, marketing, and community engagement on the same page to make sure we cover all our bases.
Set a Timeline
First things first, figure out how long you want your sprint to be.
Most folks typically go with a timeframe of about 1 to 2 weeks, but honestly, don’t hesitate to tweak that based on what you’re aiming for and how much your team can handle.
Prioritize Tasks
Take your goals and split them into smaller, more bite-sized tasks. Take a moment to rank these based on their impact and the effort required. This way, you can figure out what to dive into first!

Kick Off the Sprint. Why not kick things off with a fun meeting to make sure everyone’s on the same wavelength? It’s a great way to set the tone and get everyone excited! Let me know what you're aiming for, what tasks you’ve got on your plate, and what you’re hoping to achieve. I'm all ears! Build excitement!.

Daily Stand-ups
Let’s keep the ball rolling with some quick daily check-ins! This way, everyone can share what’s going on, talk about any hiccups they’re facing, and keep that motivation going strong.
Review and Reflect
Once the sprint wraps up, it’s a good idea to take a moment to go over what you’ve accomplished. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on what went well and what we could do better. These insights will really help us make the next sprint even more awesome!

Helpful Resources:

Check out the Agile Sprint Planning Guide when you get a chance! It's a great resource for diving into the ins and outs of sprint planning in Agile. You might find some helpful tips and tricks in there. Happy reading! Check out these awesome tips for working together as a team! Just head over to Effective Team Collaboration Tips to find some great ideas that can really help boost your teamwork.

Sprint Review Template

If you follow these steps, you'll be all set for a successful Protocol Growth Sprint! Best of luck, and most importantly, enjoy yourself!

Citations

Hey there! Just a heads up, if you're looking for the scoop on Pectra's contents, timing, and the latest updates on 7702, you can check out this blog post from Ethereum. Here’s the link: blog.ethereum.org. Happy reading! Hey there! Just a heads up, you might want to check out EIP-7691. It’s all about blob throughput and those asymmetric fees. You can find all the details over at eips.ethereum.org. It’s pretty cool stuff if you’re into Ethereum updates! Check out EIP-7623, which talks about a calldata floor for transactions that involve a lot of data. If you're curious, you can dive into the details over at eips.ethereum.org. It's pretty interesting stuff! Hey! Just wanted to share that the OP-Stack P256VERIFY (RIP-7212) along with Brotli/Fjord can be found over at specs.optimism.io. Check it out when you get a chance!

Solidity 0.

8. Check out the latest update on Solidity version 0.8.29! They’ve got news on EOF, storage layout, and the Osaka target. You can find all the details over at soliditylang.org. Hey everyone! Just a quick heads-up - Arbitrum Stylus is officially live now! 🎉 If you're curious about gas prices or want to check out some ink references and benchmarks, definitely swing by their blog here: blog.arbitrum.io. Happy exploring! Hey there! If you're curious about the UniswapX share and the CoW aggregator share, check out this link: community.dune.com. It’s got some pretty interesting insights! Check out Flashbots Protect and how it scales! They’re diving into MEV limits when it comes to scaling too. You can find all the details at writings.flashbots.net. Check out this article on chaincatcher.com about the latest trends in ERC-4337 Paymaster adoption. You might find some interesting insights there! chaincatcher.com. If you're curious about the gas costs for Groth16 verification and aggregation, check out this link: hackmd.io. It breaks down the math in a pretty clear way!

Just a heads up: The numbers I'm sharing here are current as of January 27, 2026. Because some fees and usage numbers can really change a lot, we’ve put together our recommendations mainly based on the key specs and ecosystem reports. This way, you can feel confident and ready to put them into action.