Welcome to Superchain Sunday - our weekly newsletter! Every Sunday, we will provide you with the latest news and updates in the world of the Superchain.
The Optimism Superchain now spans 34 OP Chains, driving more than 50% of all L2 activity and over 10% of all crypto activity. Year to date, apps generated $396.5M in revenue while the Optimism Collective captured $8.3M through revenue sharing. Base is the workhorse, leading in TVL at $3.41B for 65.9% of Superchain liquidity, handling 55.9% of total computation at 28.3M gas per second, and processing 1.57B of 2.47B total transactions in H1. SuperStacks incentives ran from April 16 to June 30 and lifted Superchain TVL 54% from $3.36B to $5.17B. On the DEX front, Aerodrome averaged $580.5M in daily spot volume versus Uniswap’s $406.1M, while Celo completed its move to L2 and World, Soneium, Ink, and Unichain added momentum.
DeFi is thickening. Morpho surged to $1.74B TVL, up 246.9% year to date, and finished H1 with $567.2M in active loans, overtaking Aave and Moonwell. Chain GDP remains concentrated, with Uniswap, Aerodrome, and Circle contributing 86.9% of Superchain application revenue. The App Revenue Capture Ratio sat at 8.2x, a sign that low fees and strong monetization can coexist. Governance matured through Season 7 and is pivoting in Season 8 toward purpose built structures and faster, safer upgrades across the stack. Read more here.
The September round of Retro Funding recognized 184 builders, 109 onchain applications, and 79 devtooling projects for their measurable impact across the Optimism ecosystem. Each recipient earned rewards for real contributions — from public goods and infrastructure to apps driving adoption across the Superchain.
Retro Funding is Optimism’s signature rewards system for ecosystem impact. Instead of applying for grants upfront, builders ship products, grow usage, and later get recognized based on proven results. This model keeps incentives aligned with long-term value creation rather than short-term hype.
By rewarding contributors who make the ecosystem stronger — whether through dev tooling, community infrastructure, or new Superchain applications — Retro Funding ensures that builders who push the collective forward continue to thrive. View all September Retro Funding recipients here.
Mode has introduced AI Trading Agents, autonomous systems that combine AI signal detection with onchain execution. These agents analyze market structure in real time and execute trades with precision, giving traders consistency and speed without emotional bias. The first generation features two models — Breakout Agents that capture volatility and Trend Agents that follow sustained market moves — both showing smoother returns and lower drawdowns than buy-and-hold benchmarks.
Each agent runs independently in its own sub-account, letting users deploy multiple strategies across assets while maintaining control and transparency. It’s a step toward verifiable, AI-powered trading built directly on Mode’s Ethereum Layer 2. Learn more and launch your first agent here.
Lisk’s $15M EMpower Fund is backing founders in high-growth markets like Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America — not from afar, but on the ground. Through gatherings such as the Lisk Builders Retreat in Bali and On the Ground with Lisk in Kenya, the team has created spaces where founders, storytellers, and partners can connect, share challenges, and collaborate beyond the event itself. These programs focus on proximity and partnership — listening first, building alongside, and supporting founders who are solving real problems today.
By embedding in ecosystems through local partners like AYA HQ, Suci Blockchain Hub, and Crecimiento, Lisk is building a pipeline of founders with real traction and long-term potential. The EMpower Fund is more than capital — it’s a commitment to being present, forming trusted relationships, and fueling Web3 innovation where it’s needed most. Read more here
Coinbase has officially launched decentralized exchange (DEX) trading within its app for U.S. users, allowing them to trade Base-native tokens directly onchain. The new feature, which excludes New York residents, lets users access and trade tokens before they’re listed on traditional exchanges. Built on Coinbase’s Base network, the DEX integrates liquidity from 1inch and 0x, enabling secure, non-custodial swaps that settle instantly onchain.
At launch, users can trade assets from projects like Virtuals AI Agents, Reserve Protocol DTFs, SoSo Value Indices, Auki Labs, and Super Champs. The move positions Coinbase to capture early trading activity around new tokens while driving usage of its Base Layer 2. It marks a major step toward bridging centralized and decentralized finance for U.S. customers. Get started here
The Superchain has grown to 34 different OP Chains, each with its flourishing Ecosystem. These are some extra stories to make your Sunday that much more Super.
