Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s weekly overview of key developments in cryptocurrency tech. In this issue:

• Hello, Hoodi: Ethereum Welcomes a New Testnet: Ethereum developers launched a new test network, Hoodi, that will implement the upcoming ‘Pectra’ upgrade on March 26. The upgrade is expected to transition to Ethereum’s mainnet roughly a month later, after earlier test failures on other networks. Test networks like Hoodi allow developers to test code changes in a secure environment before mainnet deployment.

• Microsoft Raises Alarm of Malware Targeting Coinbase, MetaMask Wallets: Microsoft issued a report regarding malware targeting popular cryptocurrency wallets, unveiling a remote access trojan called StilachiRAT, discovered in late 2024. This malware could compromise wallet data and credentials stored in Google Chrome. Microsoft provided mitigation guidelines, stressing the importance of antivirus software.

• Halliday Raises $20M for AI Protocol to Eliminate Writing Smart Contracts for DeFi: AI-focused blockchain protocol Halliday raised $20 million to develop its Agentic Workflow Protocol, aimed at accelerating decentralized finance (DeFi) application development. The Series A funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm. Halliday promises to eliminate the need for programming smart contracts.

• Sam Altman’s World Network and Razer Address Gaming’s Bot Problem: Sam Altman’s World Network is collaborating with Razer to implement features to differentiate real players from bots using a ‘Razer ID verified by World ID’ system. This integration seeks to enhance online gaming experiences by ensuring real-player engagement.

In Other News:

• EOS Network rebrands to Vaulta and plans a token swap.
• Raydium to launch a token issuance platform.
• SEC may drop its appeal against Ripple, according to CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

Upcoming Events

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