Quebec Goes Live: A Step Forward for Tezos

On January 20, 2025, the Tezos blockchain marked a major milestone with the activation of its 17th protocol upgrade, Quebec, at block #7,692,289. Developed by Nomadic Labs, TriliTech, and Functori, this upgrade brings meaningful enhancements to Tezos’ staking system, performance, and economic structure.

Here’s what Quebec introduces:

• Faster Block Times: The block time has been reduced from 10 seconds to 8 seconds, allowing transactions to process more quickly and improving the overall user experience.

• Refined Staking Mechanics: Changes to baking power calculations and delegation rights create a more balanced and efficient staking system. For example, bakers can now attract up to nine times their own stake in delegations, an increase from the previous five times limit.

• Adaptive Issuance Updates: Adjustments to adaptive issuance ensure that tez issuance remains controlled, particularly when the staking ratio is slightly below the target.

• Addressing Delegation Challenges: Quebec adjusts the rules for computing delegated balances, addressing user concerns about dilution and friction in the delegation process.

These improvements make Tezos faster, fairer, and better equipped to support its growing ecosystem. Bakers and users alike will start to see the benefits of these changes immediately.

What’s Next? All Eyes on ‘R’ Protocol

Now that Quebec is live, the spotlight turns to the next protocol upgrade, ‘R’ Protocol. Over the past few weeks, Nomadic Labs has gathered feedback from the community on the initial proposal, and they’ve shared some key adjustments based on these discussions.

Here’s a summary of what’s new in the updated proposal:

1. Extended Inactivity Tolerance: Bakers now have up to 2 cycles (around 2 days) of inactivity before being marked as inactive, an increase from the originally proposed 1 cycle. This adjustment gives bakers more breathing room to handle unexpected technical challenges.

2. Improved Developer Resources: Nomadic Labs plans to enhance ecosystem tooling by making additional data accessible via RPC (Remote Procedure Calls). This includes information about unstaking delays, key activations, and adaptive issuance updates. These changes aim to streamline development and maintenance for ecosystem contributors.

3. Adjusted DAL (Data Availability Layer) Slashing Rules: In response to baker feedback, the slashing mechanism for the DAL has been modified. Bakers who fail to meet participation requirements will lose only their rewards for that cycle. Their stake, and the stake of their delegators, will remain unaffected.

4. DAL Participation Rewards: For the DAL to remain active in a given cycle, at least 66% of the baking power must participate. When this threshold is met, 10% of the participation rewards for that cycle will be allocated to the DAL. These rewards will be distributed among participating bakers, stakers, and delegators as part of the adaptive rewards system.

These updates reflect the nature of Tezos governance. Every adjustment is made with input from the community, ensuring that the network evolves in a way that benefits all stakeholders.

The process of refining ‘R’ Protocol ensures that all voices in the Tezos community is heard. Each suggestion, comment, and idea shared by the community strengthens the proposal, ensuring it’s well-rounded and effective. With these updates in place, ‘R’ Protocol is shaping up to be another meaningful upgrade that builds on the momentum of Quebec.

As we move closer to finalizing the ‘R’ Protocol, community engagement remains critical. Be sure to stay connected, participate in discussions, and share your thoughts on Tezos Agora.

Staking on Quebec: What’s Changed?

As the dust settles on the successful Quebec protocol activation, one of the most impactful updates is to Tezos’ staking and delegation system. If you’ve been part of the Tezos ecosystem for a while, you know that staking has been evolving since its introduction in June 2024 with the Paris protocol. But Quebec takes this concept to the next level.

Previously, only bakers actively staked their tez while token holders participated passively by delegating their tez to bakers. The Paris upgrade introduced a new dynamic, enabling tez holders to choose between traditional delegation and direct staking. Now, with Quebec in full effect, staking rewards have received a major boost.

Key Updates with Quebec

• Staking Rewards Multiplier:
  Under the Paris protocol, staking rewards were already higher than delegation rewards at ~2x. With Quebec, this multiplier increases to 3x. This adjustment incentivizes more tez holders to actively stake, which helps minimize inflation while ensuring the network remains secure.

• Lockup Periods:
  Delegated funds remain liquid, offering flexibility to users who may need to access their funds at any time. Staked funds, however, come with a 4-cycle lockup period (~10 days), during which they are locked to participate in securing the network.

• Direct Reward Distribution:
  For staking, rewards are sent directly to the user from the network, bypassing intermediaries like bakers. Delegation rewards, on the other hand, are handled by bakers, who transfer them to delegators based on their agreement.

This shift not only adds an extra layer of flexibility for users but also aligns with Tezos’ commitment to keeping inflation under control while rewarding active network participants.

To make the most of these changes, make sure you’re clear on your current setup. If you haven’t touched your tez since before June 2024, there’s a good chance you’re still delegating rather than staking.

Check your staking status today by connecting your wallet to the Tezos staking app.

Quebec’s improvements continue to build on Tezos’ robust governance and economic design. With the community playing a central role in these updates, the network not only grows stronger but also ensures its stakeholders are rewarded in fair and meaningful ways.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Fresh off the momentum of the Quebec protocol upgrade, let’s turn our attention to exciting developments unfolding in the Tezos ecosystem this week like Skurpy, a new social media platform built on Tezos.

has teased its upcoming launch, promising to redefine how artists, collectors, and creators interact. Powered by Tezos, Skurpy is positioning itself as a hub that merges the best aspects of X, OpenSea, and Discord into one cohesive platform.

Mark your calendars—Skurpy 2.0 is set to launch on March 13, 2025. While details remain sparse, the teaser has already sparked conversations on X, with Skurpy inviting artists, collectors, and projects to join the platform at launch. Stay tuned as Skurpy continues to build excitement ahead of its big reveal and follow their team on X.

Tezos X-plained Series Debuts with Arthur Breitman

This week marks the launch of Tezos X-plained, a new series diving deep into the ideas and innovations shaping Tezos. The debut episode features none other than Tezos co-founder Arthur Breitman, who joins Beatka Lipska to discuss:

• The importance of composability in blockchain design.

• Why Layer 2 solutions powered by Smart Rollups are pivotal for next-level scaling.

• How decentralization underpins Tezos’ unique approach to evolution and governance.

Whether you're a longtime Tezos supporter or new to the ecosystem, this conversation is an excellent way to gain insight into the vision behind Tezos and its roadmap for the future.

Watch now on X.

Transak Partners with Uranium.io to Democratize Uranium Investment

More news happening in the Tezos Ecosystem is a new partnership between Transak, a Web3 payment provider, and Uranium.io, the blockchain-based uranium trading marketplace, has opened the doors for everyday investors to access tokenized uranium.

Previously, entering the uranium market required a staggering minimum investment of $4.2 million for over-the-counter trades. But now, thanks to this partnership, retail investors can buy tokenized shares of uranium for as little as $10, either using cryptocurrency or traditional credit cards.

The integration is a pivotal step in disintermediating the uranium trading industry, breaking down traditional barriers and making this unique asset class accessible to a broader audience. According to Carlo de Luca Gabrielli, Global Director of Sales at Transak, this marks the first time that retail investors can legally and affordably participate in uranium trading, a market historically reserved for institutional players.

Launched on the Tezos blockchain in December 2024, Uranium.io leverages decentralized applications to enable secure, transparent, and scalable uranium trading. This innovative use of blockchain technology continues to highlight Tezos as a leader in the tokenization of real-world assets, from commodities to real estate and beyond.

By lowering the barriers to entry, the partnership between Transak and Uranium.io not only democratizes uranium trading but also positions Tezos as the go-to network for innovative tokenized asset projects. As interest in real-world asset tokenization grows, collaborations like this one pave the way for a more inclusive and accessible financial landscape.

Tokenized uranium trading is just one example of how the Tezos ecosystem continues to redefine what’s possible in blockchain-powered markets.

Events

Arthur Breitman to Speak at NFT Paris

Mark your calendars for February 13-14, 2025, as Tezos co-founder Arthur Breitman takes the stage at NFT Paris. Held at the iconic Grande Halle de la Villette, this event promises to explore the cutting edge of tokenization and real-world asset (RWA) management.

Arthur’s keynote:
"Tokenization & Asset Management: Unlocking the Power of Real-World Assets"

Key highlights include:

• Insights into Uranium.io, a newly-launched project in tokenized uranium ownership on Tezos.

• The role of Tezos in bridging real-world assets with blockchain.

• Broader discussions on how RWAs are reshaping asset management and financial systems.

This event is part of RWA Paris, hosted alongside NFT Paris, Ordinals Paris, and XYZ Paris, showcasing the intersection of blockchain technology, art, and finance.

📍 Location: Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris
📅 Date: February 13-14, 2025
🎤 Stage: RWA Stage

For more details, visit here.

🔴 Now Streaming: Building on Tezos | ECAD Labs

This week on TezTalks Live, we’re joined by Jev Bjorsell, CEO of ECAD Labs, to discuss their work in developing key tools and infrastructure for the Tezos ecosystem. From Tezos X to Taquito and Signatory, Jev shares the team’s vision for 2025 and beyond.

🌟 Our special guest is Jev Bjorsell, leading ECAD Labs in advancing Tezos development and usability.

🔍 In this episode, we’ll explore:

ECAD Labs’ Role: - How this Vancouver-based team supports the Tezos ecosystem with critical tools and infrastructure.

Tezos X & Taquito Updates: - Insights into the Tezos X roadmap and the latest developments in Taquito.

Signatory’s Growth: - New features for ECAD Labs’ remote signer and their implications for the ecosystem.

2025 and Beyond: - Jev shares plans for ECAD Labs’ upcoming projects, Etherlink integration, and ecosystem priorities.

Global Presence: - Why participating in global events like TezDev is vital for Tezos and its developers.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.