Tezos Trailblazers: A New Way to Contribute and Get Recognized

The Tezos community has always been a space for builders, creators, and forward-thinkers. The Tezos Trailblazers Program is an initiative designed to bring together those who want to take an active role in shaping the future of Tezos.

This program builds on the foundation set by TZ APAC Trailblazers, which gathered ecosystem leaders to support projects and push adoption forward. Now, the scope is expanding, inviting both seasoned community members and newcomers to contribute in ways that fit their strengths and interests.

How It Works

Tezos Trailblazers operates on a task-based system, allowing members to choose from a variety of contributions that help expand the ecosystem. This flexibility ensures that whether someone is skilled at technical testing, writing, event organization, or leading discussions, there’s a meaningful way for them to get involved.

Some of the ways Trailblazers can contribute include:

• Hosting X Spaces and AMAs to discuss Tezos projects and updates

• Creating educational content such as articles, guides, and videos

• Organizing local meetups and community events

• Testing new products and providing feedback before public release

Every contribution is measured and rewarded, allowing Trailblazers to support Tezos while earning recognition and compensation for their work.

Why Become a Trailblazer?

Tezos has always been a collaborative effort, and Trailblazers will play a direct role in shaping its next chapter. Being a part of the program means gaining access to exclusive opportunities and early insights while building a stronger personal presence in the community.

Trailblazers will receive:

• Recognition across Tezos channels through a dedicated profile and special roles in community spaces like Discord and Telegram

• First access to new Tezos and Etherlink products, allowing them to provide feedback before these innovations reach the broader community

• Earning opportunities through task-based rewards, with payouts in tez for contributions

• Networking with ecosystem leaders, including founders, developers, and marketing professionals who can help them refine their skills and grow their reach

For those who have been looking for a way to get more involved in Tezos beyond simply following along, this program provides the structure and support to do so in a way that’s rewarding, impactful, and fully aligned with individual interests.

How to Apply

Becoming a Trailblazer is straightforward. Those interested can apply today and start participating once accepted. The process is simple:

1. Submit an application – Fill out the application form and share why you want to be involved.

2. Choose missions that match your skills and interests – Tasks are listed on a dedicated platform, and Trailblazers can pick those that align with what they enjoy doing.

3. Complete tasks and earn recognition – As contributions are submitted and reviewed, participants earn tez, exclusive perks, and greater visibility within the Tezos ecosystem.

The strength of Tezos has always come from those willing to take action. The Trailblazers Program is an opportunity to step forward and be part of what’s next, whether by helping spread awareness, supporting new projects, or bringing fresh ideas to the table.

For those ready to make an impact, applications are open now.

Apply here and start contributing today.

Hanji Protocol: The On-Chain Order Book Powering Apple Farm

Just as the Tezos Trailblazers Program is bringing together contributors to expand the ecosystem, new projects on Etherlink are redefining what’s possible for DeFi. As we gear up for the launch of Apple Farm, one of the most exciting developments is Hanji Protocol, the first fully on-chain Central Limit Order Book (CLOB) exchange on Etherlink.

For years, Automated Market Makers (AMMs) have been the backbone of on-chain trading, but they come with trade-offs—wider spreads, high slippage, and inefficient capital use. Hanji is changing that equation with a fully decentralized order book model that offers tighter spreads, better price discovery, and lower fees.

Apple Farm will rely on Hanji’s efficient trading infrastructure to power its incentive-driven ecosystem, and with Etherlink’s ultra-low fees, the result is a fast, cost-effective trading experience that hasn’t been possible on-chain before.

What Makes Hanji Different?

The biggest challenge for order book-based DEXs has always been gas fees and execution speed. Most CLOB models struggle to operate on-chain because traditional matching engines become slower and more expensive as order volume increases. Hanji solves this problem with two major innovations:

• Logarithmic Matching Algorithm – Unlike traditional order books, where more trades mean exponentially slower execution, Hanji’s system ensures that orders always match in a fixed number of steps, regardless of volume.

• Radix Tree Order Storage – Hanji stores orders with price + order number as keys, ensuring every trade executes in 127 steps or fewer, which stabilizes gas costs.

This means Hanji delivers the tightest spreads, lowest fees, and most capital-efficient trading experience in DeFi, all while remaining fully on-chain and decentralized.

Built for Etherlink, Designed for DeFi

Hanji’s architecture takes full advantage of Etherlink’s scalability to solve the long-standing issue of on-chain order books:

• Ultra-low transaction costs – Etherlink enables trades at a fraction of a cent, making on-chain execution practical.

• Fast settlement – Orders are placed and matched seamlessly, ensuring a smooth user experience.

• Deep composability – Hanji’s order book model integrates directly with other DeFi protocols, setting the stage for new financial applications.

What’s Next for Hanji?

While Hanji is launching first as a spot exchange, the team has big plans:

• Perpetual trading – Leveraged trading options will expand what’s possible on Etherlink.

• LP tokens for passive liquidity provisioning – A way for users to earn rewards without active trading.

• Full integration with Apple Farm and the broader Tezos ecosystem.

With Apple Farm launching soon, Hanji will play a key role in incentivizing on-chain trading, offering users seamless, low-cost access to an order book model that has never been successfully executed at scale in DeFi—until now.

As more projects continue to build on Tezos and Etherlink, the foundations of a thriving, decentralized economy are taking shape.

Check out Hanji and see what’s coming next: @HanjiProtocol 

Tezos Protocol Upgrade: Cooldown Phase

As we focus on the community layer of Tezos, let’s not forget about the protocol layer. Rio, the 18th Tezos protocol upgrade, has successfully passed the Exploration phase and now enters the Cooldown phase—a critical step before the final vote.

What’s Next for Rio?

With Exploration behind us, the network now moves into a 14-day Cooldown period. During this time, developers, bakers, and teams across the ecosystem will conduct final testing to ensure the upgrade is validated without any issues. This phase allows for additional review and adjustments before moving into the final voting stage.

Once the Cooldown period concludes, Rio will enter the Promotion phase, where bakers will cast their final votes to determine whether the upgrade reaches absolute consensus. If approved, Rio will officially be adopted as the next protocol upgrade for Tezos.

What’s in Rio?

Rio introduces several important enhancements aimed at making Tezos faster, more scalable, and more efficient for both bakers and developers:

• Shorter cycle times – Reducing Tezos network cycles from three days to one, speeding up staking changes and reward distributions.

• Refined staking model – Adjusting participation rewards to better incentivize bakers who contribute to Tezos’ scalability through the Data Availability Layer (DAL).

• Stronger network security – Lowering the inactivity threshold for bakers to ensure a more responsive validator set.

• Gas fee adjustments – Minor updates to wallet-to-wallet transactions to better account for storage costs, while keeping smart contract fees unchanged.

With Rio moving closer to activation, the next two weeks will be a time for the community to test, evaluate, and prepare for the final vote.

For those following Tezos governance, stay tuned—the Promotion phase is the last step before Rio goes live.

Check the latest voting progress on Tezos Agora.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

With Apple Farm launching soon and Hanji redefining on-chain trading, the next big discussion in the Tezos ecosystem is set to take place at Tezos Town Hall #8 on March 24. This edition will focus on one of the most exciting areas of blockchain adoption—the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs).

Tokenization has long been a topic of interest, but Tezos is proving it’s more than just a concept. Uranium.io—the first-ever blockchain-powered uranium trading platform—is already live, showcasing how Tezos can be used to bring real financial applications on-chain. The town hall will explore what this means for the broader RWA space, what challenges still need to be addressed, and how Tezos is positioned to lead the way in this emerging market.

A panel of industry leaders will break down the current state and future potential of tokenized assets, with insights from:

• Arthur Breitman (Co-Founder, Tezos) – Discussing the role of tokenization in creating more accessible and composable financial markets.

• Crispin Clarke (Curzon Uranium) – Exploring why uranium is a key commodity for tokenization and how blockchain can unlock new investment opportunities.

• Ben Elvidge (Head of Commercial Applications, Trilitech) – Covering how Tezos is shaping RWA adoption and the infrastructure needed to support it.

• Moderated by Eoin McGinley (Head of PR, Trilitech).

The tokenization of real-world assets isn’t just a passing trend—it’s a shift toward more transparent, efficient, and accessible financial systems. From commodities like uranium to real estate and treasuries, the ability to bring traditionally illiquid assets onto the blockchain could reshape entire industries.

Tezos Town Hall #8 will offer key insights into how this transformation is happening today, what challenges remain, and where things are headed next.

🔹 Date: March 24
🔹 Time: 4PM CET | 10AM EST
🔹 Watch Live: Tezos X & YouTube

For those following the growth of RWAs on blockchain, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

🔴 Now Streaming: Vincent Poulain of Nomadic Labs

This week on TezTalks Live, we’re joined by Vincent Poulain, Manager of Technical User Relations at Nomadic Labs. Vincent shares insights on Tezos X, the role of Layer 2, and how his team supports builders and bakers in making Tezos more accessible and scalable.

Our special guest is Vincent Poulain, who is working behind the scenes to connect developers, bakers, and the Tezos ecosystem.

🔍 In this episode, we’ll explore:

Nomadic Labs’ Role: - How this core team drives Tezos protocol development and adoption.

Supporting Builders & Bakers: - The resources and guidance available for teams building on Tezos.

Developer Experience: - Why accessibility is key to onboarding new users and improving the Tezos ecosystem.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.