Staking Just Got a Boost: Try the New dApp and Earn 3x Rewards

A lot has changed on the staking front and all of it in the user’s favor. With the Quebec protocol upgrade now live, staking on Tezos has become significantly more attractive: staking rewards are now triple what you’d earn from simple delegation.

To match this upgrade in incentives, the stake.tezos.com dapp has also received a full refresh, making it easier than ever to start staking your tez. Whether you’ve been delegating for a while or are just getting started, the new interface makes it seamless to stake and manage your tez in just a few steps.

The new staking experience is designed to walk users through the full process connecting your wallet, choosing a baker, and locking your tez for staking all from one dashboard. The interface explains the difference between delegation and staking and helps you make an informed decision based on your goals.

With this update, staking and delegation now live in the same flow. That means you can delegate and stake in one go, without needing to jump between different tools or interfaces.

Quick Refresh: Staking on Tezos

• Staking rewards now outpace delegation by 3x, making it one of the most effective ways to earn from your tez.

• While staking does lock your funds and comes with slashing risks, it also accrues rewards automatically, with no need for a baker to manually distribute them.

• Thanks to the improved dashboard, users can now manage their delegation, staking, unstaking, and baker changes from one place.

And if you're already delegating but not staking, this new flow gives you a clear and simple path to level up your participation.

Ready to try it? The full walkthrough explains every step, including how to change bakers, how the unstaking cooldown works, and what to expect during each stage of the process.

You can read the full guide here.

Final Stretch for Rio: Bakers, It’s Time to Vote

As staking on Tezos becomes more accessible and rewarding, the protocol itself is also on the cusp of another important upgrade. Rio, the 18th Tezos protocol proposal, has now entered its final voting phase—the Promotion Period—and will be live if it clears the finish line.

The voting window is open until April 16th, and as of now, participation sits at 33%. To move forward, Rio needs to reach 50.39% quorum with continued support from the community. This is the last step before the proposal can officially be activated on the network.

If you’re a baker, now is the time to cast your vote.

What’s in Rio?

Rio continues the evolution of Tezos with a focus on scalability, responsiveness, and faster network operations:

• Shorter cycles: Reduces cycle duration from 3 days to just 1, speeding up staking updates and reward payouts.

• DAL incentives: 10% of participation rewards are redirected to bakers supporting the Data Availability Layer (DAL), encouraging broader L2 scalability.

• Stronger validator responsiveness: Bakers marked inactive after 2 days instead of 8, ensuring a more agile validator set.

• Updated gas fees: Minor adjustments to wallet-to-wallet transactions for better cost alignment; smart contract fees remain the same.

If you’re a baker and ready to vote, here’s the command you’ll need:

octez-client submit ballot for YOUR_ADDRESS PsRiotumaAMotcRoDWW1bysEhQy2n1M5fy8JgRp8jjRfHGmfeA7 yay 

Replace YOUR_ADDRESS with your baker address and cast your vote for “yay,” “nay,” or “pass.”

This is the final stretch for Rio. If you believe in what this upgrade brings, take a moment to vote. Every upgrade is shaped by the participation of bakers, and this one is no exception.

Track voting progress and full details on Tezos Agora.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Etherlink Momentum Continues with New Projects, Growth Milestones, and Ecosystem Tools

Just one week after the launch of Apple Farm Season 1, activity around Etherlink hasn’t slowed, it’s accelerated. From ecosystem integrations and new projects to major community milestones and tooling updates, Etherlink is quickly proving itself as a high-performance, builder-first destination in the Tezos universe.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new:

Apple Farm Waitlist Rewards Boost Update

If you joined the Apple Farm waitlist before launch, your boost is just around the corner. Rather than splitting reward distributions over two dates, Etherlink is simplifying the process: all boost rewards will now be distributed on April 9.

To lock in your boost, make sure to claim your Apples before that date. Unclaimed Apples won’t count toward your bonus, so don’t leave them sitting idle.

Lilypad Joins Etherlink and Fortify Labs Cohort

A major new builder just arrived. Lilypad Network, a decentralized, serverless compute platform optimized for AI and machine learning workloads, is building on Etherlink.

Lilypad makes high-performance compute accessible to anyone by tapping into idle GPU resources through a Web3-native marketplace. The platform allows developers to run containerized jobs like Stable Diffusion for AI-generated art without the need for expensive infrastructure.

In the words of founder Ally Haire, “Building on Etherlink gives us the EVM tooling we need with fast block times and near zero fees ideal for coordinating our AI services.”

Etherlink Crosses $10M in TVL

Etherlink continues to gain real traction in the market. This week, the network crossed $10 million in total value locked (TVL), according to DeFi Llama. With more protocols onboarding and Apple Farm incentives in full swing, Etherlink is becoming a serious player among Layer 2s.

Bluwhale AI Enters the Ecosystem

Another builder is joining the Tezos + Etherlink movement: Bluwhale AI, a project focused on extending intelligent infrastructure across L1s and L2s, is now developing on Etherlink.

Partnered with Fortify Labs, Bluwhale aims to bring advanced intelligence tooling and AI integrations into the Tezos ecosystem. More updates from the team are expected soon.

Absolute Labs Adds Support for Tezos and Etherlink

Finally, Etherlink has been integrated into the Absolute Labs platform, unlocking wallet-level analytics and engagement tools for projects across both Web2 and Web3.

This means that teams building on Tezos and Etherlink now have powerful tools to:

• Reach and analyze wallet-based communities

• Personalize communications based on wallet activity

• Engage developer ecosystems with more precision

For builders, marketers, and community teams alike, this kind of insight can be a game-changer.

With projects launching, TVL rising, and infrastructure maturing rapidly, Etherlink is showing what a composable, affordable, and fast EVM chain can look like when it’s powered by Tezos rollup tech and backed by a growing community of creators.

TZ Apex Returns for Season 5

Following a flurry of activity across Etherlink and Fortify Labs, TZ Apex is back with Season 5—offering the community a chance to explore the latest projects from the 2025 Fortify Labs cohort.

Running through April 9, this season features interactive missions, deep dives into new teams building on Tezos, and the opportunity to earn rewards for participating. Up to $3,000 in prizes are up for grabs.

Explore the cohort, test your knowledge, and support emerging projects:
Join TZ Apex Season 5

Arthur Breitman Talks Uranium Tokenization on The Block’s Podcast

In a new episode of The Block’s “The Scoop” podcast, Tezos co-founder Arthur Breitman sat down with host Frank Chaparro to discuss the growing momentum behind Uranium.io and the broader implications of tokenizing real-world assets.

Arthur walks through how uranium markets operate today, why ETFs and futures have fallen short, and how on-chain platforms like Uranium.io can offer retail investors more direct, transparent access to this increasingly relevant commodity.

He also shares his perspective on why uranium is heating up, what Tezos offers that makes this kind of tokenization possible, and where the RWA movement might go next.

Listen to the full episode here:
Arthur Breitman on Uranium, RWAs, and What Comes Next

Upcoming Events

You're Invited: Tezos Soirée in Paris

Hosted by Nomadic Labs & Exaion

Join the Tezos community for an evening of conversation, connection, and celebration during Paris Blockchain Week.

Spend the evening with teams from Labos Nomades and Exaion (EDF Group) at the Nomadic Labs office, right in the heart of Paris. Whether you’re a builder, researcher, or just curious about what’s next for Tezos, this is your chance to meet the minds shaping its future.

🗓️ Date: April 9
📍 Location: Nomadic Labs, Paris
🥂 Details: Light refreshments, networking, and community vibes

Space is limited—RSVP now to save your spot:
👉 lu.ma/7izgi6bx

Tezos x Manchester United: Match Night in London

Join us for a unique evening at the Manchester United office in London, where football and Web3 meet.

Come watch the Lyon vs. Manchester United match alongside builders, fans, and Tezos community members. Whether you’re here for the game, the conversation, or to learn more about what’s brewing between Tezos and the world of sports—this is the place to be.

🗓️ Date: April 10
📍 Location: Manchester United Office, London
⚽ Details: Live match viewing

Space is limited—RSVP now to save your spot:
👉 lu.ma/dgd8bbwo

🔴 Now Streaming: Dark Tales & Digital Hauntings on Tezos with V. Ruins

This week on TezTalks Radio, Marissa Trew speaks with artist and storyteller V. Ruins about Dark Tales, his latest project on Tezos. From horror and identity to the role of AI in art, V shares how he’s building immersive narratives that bridge technology, community, and storytelling.

Our special guest is V. Ruins, who is reimagining how stories are told in the digital age.

🔍 In this episode, we’ll explore:

Dark Tales & Tezos: – A look into V’s narrative-driven project exploring memory, fear, and audience participation.

Art Meets Technology: – How V blends AI, interactivity, and Web3 to push the boundaries of digital storytelling.

Onboarding & Outreach: – The challenge of bringing non-Web3 users into the fold and building accessible creative experiences.

Community & Collaboration: – Why the Tezos ecosystem has become the foundation for V’s evolving artistic practice.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.