Faster Cycles, New Rewards Model, Improved Resilience: Rio is Live!

On May 1 2025 11:07:24 UTC, the Tezos blockchain successfully activated the Rio protocol upgrade at block #8,767,488.

This 18th upgrade was jointly developed by Nomadic Labs, TriliTech, and Functori. It contains the following main changes:

• Faster cycles: Going from 3-day to 1-day cycles means faster application of changes made by bakers, stakers, and delegators.

• Rewards for DAL participation: 10% of participation rewards are allocated to participation in the Data Availability Layer (DAL), an essential component for L2 scalability and the Tezos X roadmap.

• Reduced tolerance for baker inactivity: To improve the network’s resilience and reduce risk of slowdowns, tolerance for baker inactivity is reduced to 2 days.

Additionally, the proposal contains a minor fix of the gas consumption model. A detailed list of changes can be found in the protocol’s changelog. See also the Rio announcement post.

Cycles reduced to 1 day

The Rio protocol reduces the network cycle length from around 3 days to 1 day.

Besides the intuitive benefits of aligning cycle length with a more familiar time unit, shorter cycles also mean that many staking-related changes take effect faster.

Notably, it now only takes 4 days to unstake funds. For a full overview of the effects of this change, see the Rio announcement.

Note that the duration of the governance process is unchanged (70 days total), with voting periods still being 14 days.

DAL participation rewards

The Data Availability Layer (DAL) is key to boosting the scalability of Etherlink and other Tezos rollups, and for realizing the Tezos X roadmap.

With the Rio upgrade, 10% of participation rewards are now allocated to DAL participation, in order to promote smooth operation and honest behavior by participants. Baking now also requires running a DAL attester node by default, though bakers can opt-out.

The DAL rewards take effect when the DAL is operational, which requires 66% of the baking power participating. DAL participation is currently at 31% and steadily increasing.

While participation is below 66%, the new reward distribution is not applicable, and the 10% DAL rewards are instead distributed among all bakers.

Bakers still not participating in the DAL can use this tutorial to get started. We recommend first running the DAL node on the Ghostnet testnet, where it’s possible to test the setup with a fully operational DAL.

For feedback and support, see the #dal-testers channel on Discord.

A more detailed explanation of this change can be found in the Rio announcement, including the FAQ. See also the DAL documentation.

Reduced tolerance for inactive bakers

To reduce the risk of unresponsive bakers slowing down the network, Rio introduces stricter baker inactivity thresholds. It makes the network more resilient as it adapts quicker to bakers going offline.

Bakers are now marked as inactive after 2 days, but can return to active status in 2 days.

A baker that is marked as inactive no longer receives consensus rights and must re-register as a baker to participate again.

Governance at its best

We’d like to thank everyone contributing to the comprehensive early feedback on the Rio proposal, which allowed protocol developers to consider these inputs when finalizing the proposal.

Achieving alignment this way makes for better upgrade proposals and a smooth governance process. We look forward to continuing this constructive process as we take another step towards Tezos X with the upcoming ‘S’ proposal.

Stay tuned!

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Desert Signals: Tezos at TOKEN2049 Dubai

This past week in Dubai felt like a glimpse into the near future of Web3, fast-paced, unpredictable, and full of real conversations about where this is all heading. Tezos showed up in a big way, not just with keynotes and panels, but with presence. From coffee meetups to uranium on-chain, here’s a quick look back.

Arthur Breitman’s Keynote – April 30
Tezos Co-Founder Arthur Breitman opened the week with a keynote that cut through the noise. His message was simple but powerful: Uranium is going on-chain and Tezos is making it possible. The session highlighted how Uranium.io is using Tezos to bring 24/7 global access, transparent pricing, and digital ownership to a historically opaque market.

Tezos Breakfast Club – May 1
The next morning, the Tezos community gathered at Rascals Deli for pastries, strong coffee, and quiet conversations. No pitches, no decks, just builders and curious minds meeting face-to-face. The Tezos Breakfast Club turned out to be a great reminder that some of the best moments at conferences happen off-stage in small settings.

Longitude Panel by Cointelegraph – May 1
Later that day, Arthur joined leaders from Aptos, Fastex, and Nansen for the “L1s at a Crossroads” panel, hosted by Cointelegraph at the exclusive Longitude event. The discussion moved beyond tech specs, digging into what it actually takes for Layer 1s to cross the adoption chasm. Key takeaways: product-market fit matters more than ever, user experience still needs work across the board, and economic alignment is key to lasting relevance.

All told, Token2049 Dubai was a sharp, focused moment for Tezos. No fireworks, just strong signals that the ecosystem is building with purpose and that the rest of the world is starting to notice. As we are heading into the Summer months, there are a ton of Tezos events line-up outlined below and make sure you sign up for the mother of all Tezos events, Tez/Dev 2025 taking place in Cannes!

Upcoming Events

Arthur Breitman at FT Digital Assets Summit

Tezos co-founder Arthur Breitman will join the Financial Times Digital Assets Summit to explore what it really takes to build a resilient blockchain ecosystem.

In the panel, "Building a Blockchain Ecosystem: Scalability, Interoperability, and Security," Arthur will speak to how Tezos is approaching long-term growth through scalable infrastructure, inclusive governance, and Layer 2 innovation.

🗓️ May 6, 2025
🕚 11:40 BST
📍 London & Online
🔗 View session details

Arthur Breitman Keynote at Consensus 2025

Arthur Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, is headed to Toronto this May for Consensus 2025, one of the largest and most influential gatherings in the Web3 and digital assets space.

He’ll take the stage to explore a frontier that’s turning heads across finance, energy, and tokenizing uranium.

In his keynote, "Uranium Onchain: Bringing Yellowcake to the Digital Economy," Arthur will walk through the real-world impact of tokenized commodities, how Tezos and Etherlink are enabling new forms of access to global markets, and what this means for the future of real-world assets (RWAs) onchain.

🗓️ Date: May 14–16
📍 Location: Toronto, Canada
🎤 Keynote by: Arthur Breitman, Co-founder of Tezos
🔗 Learn more at Consensus 2025

You're Invited: Tezos Breakfast Club at Consensus 2025

Start your Consensus morning with the Tezos community.

Join us at 11:59 Bar:Café in Toronto for a relaxed and energizing meet-up over drinks, pastries, and good conversation. Whether you're building, researching, or just exploring what's happening across Tezos and Etherlink, this is the place to connect.

🗓️ Date: May 15
⏰ Time: 10:00–12:00
📍 Location: 11:59 Bar:Café, Toronto
💌 RSVP now to reserve your spot: lu.ma/TezosBreakfastClubToronto

Space is limited, so grab your seat early.

The Digital Art Mile in Basel

June 16–22, 2025 | Basel, Switzerland

This summer, Tezos heads to the heart of Basel for The Digital Art Mile, a week-long exploration of digital creativity woven through the city’s historic center.

Expect a vibrant circuit of exhibitions, talks, and immersive experiences that bring together top artists, collectors, galleries, and platforms—bridging the worlds of traditional and digital art. With Tezos as a recognized home for generative and digital artists, this is a key moment to connect with the community pushing boundaries in the space.

More info: artmeta.org

TezDev 2025 – Cannes Awaits

The biggest builder event in the Tezos ecosystem returns this summer—this time on the shores of the French Riviera.

TezDev 2025 is set for July 3 in Cannes, France. Join developers, founders, creators, and community members from across the globe for a day of talks, demos, and deep dives into everything being built on Tezos.

Following a packed 2024 edition in Brussels, this year’s TezDev promises even more insight into the evolving world of Tezos Layer 1 and Etherlink Layer 2, with updates from core teams, spotlights on the latest tools and projects, and chances to connect directly with those shaping what’s next.

🗓️ Date: July 3, 2025
📍 Location: Cannes, France
🔗 Details and RSVP: tezos.com/events/tez-dev

🔴 Now Streaming: : Identity, Ownership & Pixel Art on Tezos with MEK

This week on TezTalks Radio, Marissa Trew sits down with Michael Alexander, better known as MEK, pixel artist, developer, and one of the minds behind Sbjkt.xyz. From his design roots to building tools that empower digital artists, MEK shares how Tezos helped shape his artistic voice and his vision for the future of Web3 creativity.

Our special guest is MEK, where pixel art meets purposeful tech on Tezos.

🔍 In this episode, we’ll explore:

MEK’s Artistic Path: – How a personal transformation turned a designer into a full-time artist.

Why Tezos: – The role of community, accessibility, and creative freedom in MEK’s decision to build here.

The Sbjkt.xyz Mission: – A collector-first tool simplifying how art is tracked, viewed, and understood.

Art Meets Utility: – Building for artists and collectors, with feedback from the community at the center. People mentioned

Watch the full episode on YouTube.