Lighting the Way: Meet the First Tezos Trailblazers

There’s no ecosystem without its people and this week, we’re shining a light on the community members helping take Tezos further. The Tezos Trailblazers Program has officially launched, welcoming its first wave of contributors who are pushing boundaries, amplifying their local scenes, and building bridges across art, DeFi, and on-chain culture.

These ambassadors aren’t just supporters, they’re active builders, artists, and curators who’ve made Tezos part of their daily rhythm. Now, as official Trailblazers, they’re stepping into a new chapter.

Meet the first cohort:

• Tezos Pepe Bakery
  A familiar name to many, Tezos PepeBakery runs an independent bakery node, supports on-chain artists, and regularly hosts DeFi-focused events. Their cross-network support spans both Layer 1 and Etherlink.

• ATE8A
  ATE8A is a Ukrainian NFT artist exploring the interplay of form, light, and space through 2D and 3D work. Active on Tezos for years, their art balances the abstract and the meaningful across digital platforms. Their friendly support has helped onboard many artists into the Tezos ecosystem.

• Pierro
  If you’ve browsed through the People of Tezos collection, you’ve already seen Pierro’s work. A curator, collector, and relentless promoter of Tezos-native artists, he’s one of the ecosystem’s cultural anchors.

• PapaBearded
  Bird photography meets AI collaboration in PapaBearded’s work. Beyond the art, he’s been a connector—bridging artists, supporting collectors, and growing visibility for creators on Tezos.

This program is about more than badges and shoutouts. Trailblazers will receive behind-the-scenes access, ecosystem updates, and opportunities to collaborate on projects and events. Think of it as a way to organize what’s already happening—and to empower the voices already doing the work.

Learn more about the Tezos Trailblazers Program

Stay tuned—more names will be added to the roster soon.

Dionysus Goes Live: Etherlink’s Most Powerful Upgrade Yet

While the newest Trailblazers highlight the people powering the Tezos ecosystem, the technology hasn’t stood still either. The latest upgrade to Etherlink is now live and it’s a big one.

Dionysus, Etherlink’s fourth kernel upgrade, officially landed this week, introducing critical enhancements that push the network further along its high-performance roadmap. If you've been watching Etherlink grow, this release signals a major step forward in scale, efficiency, and usability.

So what’s in the upgrade?

• Tezos DAL Integration
  Dionysus brings support for publishing blocks directly to Tezos’ new Data Availability Layer (DAL), boosting throughput and paving the way for much higher transaction capacity.

• EVM Dencun Compatibility
  Etherlink keeps pace with Ethereum’s evolution, introducing compatibility with the Dencun upgrade to ensure seamless support for EVM tooling and standards.

• Smarter Gas Fees
  Network spikes are no longer an issue. Dionysus introduces a smarter, more accurate gas pricing model that avoids unnecessary fee hikes during periods of high activity.

• Larger Transactions, Now Supported
  More complex operations — like those coming from IguanaDEX or upcoming RWA platforms — can now be executed without getting blocked by overly conservative size checks.

• Fast Withdrawals for FA Tokens
  Building on Calypso’s XTZ withdrawal system, Dionysus lays the groundwork for lightning-fast asset movement from Layer 2 to Layer 1, starting with FA token support.

With this upgrade, Etherlink isn’t just keeping up — it’s pulling ahead. Every change in Dionysus stems from real-world activity and feedback over the past few months. The result? A faster, more capable rollup ready to handle a serious scale without compromising on cost or decentralization.

Explore the full breakdown on X from @etherlink and stay tuned — there’s more to come.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

A Closer Look at Rio: Tezos Town Hall #9

This past week, the Tezos community gathered for Town Hall #9, tuning in for a live conversation centered on the network’s latest protocol upgrade: Rio.

Hosted by Cryptonio from Tezos Commons, the session featured key voices from Nomadic Labs: Yann Regis-Gianas, Head of Engineering, and Zaynah Dargaye, Core Layer 1 Engineering Manager. Together, they broke down what Rio brings to the table as the 18th protocol upgrade on Tezos.

From reducing cycle times to one day, to incentivizing participation in the Data Availability Layer (DAL), Rio marks a meaningful step in Tezos’ evolving roadmap. The discussion offered behind-the-scenes insights into the design choices, technical goals, and broader vision that Rio supports—including its role in scaling Layer 2 applications like Etherlink.

🎥 Missed it? You can catch the full Town Hall replay here: Watch the Town Hall.

Sogni Joins the Tezos Ecosystem via Etherlink

A new wave of creative tooling just landed on Tezos, Sogni is integrating with Etherlink, bringing its decentralized Supernet and gen-AI platform into the fold.

Billed as a creative engine for the next generation of builders and artists, Sogni empowers users to generate, collaborate, and even monetize their creative output using shared compute power. Whether you’re crafting AI-powered visuals with Sogni Studio Pro, generating art on the go with Sogni Pocket, or contributing idle resources to the network for Sogni Token rewards, the platform invites everyone to participate in the creator economy.

Its integration with Etherlink brings 176x faster speeds to generative workflows, plugging into a fast, affordable, and scalable environment built for high-performance apps.

Sogni is also one of the new projects joining Fortify Labs, TZ APAC’s accelerator for Web3 startups. That’s just the beginning—Sogni’s roadmap promises even more tooling for developers, artists, and node operators in the months ahead.

Explore more: @Sogni_Protocol on X

Tezos Logo Remix: Open Call for TezDev 2025

Want your art to be part of the biggest Tezos event of the year? Here's your chance.

Unknown Collector has launched an open call for creators to remix the Tezos logo, with selected entries featured in a 360° immersive display at TezDev 2025 in Cannes.

You're invited to push boundaries—make it bold, make it loop, and most of all, make it yours.

Submission Guidelines:

• MP4 moving image, under 30 seconds (looping preferred)

• 2000x2000px, transparent background

• You can remix an existing piece or create something new using the template

• 10 artworks will be selected and showcased at TezDev

Deadline: June 1, 11:59 PM CET
Winners announced: June 3
Submit here: forms.gle/um4KWYiWU8cKnE7ZA

Judges include: Linda, , Ion and UnknownCollector 

Time to remix the brand and bring your version of Tezos to life. See you in the loop.

Upcoming Events

Art on Tezos Returns to NFC Lisbon

Tezos is making a bold return to NFC Lisbon with a dynamic celebration of digital creativity. Anchored at the Tezos x XCOLLABZ container, this year’s activation brings together murals, immersive projections, VR experiences, and a thriving community of generative and digital artists.

Here’s what’s in store:

• Echoes of Light Exhibit: Two towering murals by Scott Martin (OMGiDRAWEDit) and Stuart Campbell (Sutu), a 30-artist projection showcase, and a custom VR experience.

• Mainstage Reveal: A new collaborative generative project will be unveiled live on the NFC mainstage—stay tuned.

• Art on Tezos Hangout:
  📅 June 4, 2025
  🕓 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM GMT+1
  📍 Carlos Lopes Pavilion, Lisbon

Request to join the Art on Tezos Hangout here.

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: Catalyst

New site, new location — same mission.

The countdown is on: TezDev 2025 lands in Cannes on July 3, bringing the Tezos community together for a day packed with demos, discussions, and creative expression. The new landing page is now live at tezos.com/events/tez-dev, giving attendees their first glimpse at what to expect from this year’s gathering.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Hôtel Martinez, right on the Boulevard de la Croisette, this year’s event is more than a conference, it’s a catalyst.

From breakout talks to ecosystem showcases, TezDev: Catalyst will explore how Tezos teams are lowering barriers for developers, pushing the limits of user experience, and building for what comes next. Attendees can expect:

• Developer sessions highlighting the latest tools and frameworks.

• First-look demos of upcoming projects across DeFi, gaming, art, and beyond.

• A curated dive into Tezos art — a nod to Tezos’ significant role in the art world.

Last year’s TezDev brought together over 700 attendees in Brussels, with names like Arthur Breitman, Justin Drake, and Tarun Chitra sharing their perspectives on where this space is headed. Expect 2025 to go even bigger.

Secure your spot now and be part of the momentum:
Register here.

🔴 Now Streaming: : Tezos in South America: Kika Nicolela

This week on TezTalks Radio, Marissa Trew sits down with Brazilian artist and curator Kika Nicolela to explore her creative evolution from traditional filmmaking to digital art, and how Tezos reshaped her practice. From collecting NFTs to curating on Objkt, Kika shares her vision for the future of curation, community, and artistic expression in Web3.

Our special guest is Kika Nicolela, where video art meets community-powered curation on Tezos.

🔍 In this episode, we’ll explore:

A Collector’s Start: – Why collecting came before minting, and what it taught her about digital art.

Curating on Objkt: – The unique balance between being an artist and a curator in the Tezos ecosystem.

Community as Canvas: – How collaboration and connection shape the value of digital work.

Challenges of Digital Display: – Rethinking how video and digital art are exhibited in the Web3 era.

What’s Next: – Upcoming projects, evolving priorities, and why Tezos remains her creative home.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.