11 Years Since the Tezos White Paper

“We present Tezos, a generic and self-amending crypto-ledger.”
— Published September 2, 2014

Before mainnets, before memes, and before governance was a buzzword, there was just an idea. On this day 11 years ago, the Tezos white paper was published — a vision for a self-amending ledger, where upgrades could happen without forks and the community would have the power to evolve the network together.

That paper laid the groundwork for everything Tezos has become — from its early Proof-of-Stake design, to on-chain governance, to the ever-growing family of builders, validators, artists, and dreamers pushing the protocol forward today.

We wanted to share a message from community member @Crypt0nio, which says it better than we ever could:

Seoul Tracker: Entering the Adoption Phase

The Seoul protocol proposal has officially advanced to the adoption phase, the final step towards activation. With quorum reached in the previous Promotion Vote, and strong support across the baking community, Seoul is now queued for on-chain implementation.

This will be the 19th protocol upgrade for Tezos and once again, no forks, no drama, just community-led evolution.

So what’s in Seoul?

The Seoul proposal introduces key technical improvements, including:

• Native multisig support for tz4 accounts, making collaborative and institutional staking easier to manage

• Aggregated attestations, significantly reducing bandwidth requirements and paving the way for faster block times

• Open unstake finalization, allowing third parties to finalize unstaking operations on behalf of users to streamline the staking experience

You can track progress on Tezos Agora as Seoul heads toward its final activation date and a huge thanks goes out to all the bakers and participants who helped make this upgrade possible.

Apple Farm Rolls On + KuCoin Now Supports Etherlink

As Seoul moves towards activation, Etherlink is already delivering on the scalability and user experience it was built for.

This week brought a double dose of good news for the ecosystem.

First up: Apple Farm Episode 4 is live.
The latest update to the on-chain DeFi game introduces two fresh opportunities:

• mRe7/USDC pool via MidasRWA on Curve

• XTZ Loop Vault on Superlend

That brings the total to 19 ways to earn applXTZ by lending, trading, or providing liquidity across the Etherlink ecosystem. It’s still early days for Apple Farm, but each new episode adds depth and gives users more chances to play, earn, and explore.

Next up, KuCoin now supports tez deposits on Etherlink which means a smoother on-ramp for new users and developers. Just head to Kucoin:

Assets > Funding Account > Deposit
Select Tezos (XTZ) and choose Etherlink as the network.

Withdrawals will be enabled soon, completing the loop and opening up even more liquidity flow into the growing ecosystem.

Lastly, speaking of liquidity, Etherlink TVL is closing in on $80M. Between Apple Farm, CNDY games, new integrations, and deeper DeFi activity, Etherlink is showing what Tezos-powered rollups can do when usability and scalability go hand-in-hand.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Inside Reaper Actual: A Persistent World Shooter That’s Raising Eyebrows

First announced at TezDev and continuing momentum since its Steam listing, Reaper Actual is back in the spotlight and this time with an exclusive Insider Gaming interview that digs deep into what makes this PvPvEvE shooter so compelling.

In the interview, Insider Gaming editor Jake Lucky sat down with Matt Higby, Chief Creative Officer at Distinct Possibility Studios, to explore how Reaper Actual is shaping up to be more than just another FPS.

Set on the fictional Mediterranean island of Marova, Reaper Actual places players in a persistent open world, one that evolves in real-time, where factions battle across shifting frontlines, and where your choices (and victories) shape your future.

Think Call of Duty: DMZ meets Escape from Tarkov, with the large-scale meta of Planetside 2. But where Reaper Actual breaks away is in its persistence is you don’t just drop in and out of matches. You build a base, influence evolving faction dynamics, and unravel the island’s secrets across seasons.

What sets it apart?

• PvPvEvE world: Dynamic factions fight each other (and you) over hours or days

• Accessible gameplay: Fast-paced, “arcadey” combat with sliding, vaulting, and tactical movement

• Optional blockchain layer: NFTs and digital ownership are available, but never required

• Base building & player economy: Build, trade, and survive or dominate

While the article doesn’t dwell on the blockchain side, Reaper Actual's team has chosen Tezos and Etherlink to power optional digital ownership features. That means players who want to engage with on-chain items, customizations, or economy layers can do so while everyone else can simply focus on the action.

With a creator-backed campaign launching soon and a playable alpha on the horizon, Reaper Actual is shaping up to be a title to watch, not just for the Tezos ecosystem, but for shooter fans everywhere.

📰 Read the full interview on Insider Gaming.

Staketember is Back but with Memes

It’s that time of year again. Staketember has returned, and with it comes Tezos’ most sacred tradition: making fun of network infrastructure for internet points (and a little tez).

Whether you’re a baker, delegator, or just someone who knows how to explain consensus with SpongeBob templates, the Staketember Meme Contest is your time to shine.

 What to meme about:

• Staking and delegating — the why, how, and hilarious misconceptions

• Tezos’ unique security model (yes, nerd jokes welcome)

• Bakers, rewards, governance… if it keeps Tezos running, it’s fair game

How to enter:
Quote repost this post with your meme and tag @Tezos

Prizes:

• 🥇 Top 3 memes win 100 tez each

• 🥲 Eternal bragging rights and chain-wide clout

• 🗓️ Winners announced September 30

So load up your meme folders, channel your inner staking strategist, and make September the funniest month on Tezos.

Creator Hub – Asia: A New Program for Tezos Artists

As the memes fly and the bakers bake, Tezos is also welcoming a fresh wave of creators into the fold.

Creator Hub – Asia is now live, a new grassroots initiative from longtime Tezos artist @jakestudyos that aims to onboard emerging talent from across the region.

Artists who join will mint their genesis piece on Tezos and receive mentorship from experienced creators already in the ecosystem. It’s powered by Tezos and built on the belief that community grows stronger when knowledge is shared and new voices are amplified.

If you're an artist in Asia and curious about joining the movement, the form is open through September 14 and DMs are open too.

👉 Sign up here.

🔴 Now Streaming: Erica’s Journey as Tezos Artist

Erica, known online as Normality Is Toxic, shares their journey as a photographer and mixed media artist creating powerful work that examines feminism, mental health struggles, and personal identity through both analog and digital techniques.

• Creating the powerful self-portrait "Show No Mercy" to visually represent conquering personal mental health struggles
• Evolution from first Tezos mint "Not Your Meal" exploring female objectification to increasingly layered, complex work
• Finding artistic freedom and community support in Tezos versus feeling competitive pressure on Ethereum
• Solo traveling to Iceland and discovering how separation from consumerism transformed artistic perspective
• Organizing Reconquest projects bringing together women and femme artists to challenge toxic patriarchy
• Combining analog collage with digital elements to create multi-layered visual expressions
• Supporting other artists as a collector with over 800 pieces in personal collection
• Appreciating how the Tezos community stands up for each other and values authentic relationships over sales

Watch the full episode on YouTube.