• Purposes for Optimism’s Retro Funding Spherical 5 are open till September 5, 2024.
• The Optimism workforce welcomes the brand new Ethereum Layer-2 Soneium to the Superchain.

Optimism has introduced that it’s now accepting purposes for Spherical 5 of Retroactive Public Items Funding (Retro Funding).

Based on the platform's announcement on August 23, Optimism (OP) contributors have till September fifth at 19:00 UTC to submit their purposes.

Eligible initiatives will get a share of the 8 million OPs that might be offered to Ethereum core builders, the OP Stack analysis and growth workforce, and OP Stack instrument builders within the new spherical.

Who’s Retro Funding 5 for?

Retro Funding Spherical 5 will reward initiatives that make an impression inside the OP ecosystem between October 2023 and August 2024. Ethereum core contributors embody good contract language, execution shoppers, EVM, testnet, and cryptographers.

OP Stack Researchers, however, embody initiatives that instantly contribute to OP Stack and the Optimism protocol, together with shopper implementations, modules, and audits. Integration and cargo testing infrastructure and RaaS suppliers are a few of the OP Stack tooling initiatives which might be eligible for funding.

Optimism welcomes Sonaeum

Different information developments for Optimism relate to Sony's launch of Soneium, an Ethereum layer-2 chain powered by the OP stack. In an announcement following the Soneium announcement, Optimism mentioned that L2 is now a part of its Superchain.

GM! Welcome Sonaeum To the grocery store chain!

Soneium is an Ethereum Layer 2 constructed by Sony Block Options Labs on the OP stack. pic.twitter.com/arvajOqJpJ

— Optimism (@Optimism) August 23, 2024

Soneium might be a common community connecting Web2 and Web3.

“Sony Block Resolution Lab, a three way partnership between Sony Group and Startale, selected to work with Optimism, with its world-class know-how, sturdy builder group and vibrant ecosystem,” Sota Watanabe, director of Sony Block Resolution Lab, mentioned in an announcement.

Watanabe can be CEO of Startale, the platform behind the Astar zkEVM and which is planning a migration to Soneium's L2 community.