Peter Zhang
Mar 11, 2026 22:53
Etherlink crosses 70 million transactions with 1.5 million addresses while launching Shadownet testnet and adding Curve, Superlend to its growing DeFi stack.
Tezos’ EVM-compatible Layer 2 network Etherlink crossed 70 million transactions by late February 2026, maintaining 0.7-second block times and gas costs around one cent as its ecosystem expanded with new developer infrastructure and DeFi protocols.
The milestone, reached on February 23, came alongside growth to 1.5 million addresses on the network. For an L2 that only went production-ready in February 2025 with a $3 million incentive program, the throughput numbers suggest the chain has found traction beyond initial launch hype.
Shadownet Goes Live for Long-Term Testing
On February 17, Etherlink launched Shadownet as its permanent testnet environment. Unlike typical testnets that get wiped periodically, Shadownet tracks the current Tezos state and provides developers with a persistent sandbox for building Etherlink-connected applications.
The testnet ships with a faucet for test tez, public RPC endpoints, and rolling snapshots to simplify node setup. This matters for teams building more complex applications that need stable testing infrastructure rather than scrambling before each testnet reset.
Infrastructure Buildout Continues
February saw several infrastructure additions that expand what’s possible on Etherlink. Goldsky added support for its Mirror and Turbo products on February 17, giving developers better data tooling for building on the network.
Revoke.cash, the token approval checker used across multiple EVM chains, integrated Etherlink support on February 2. It’s a small addition but signals the network is getting the basic security tooling that users expect from mature chains.
On the institutional side, Blockfort launched its Swiss Digital Art Fortress for Tezos and Etherlink on February 11. The regulated platform offers NFT storage, visualization, minting, and custody—targeting galleries and collectors who need more than a hot wallet for their holdings.
DeFi Stack Takes Shape
The projects building on Etherlink paint a clearer picture of where the chain is heading. Curve brought its stable swap model to the network, providing low-slippage trading for correlated assets. Superlend added lending and borrowing functionality, letting users earn yield on idle assets or borrow against their positions.
New fiat on-ramps also went live. xU3O8 from Uranium.io became purchasable through Ramp on February 12, followed by Midas’ mMEV on February 18. Both support card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and SEPA transfers—reducing friction for users who want exposure without navigating multiple exchanges.
ETHDenver Presence
Etherlink showed up at ETHDenver with a booth featuring its “Proof of Speed” challenge, mechanical keyboard giveaways, and Uranium.io promotions. The Tezos Breakfast Club meetup on February 17 brought builders together during the conference week.
With sub-second finality and penny-level gas costs, Etherlink is positioning itself as a performance-focused alternative in an increasingly crowded L2 market. The next few months will show whether the developer tooling and DeFi integrations translate into sustained user activity beyond the initial transaction milestone.
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