DecryptJul 02, 06:06 PM
Standard Chartered Offers Institutions Direct Access to USDC
Standard Chartered has become the first Global Systemically Important Bank authorized to offer institutions direct access to mint and redeem Circle’s USDC.
ReadCointelegraphJul 02, 04:56 PM1 min
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam and Solana’s Alpenglow Put Protocol Upgrades in Focus
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam and Solana’s Alpenglow are among the major blockchain upgrades still expected in 2026. Their prominence shifts attention from price charts to underlying protocol development.
What happened?
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam and Solana’s Alpenglow are among the major blockchain upgrades still expected in 2026. Their prominence shifts attention from price charts to underlying protocol development.
Why it matters
The focus matters because blockchain upgrades concern the underlying networks on which the crypto ecosystem operates. For readers, companies and markets, that makes technical development an important measure of progress alongside asset prices.
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam and Solana’s Alpenglow are among the most significant blockchain upgrades still expected in 2026, placing protocol development at the center of the year’s crypto agenda.
The focus matters because blockchain upgrades concern the underlying networks on which the crypto ecosystem operates. For readers, companies and markets, that makes technical development an important measure of progress alongside asset prices.
Ethereum and Solana are approaching that development through separately named upgrade programs. Glamsterdam represents Ethereum’s anticipated next step, while Alpenglow is the corresponding major development highlighted for Solana.
Their inclusion among 2026’s most important developments also reflects a broader distinction between market performance and infrastructure work. Price charts track asset movements, while protocol upgrades concern changes to the systems themselves.
As 2026 continues, Glamsterdam and Alpenglow remain key developments to watch—not as price signals, but as milestones in the evolution of two major blockchain protocols.
