The cryptocurrency market witnessed several important developments on Friday, October 23, as Ethereum delayed a major network upgrade, Bitcoin mining competition intensified and Starknet explored a potential transition away from Ethereum.
Today’s crypto news highlights growing attention to blockchain security, mining economics and the future of decentralized networks.
Ethereum developers postponed the Glamsterdam upgrade on the Hoodi testnet following warnings about potential smart contract vulnerabilities.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s network hashrate reached its highest level in seven months, despite major mining companies redirecting resources toward artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Separately, Starknet’s community overwhelmingly supported research into becoming an independent, quantum-resistant layer-1 blockchain.
Ethereum Delays Glamsterdam Upgrade Over Security Concerns
Ethereum developers have postponed the planned Glamsterdam hard fork on the Hoodi testnet after researchers identified potential security risks involving proposed changes to gas calculations.
The Ethereum Foundation confirmed that the upgrade, originally scheduled for October 26, would be delayed while developers examine how the proposed modifications could affect existing smart contracts.
The decision followed concerns raised by blockchain security company ChainSecurity on October 13.
Researchers warned that two Ethereum Improvement Proposals, EIP-8037 and EIP-8038, could interfere with safeguards designed to protect smart contracts from certain transaction failures.
The issue involves a vulnerability category known as insufficient gas griefing, where inadequate gas availability can cause transactions or interactions between smart contracts to behave unexpectedly.
Changes to gas pricing could potentially affect how existing contracts respond when operations fail because of insufficient gas.
Ethereum Mainnet Upgrade Timeline Remains Uncertain
The postponement has introduced additional uncertainty surrounding the broader Glamsterdam upgrade schedule.
Ethereum developers had previously considered an early December activation window for the mainnet, depending on successful testnet implementation.
However, an official mainnet activation date has not been finalized.
The Ethereum Foundation has also not announced a replacement date for the Hoodi testnet upgrade.
Developers will continue investigating the potential compatibility issues before establishing a revised deployment schedule.
The delay reflects Ethereum’s emphasis on testing protocol changes before introducing them to the main network, particularly when modifications could affect existing decentralized applications.
For Ethereum users and developers, the outcome of these investigations will be important in determining when the planned improvements can proceed.
Bitcoin Mining Hashrate Reaches Seven-Month High
Bitcoin mining activity has strengthened considerably, even as several major industry participants shift computing infrastructure toward artificial intelligence.
According to BlocksBridge Consulting, Bitcoin’s seven-day average network hashrate climbed above 1 zettahash per second, reaching its highest level since March 3.
One zettahash represents one sextillion hashes per second, reflecting the enormous computing power dedicated to securing the Bitcoin blockchain.
Hashrate measures the computational resources used by miners to process transactions and compete for block rewards.
The latest increase suggests that mining capacity removed by some large operators is being replaced by other participants.
This trend indicates that competition across the Bitcoin mining industry remains intense despite the growing attractiveness of AI-related infrastructure investments.
Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Set for Further Increase
The recovery in network hashrate has also contributed to higher Bitcoin mining difficulty.
Mining difficulty measures how challenging it is for miners to discover new blocks and earn Bitcoin rewards.
The Bitcoin network automatically adjusts this difficulty approximately every two weeks to maintain relatively consistent block production times.
On October 16, Bitcoin mining difficulty increased by 5.92%, reflecting stronger competition among active miners.
BlocksBridge Consulting estimates that another 5.16% increase could occur during the next adjustment.
If that projection materializes, mining difficulty would rise by approximately 11.4% across two consecutive adjustments.
Such an increase would make earning block rewards more challenging for miners operating with limited computing resources or higher electricity expenses.
However, the next adjustment remains an estimate and will depend on network activity before the recalculation.
Bitcoin Miners Shift Toward Artificial Intelligence
The increase in Bitcoin mining competition comes as publicly traded mining companies increasingly pursue opportunities in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
According to industry data cited by BlocksBridge, publicly listed miners recorded a 23% decline in realized hashrate as some companies redirected resources toward AI-related operations.
Meanwhile, revenue generated from their artificial intelligence businesses increased 52% quarter over quarter.
The transition reflects growing interest in using existing data center infrastructure to support AI workloads rather than relying exclusively on cryptocurrency mining.
BlocksBridge estimates that approximately $1.5 billion worth of mining equipment has been displaced as a result of the industry shift.
Some of this equipment could be acquired by smaller mining operators seeking to expand their operations.
Companies with access to low-cost electricity may be particularly well positioned to benefit from secondhand equipment availability.
As larger operators diversify into AI infrastructure, smaller miners could gain opportunities to increase their share of Bitcoin’s total network computing power.
Nevertheless, rising mining difficulty may continue placing pressure on operating margins throughout the sector.
Starknet Community Supports Independent Layer-1 Blockchain Research
Another major development in today’s cryptocurrency news involved Starknet, whose community voted overwhelmingly in favor of researching a possible transition into an independent layer-1 blockchain.
The proposal would explore whether Starknet could eventually operate separately from Ethereum while incorporating security features designed to address future quantum computing threats.
The seven-day governance poll concluded on Thursday, attracting approximately 3,200 votes.
Around 93.52% of the voting power supported researching the proposed transition, demonstrating substantial community interest in the initiative.
According to StarkWare, the vote attracted the highest participation in Starknet’s governance history.
The company abstained from participating in the vote, allowing community members to express their preferences independently.
Starknet Explores Post-Quantum Blockchain Security
The proposed transition would represent a significant potential change to Starknet’s long-term development strategy.
Starknet currently operates as an Ethereum layer-2 scaling network, using Ethereum for important aspects of its security and settlement infrastructure.
Becoming an independent layer-1 blockchain could allow the network to introduce its own security architecture and potentially reduce certain dependencies on Ethereum.
A major objective of the research is to investigate post-quantum cryptography, which seeks to protect blockchain systems against potential threats from sufficiently advanced quantum computers.
However, the governance vote does not authorize an immediate transition.
Instead, it allows StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to begin examining the technical requirements, potential benefits and risks associated with the proposal.
Any actual migration to an independent blockchain would require a separate, binding governance vote.
For now, Starknet will continue operating as an Ethereum layer-2 network.
StarkWare Plans November Whitepaper on Layer-1 Proposal
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson confirmed that work on a research whitepaper would begin immediately following the community vote.
The company aims to release an initial draft for public review in November.
The document is expected to explore the technical challenges and broader implications of developing an independent, post-quantum blockchain.
Community members will have an opportunity to examine the findings before any binding decision regarding Starknet’s future infrastructure.
The outcome could become an important development for the wider Ethereum scaling ecosystem, particularly as blockchain networks evaluate long-term security and technological independence.
Crypto Market Outlook: Ethereum, Bitcoin Mining and Starknet in Focus
Today’s cryptocurrency developments highlight three major trends shaping the blockchain industry.
Ethereum’s Glamsterdam delay demonstrates the importance of smart contract security and careful testing when implementing major network upgrades.
Bitcoin’s rising hashrate shows that mining competition remains strong, even as established operators diversify toward artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, Starknet’s governance decision reflects growing interest in blockchain independence and technologies designed to withstand future quantum computing threats.
These developments underline the cryptocurrency industry’s continued focus on network security, infrastructure investment and long-term technological innovation.
Investors and blockchain participants will be watching Ethereum’s revised testnet schedule, Bitcoin’s upcoming mining difficulty adjustment and Starknet’s anticipated November research publication for further developments.
