Sei, Parallelized EVM Blockchain, to Integrate Modular DA Layer Covalent's GoldRush.dev Stack

Covalent, a modular data infrastructure layer, announced a strategic collaboration with Sei, a parallelized EVM blockchain. According to the team: "By integrating Covalent's GoldRush.dev stack with Sei's high-speed environment, this collaboration empowers more blockchain innovations while providing an efficient and seamless developer experience. Sei will become part of Covalent's diverse ecosystem spanning over 230 blockchains. Additionally, this further strengthens Covalent's commitment to creating a robust data infrastructure and making Long-Term Data Availability more accessible." (SEI)

NEAR Pushes 'Signatures' on Mainnet, in Growing Trend of Chain Abstraction

NEAR Foundation, the non-profit behind the NEAR blockchain, announced on Thursday that a new feature designed to make it easier to seamlessly transact between networks is live on mainnet – adding to a growing trend of projects working on a design concept known as "chain abstraction." The feature, Chain Signatures, was introduced in testnet in March, and allows users with a NEAR account to sign transactions on blockchains it supports, without the need for cross-chain bridges. The move is supposed to eliminate some of the steps when it comes to transacting on different chains, making it faster and easier to use. (NEAR)

Coinbase-Backed Vega Gets Into Prediction-Market Race, Chasing Polymarket

Coinbase Ventures-backed Vega network is joining the competitive fray of prediction markets with its own betting-focused upgrade. Vega, a blockchain and decentralized exchange (DEX) that uses the Cosmos network infrastructure, is one of a number of crypto platforms focused on perpetual futures – a tool for speculating on future asset prices. Vega's new update expands its DEX app to accommodate prediction markets, allowing users to bet on the outcomes of future events just as they can currently bet on future token prices.