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Daily Brief

Don't Midcurve ETH

ETH is back above $4,500 and holder enthusiasm is gaining steam.
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Aug 12, 20253 min read
Don't Midcurve ETH
Published on Aug 12, 2025
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Sponsor: Frax — Fraxtal Ecosystem: Where DeFi Meets AI.

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NEED TO KNOW
Stripe & Circle L1s
  1. 🤑 Stripe Is Building an EVM-Compatible Layer-1 for Payments. Stripe has teamed up with Paradigm to quietly develop the 'Tempo' blockchain.
  2. 💸 ETHZilla Shares Surge After Peter Thiel Takes 7.5% Stake. The Ethereum treasury firm’s stock jumped more than 90% after fresh filings and treasury disclosures.
  3. 🟠 Circle Unveils Arc, Its EVM-Compatible L1 Blockchain. The stablecoin issuer has rolled out a new blockchain that powers transactions with USDC.
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Daily Market Snapshot: ETH is back above $4,500, Peter Thiel is buying more ETH treasury bags, Stripe & Circle are embracing the EVM, and price expectations are getting higher.
Prices as of 4pm ET 24hr 7d
Crypto $4.04T ↗ 1.1% ↗ 8.9%
BTC $119,932 ↗ 0.5% ↗ 5.6%
ETH $4,509 ↗ 5.1% ↗ 26.0%
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OPINION
The Intranet & The EVM
Bankless author: Ryan Sean Adams

Yes, Stripe and Circle EVM L1s are good for Ethereum.

Don't midcurve it.

In the mid-90s there was a similar midcurve – call it the Intranet midcurve.

The received wisdom at the time was that intranets were much more important than the Internet, and that the success of corporate intranets would come at the cost of the permissionless Internet.

This wasn't just media FUD. Many of the big tech companies thought this, too.

Some headlines and quotes from the time:

  • "Intranets Will Dwarf Internets” — BusinessWeek (Feb 25, 1996)
  • “1995 was clearly the ‘Year of the Internet,’ 1996 is well on its way to becoming the ‘Year of the Intranet.’” — Internet Society (1996)
  • “Market analysts are predicting that intranet growth, based on revenue, will leapfrog Internet growth by a factor of two between now and 2000.” — IEEE Computer (Jan 1997)
  • “We believe there will be something like a 10-1 ratio of intranet to every Internet site in the federal government.” — Washington Technology (Sep 26, 1996).
  • “The next step is the national intranet” — WIRED (Dec 2, 1996)

What ended up happening is, well, you know.

There was no fixed pie. It was win-win. And mostly, it was a win for the Internet.

Every corporate intranet accelerated the rise of the global Internet and a worldwide network of networks was born.

The open, permissionless, decentralized Internet protocol spawned businesses and apps that could never exist in the bowels of a corporate-controlled network.

Different use cases.

Every corporate L1 will connect to Ethereum. Doubly so if they're based on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) which these are. Many will become L2s.

A company ledger will never be the world ledger.

Don't midcurve it.

Ethereum = world ledger
ETH = world reserve asset


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PREMIUM
The State of Crypto Policy

In this episode of the Bankless Podcast, Peter Van Valkenburgh from Coin Center joins us to discuss the evolving U.S. crypto policy landscape, featuring his scorecard "Six Months of Crypto Policy: The Good, The Bad, and The Lingering Questions."

We cover the SEC's positive shift, advancements in ETFs, and key legislation, while also addressing ongoing challenges like outdated regulations and prosecutions such as Tornado Cash. Tune in for essential insights into the balance between innovation and regulation in the crypto space.

Listen to the full episode (for paying subscribers only!)👇

Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This newsletter is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here.