Cardano Weekly: Hydra Live, STRIKE Heats Up, Surf Levels Up

What this episode covers

00:00 – Intro & Channel Update00:45 – Moneta Account Compromised (USDM Scam Warning)02:03 – Cardano Foundation x MiCA Alliance Partnership02:45 – Cardano Card by Omogo04:42 – Hydra 1.0.0 Released: Cardano’s Layer 2 Goes Live06:36 – VyFinance V3 Upgrades to Plutus V3 Contracts07:58 – Strike Finance: ADA Rewards & DeFi Dominance09:47 – Surf: Borrowing and Lending with One-Click Leverage11:18 – Pulse Coming Soon (Pendle on Cardano)13:15 – Splash & DexHunter Partnership14:19 – Charles Hoskinson on Crypto Banter15:14 – Cardano Summit Berlin Incoming + Free Ticket Guide18:17 – Iagon Cyclone DePIN Devices Shipping19:47 – Wrap Up & Support the ChannelIn this week’s Cardano update, I’m back on a sustainable schedule: one news recap, one interview, and one short tutorial each week.We kick off with a public service announcement: a fake “double USDM” promo is circulating via a cloned site that tries to connect to generic EVM wallets. Do not interact - protect your assets.On to the good news. The Cardano Foundation is collaborating with a MiCA-aligned alliance to deliver standardised resources for Web3 compliance in the EU. Omogo’s “Cardano Card” aims to make crypto spending easier with a smoother UX than older solutions.A big technical milestone lands with Hydra’s 0.0 production-ready release - Cardano’s app-specific L2 for high-throughput use cases. Expect projects like Delta DeFi to take advantage.DeFi keeps building: VyFinance is moving its DEX to Plutus V3 for speed and efficiency; STRIKE continues to dominate on-chain activity with protocol fees paid back to stakers in ADA (DYOR); and Surf adds one-click leverage, a loan calculator, and institutional pilot liquidity.We preview Pulse - a Pendle-style protocol to trade future yield and unlock liquidity today - with an interview coming soon. Plus, DexHunter and Splash are teaming up to pair best-in-class aggregation with efficient swapping.Community and events: Ran interviews Charles Hoskinson, a positive step for the broader crypto dialogue. Cardano Summit in Berlin is close - check discount paths for contributors and consider the hackathons and side events. Lastly, Iagon’s Cyclone DePIN hardware is shipping - I’ll demo it once my unit arrives.Thanks for watching. Like, subscribe, and consider becoming a channel member to support sustainable production. Links below to everything mentioned.DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or legal advice. I am not affiliated with, nor compensated by, the project discussed—no tokens, payments, or incentives received. I do not hold a stake in the project, including private or future allocations. All views are my own, based on public information. Always do your own research and consult a licensed advisor before investing. Crypto investments carry high risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. I am not responsible for any decisions you make based on this content.🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq8FhvxET2k Subscribe to the audio podcast:🔗 https://bit.ly/learncardano-spotify 🔗 https://apple.co/3jEPM8C 🔗 https://learncardano.io/ Follow on Social:🔗 https://x.com/learncardano 🔗 <a href="https://facebook.com/learncardano" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer...