Since September 2023, the Hydra project has achieved several milestones, including the release of version 0.13.0, which focused on security fixes, inline datums support, improved stability, and state persistence. The project roadmap was updated for version 0.14.0. Key developments include enhancing network resilience, creating a Hydra Poll DApp for the Cardano Summit, and upgrading the toolchain to GHC 9.6 and Brick 1.10. Community contributions were highlighted, such as the Hypix project integrating CIP-68 NFTs, Kupo's integration with Hydra, and progress on offline mode for Hydra nodes. The Hydra-for-voting project was revived to improve on-chain voting processes.

In today's interview, we'll explore the world of Lenfi, a decentralised protocol for lending and borrowing which operates without custodial control. Lenfi was built on the Cardano blockchain, and we have a special guest joining us, Mantas, the lead developer responsible for this exciting project. So, what exactly is Lenfi, and why did they choose Cardano as their platform? Read further to discover these answers and more.

Here's an interesting insight. Were you aware that Lenfi enables depositors to offer liquidity? You can deposit your funds with predetermined conditions or in any of the liquidity pools. Let's explore the depths of Lenfi's universe to grasp its tremendous potential.

Since August 2023, the Hydra project has made several important strides. The roadmap remained largely unchanged, focusing on clarifying upcoming features. Notable updates include completing support for inline datums in the commit API and making progress on network resilience, particularly in handling node crashes and disconnections. The work on incremental commits and decommits has been split into two features, with ongoing design discussions. A workshop in Nantes, France, brought together the Hydra and Mithril teams, where they explored topics like Aiken validator experiments and the concept of a "Shallow cardano-node" using Mithril to streamline Hydra node operations. Additionally, the team worked on refactoring the chain state to improve storage efficiency and maintain backward compatibility.

Meet AdaStat, a cutting-edge Cardano (ADA) Blockchain Explorer, crafted by active members of the Russian-speaking Cardano community. It's your independent alternative to standard network-developed explorers. With AdaStat, you can effortlessly explore blocks, transactions, pools, addresses, accounts, epochs, and slots, including active epochs, created blocks, staking rewards, and more.

Some of AdaStat's unique features include a versatile Chart Maker for custom graphics and a robust pool filter for refining pool searches based on parameters like pledge, delegators, and stake size. For deeper insights into this fascinating explorer, we highly recommend reading through interview with the project's co-founder and Lead Developer, Dmitry Stashenko.

Since July 2023, the Hydra project has made significant progress, including the release of version 0.12.0, which introduced support for cardano-node 8.1.2, authenticated messages, event-sourced persistence, new API endpoints, and security fixes. The project roadmap has been updated to prioritize network resiliency and incremental commit/decommit features for version 0.13.0. The team also updated the Hydra tutorial to include Mithril and prepared for a Hydra master class at RareEvo 2023, which had positive feedback. In addition, the team participated in Catalyst Fund10, reviewing several proposals related to Hydra and Mithril.

W3:Ride revolutionizes cycling fitness through gamification, fostering an engaging community. Achievements, challenges, and progress tracking make cycling enjoyable and healthier. The app encourages global connections, while a unique reward system promotes cycling over cars. Personalized virtual bikes and avatars enhance user identity, and charitable partnerships empower cyclists to ride for meaningful causes. By linking the app with Strava, Apple Health, or Google Fit, users accumulate $Cyclr based on distance, duration, and speed. Find out more about this exciting project as we delve into more details with co-founder and CEO, Romain Pomarelle.

DEMU's vision is to establish a direct connection between fans and the artists they love, fostering deeper relationships. Their mission is to equip artists worldwide with advanced tools to streamline music sales and licensing, increase licensing revenues, and regain control over their business. The DEMU protocol ensures fair distribution of royalty payments to rights holders for all on-chain sales channels, providing real-time visibility into music usage and owed earnings. To achieve this, DEMU replaces expensive centralized solutions with a decentralized network of node operators, securing music through token-gated access, granting artists full control, and eliminating costly content storage overhead.

Since June 2023, the Hydra project released version 0.11.0, enhancing external wallet support and transaction processing, and deprecating internal commits. The team improved security with authenticated network messages and optimized protocol performance by sending only transaction IDs in snapshots. They also addressed a multi-signature verification bug via GitHub security advisories and updated to GHC 9.2.7, improving compatibility and Plutus script efficiency. The Starmap update focused on making Hydra more accessible and preparing for mainnet deployment.

Since May 2023, the Hydra team has focused on several key developments, preparing for the upcoming version 0.11.0 release. Notable updates include allowing commits with multiple UTXOs, enhancing off-chain performance, and introducing commits from external wallets. The team also benchmarked Hydra Head performance, identified persistence as a bottleneck, and made improvements based on real-world usage. Community engagement included planning a Hydra workshop and concluding the Hydra for Auctions project, which successfully demonstrated moving smart contracts from layer 1 to layer 2 for enhanced scalability.

Most stories today are not creating a positive global culture or envisioning a sustainable future for the next seven generations. Video games are violent, social media is toxic, and TV content is dumbing us down. Mandala aims to change this! In the following interview, the team explains how they aim to create a positive global culture and envision a sustainable future by offering a new narrative that breaks away from the negative influences of current media. Their multiverse incorporates a variety of mythologies, inviting audiences to participate actively and make a difference. Through existing distribution platforms, Mandala seeks to broaden worldviews and catalyze a cultural shift during a critical time in human entertainment.