# Cartesi Ecosystem Updates - February 2026 *Let’s dive into the latest updates of the Cartesi Ecosystem.* By [Cartesi](https://paragraph.com/@cartesians) · 2026-03-02 #ctsi, #linux, #teamupdate, #programming, #defi --- February has flown by in the blink of an eye. Instead of the penguin taking over the feed, we had a [monkey this month](https://x.com/coinmarketcap/status/2026215772511703466?s=46&t=mGHP8Hk4s0azqLZbjA-GfA). Cartesi’s penguin team, however, has been busy, and the project has made steady progress across tech, developer tooling, educational content, and media features. Let’s dive into the past month's highlights.  Tech ---- Cartesi Rollup Contracts 2.2.0 is out, and while the change looks small on the surface, it carries real weight. [This release](https://github.com/cartesi/rollups-contracts/releases/tag/v2.2.0) is now introducing a new function that lets the Rollups node ask the network one simple question: "how many claims have been submitted so far?" That unlocks a "fast-sync" mechanism that dramatically cuts the time a node needs to catch up with the rest of the network. Think of it like skipping to the latest chapter instead of reading the whole book from page one. On the fraud-proof side, the v2.1.0-alpha.0 [pre-release](https://github.com/cartesi/dave/releases/tag/v2.1.0-alpha.0) of Dave brings faster and smarter dispute tracking. Instead of replaying every past action to understand where a dispute stands, nodes can now jump straight to the current state. This version also tidies up the architecture by merging different tournament types into one unified framework, making the system cleaner and easier to maintain. An updated Honeypot test suite rounds things out, keeping security testing for permissionless rollups sharp. The latest [Cartesi CLI](https://github.com/cartesi/cli/releases/tag/%40cartesi%2Fcli%402.0.0-alpha.29) alpha is also live, and the headline addition is the --fork-url flag, which lets developers pull any live network like Ethereum Mainnet directly into their local testing environment. In practice, that means testing your dApp against real-world smart contracts without ever leaving your local setup. Transactions are faster to send too, and the tool runs more smoothly in automated pipelines overall. A [pull request](https://github.com/cartesi/rollups-node/pull/737) is also in progress for the Rollups node that extends CLI support to reading PRT dispute data, covering tournaments, commitments, matches, and match advances, bringing it in line with the JSON-RPC API. It also cleans up existing read commands and tightens up how addresses are handled under the hood. Our monthly tech updates are also featured in [L2BEAT](https://x.com/l2beat)'s recap. Check out the latest edition [here](https://l2beat.com/publications/monthly-update-2026-01#cartesi), or browse through previous ones to see how far we've come: [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/7bd57d3baa2dfa4ae96d8a05dcc1b971863df0f486eeb6a1445f10ec7c156b71.jpg)](https://twitter.com/l2beat) [L2BEAT 💗](https://twitter.com/l2beat) [@l2beat](https://twitter.com/l2beat) [](https://twitter.com/l2beat/status/2018361872307609722) The monthly L2 roundup is here! Here's what happened across the L2 ecosystems ![👇](https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f447.png) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/95233d663adce16a54ff0c26cddb6b5d25e75a0f4b067b76198a66c029248451.jpg) [22](https://twitter.com/l2beat/status/2018361872307609722)[ 19:32 • 2 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/l2beat/status/2018361872307609722) Developer Advocacy ------------------ Educational efforts have been front and center this past month, and our developer advocates delivered. [João](https://x.com/joaopdgarcia) has dropped a new series on DeFi and why a powerful execution layer like Cartesi matters. DeFi has always punched below its weight, not for lack of ideas, but because execution environments were never built for serious financial computation. Complex math gets simplified, mature libraries disappear, and anything too heavy gets pushed off-chain where users just have to trust. [This piece](https://cartesi.io/contributor-hub/DeFi-needs-better-execution-environment/) breaks down why that happens, what unlocks when the execution layer expands, and how computation-driven finance opens the door to real risk engines, dynamic prediction markets, and financial logic that finally matches what the models actually demand. [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/6cc8173bf161dba1a7a2d0fd62aecb4820fa8422fc067a9d97d6a2677f45a84b.jpg)](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [Joao Garcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [@joaopdgarcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia/status/2018688404414701795) We all thought DeFi was limited by innovation, but it was actually limited by execution. I’m kicking off a series on how [@cartesiproject](https://twitter.com/cartesiproject) lifts old constraints to unlock a new DeFi design space. Dive in for the full scoop and join me over the next few weeks as we unpack it all. [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/6cc8173bf161dba1a7a2d0fd62aecb4820fa8422fc067a9d97d6a2677f45a84b.jpg)](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [Joao Garcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [@joaopdgarcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia/status/2018688089258865078) [x.com/i/article/2018…](https://t.co/UBIlcAkKOf) [25](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia/status/2018688404414701795)[ 17:09 • 3 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia/status/2018688404414701795) And then, going deeper, he also shipped bite-sized 1-minute videos for everyone to digest at a faster pace. See all the shorts on our [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@Cartesiproject/shorts). Meanwhile, [Chinonso](https://x.com/ChinonsoIdogwu) put together a [demo](https://x.com/cartesiproject/status/2027020985531301888?s=20) showing how simple it is to integrate Chainlink Oracles and fetch prices into your Cartesi dApps, plus new libcmt bindings to make life easier for Rust, Python, and Go developers: [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/3e179cf99a6123e46672a7ba2706904aeb0e9abc65647173aae0a53e79eb4cca.jpg)](https://twitter.com/claudioengdist) [Claudio Silva 🐧](https://twitter.com/claudioengdist) [@claudioengdist](https://twitter.com/claudioengdist) [](https://twitter.com/claudioengdist/status/2024903956812444009) Developer advocate [@ChinonsoIdogwu](https://twitter.com/ChinonsoIdogwu) just opened up libcmt bindings for Rust, Python, and Go so you can talk directly to the Cartesi machine ([@cartesiproject](https://twitter.com/cartesiproject) 's altVM).​ This will allow dApps to use the Cartesi Machine in the most efficient way! Check the repo:[ ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/bba3bf4d45799807f8f7523ecdfe4027308d2da7a7e89472a857de8d0ab9802e.jpg) github.com GitHub - Mugen-Builders/libcmt-bindings --------------------------------------- Contribute to Mugen-Builders/libcmt-bindings development by creating an account on GitHub. ](https://t.co/uIdL7K3rjw) [7](https://twitter.com/claudioengdist/status/2024903956812444009)[ 20:48 • 20 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/claudioengdist/status/2024903956812444009) Ecosystem --------- [PRT Honeypot v2](https://honeypot.cartesi.io/) is still live and thriving. 50,000 $CTSI are up for grabs for anyone who can crack it, with the pot expected to grow throughout the year. It's the ultimate stress test for Cartesi's fraud-proof system. For new readers: the [Honeypot](https://x.com/cartesiproject/status/2008539290960359577) is a real-world security challenge where participants try to withdraw the pot to their own wallets, directly testing the PRT fraud-proof system under live conditions. The catch? Only the Cartesi Foundation can actually withdraw. It's a community-driven, incentivized audit that doubles as [Cartesi's first Stage 2 app](https://l2beat.com/scaling/summary?filters=%7B%22stage%22%3A%7B%22values%22%3A%5B%22Stage+2%22%5D%7D%7D), making Cartesi one of only a few projects to have achieved this milestone, as verified on L2BEAT. [Locale Network](https://x.com/LocaleNet) continued shipping through February. What began as an experimental IoT plus zk-proof infrastructure concept has evolved into a live stack powering real applications, real communities, and real data pipelines. Under the hood within the Arbitrum ecosystem, deployments are now verified through Cartesi, meaning sensor data is processed in a verifiable way before reaching onchain: [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/4d0f7b1a869efbe9631ade453d46e4310afa8b5748c2f1582887ebaa1e4d8734.jpg)](https://twitter.com/LocaleNet) [Locale Network 🏡](https://twitter.com/LocaleNet) [@LocaleNet](https://twitter.com/LocaleNet) [](https://twitter.com/LocaleNet/status/2026063725849952606) Under the hood: • Encrypted device data pipelines • Live smart contracts • Verified deployments • Real on-chain interactions ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ea9c31fac58f6c39bdd3905a13fbc283908b017b735637d73f2473db1183714e.png) [1](https://twitter.com/LocaleNet/status/2026063725849952606)[ 1:36 • 24 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/LocaleNet/status/2026063725849952606) Community  ---------- February saw the Lunar New Year festivities as we entered the Year of the Horse. We were proud to celebrate with our regional communities in [China](https://t.me/cartesicn) and [Korea](https://t.me/cartesikr). If you’re in the region and not yet part, be sure to join and connect with our local ambassadors, [Sharp](https://t.me/stay_hungry) and [Jay](https://t.me/yoojei88).  To mark the occasion, [Galxe](https://x.com/Galxe) included us in a special cohort celebrating the [Lunar New Year](https://x.com/GalxeQuest/status/2020845587101598207?s=20) and rewarding participants. To take part, head [here](https://app.galxe.com/quest/cartesi/GCh2RtY3TM) and complete the tasks. Prizes will be distributed starting March 1st. Across the globe, we loved seeing the creativity in the community and how our strongest supporters continued to bring Cartesi’s story to life through visual art: [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/5ed563b2356f3f147455f81730877177cdd2be1ecbd44f944288877444a1cc5d.jpg)](https://twitter.com/cartesiian) [Cartesian](https://twitter.com/cartesiian) [@cartesiian](https://twitter.com/cartesiian) [](https://twitter.com/cartesiian/status/2026777047284981969) GLORY ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/e539ba22714eb2a36e56aa4ebcc32f915534ce8bc32f694c81e3b0d1f1d34f20.jpg) [4](https://twitter.com/cartesiian/status/2026777047284981969)[ 0:51 • 26 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/cartesiian/status/2026777047284981969) [ And](https://x.com/cartesiian/status/2026777047284981969And) speaking of community, make sure you join our [Telegram group](https://t.me/cartesiproject) to stay in the loop with announcements, lighthearted convos, a few memes, and our custom-trained [Plushie AI](https://t.me/CartesiProject/380054) companion. Haven't chatted with it yet? Jump in and have some fun. Media ----- On the media front, Cartesi kept showing up. [João Garcia](https://x.com/joaopdgarcia), our Developer Advocate Lead, joined [House of Chimera](https://x.com/HouseofChimera) for an [X Space](https://x.com/HouseofChimera/status/2021992851245273376?s=20), diving into what makes our technology stand out, and we loved witnessing how much the host already knew about Cartesi: [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/8606d81e3b6fe54c9723527b87394d68392cc78342e4a41edf9a071c2ba5f91d.jpg)](https://twitter.com/HouseofChimera) [House of Chimera](https://twitter.com/HouseofChimera) [@HouseofChimera](https://twitter.com/HouseofChimera) [](https://twitter.com/HouseofChimera/status/2021588740599398683) Everyone's building 'the next Ethereum killer.' Cartesi asked a better question: What if developers could just... use Ethereum properly? Feb 12 at 5 PM UTC with [@joaopdgarcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) from [@cartesiproject](https://twitter.com/cartesiproject), as we discuss how app-specific rollups change the game. Set a reminder and stay ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/65ba82d59a145df9e71d4deb15f287f640fb7d3d072a82af31c29d84c8e1a936.jpg) [53](https://twitter.com/HouseofChimera/status/2021588740599398683)[ 17:14 • 11 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/HouseofChimera/status/2021588740599398683) Also, João’s DeFi content series struck a chord with thought leaders on X, who went on to amplify his reflections: [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/53167ebe3430824ceec3216ee05fea804a3b389dcdc7c381088479bddb19cac1.jpg)](https://twitter.com/LordOfAlts) [Henry](https://twitter.com/LordOfAlts) [@LordOfAlts](https://twitter.com/LordOfAlts) [](https://twitter.com/LordOfAlts/status/2023791050184417434) Hard to argue with this. Respect to [@joaopdgarcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) for putting it bluntly. If DeFi wants to grow up, it needs real computation under the hood, not rounded shortcuts. That’s exactly why [@cartesiproject](https://twitter.com/cartesiproject) feels important here. [![User Avatar](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/6cc8173bf161dba1a7a2d0fd62aecb4820fa8422fc067a9d97d6a2677f45a84b.jpg)](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [Joao Garcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [@joaopdgarcia](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia) [](https://twitter.com/joaopdgarcia/status/2023761869606187248) Truth is: no real math, no real finance. Imagine a bank that rounds everything to the nearest dollar. That’s DeFi today. Mathematically handicapped. A performant execution layer like [@cartesiproject](https://twitter.com/cartesiproject) fixes that. Come down the rabbit hole ![👇](https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/1f447.png) ![](https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2023760603094138880/img/YexA9Q63JaBhfzLg.jpg) [103](https://twitter.com/LordOfAlts/status/2023791050184417434)[ 19:06 • 17 Şub 2026 ](https://twitter.com/LordOfAlts/status/2023791050184417434) [ Tech](https://x.com/LordOfAlts/status/2023791050184417434Tech) [Briefly](https://techbriefly.com/2026/02/11/making-ethereum-rollups-safer-and-more-accessible-for-developers/) ran a feature on how Cartesi is making Ethereum rollups safer and more accessible for developers. And we can conclude that the conversation around verifiable computation is showing no signs of slowing down. That’s a Wrap ------------- These ecosystem updates also land in Cartesians’ inboxes every month, and each edition comes with a giveaway. Newsletter subscribers will get the chance to snag a merch pack with a t-shirt, water bottle, and cap. [Subscribe](https://mailchi.mp/cartesi/email-newsletter) if you haven’t already and keep an eye out for every drop. February flew by, but Cartesi never slowed down. Tough markets will test us, building will always be the answer. Code shipped, tech evolved, ecosystem news dropped, educational content rolled out, and crypto media took notice. The commitment to bringing complex verifiable computation to the masses never wavers.  Want to start building or just join the community and contribute to the Cartesi ecosystem? Hop on [Discord](https://discord.gg/cartesi) or [Telegram](https://t.me/cartesiproject) to keep the conversation going and support the only Linux-based computation layer… with your favorite penguin leading the way. More must-see content pieces: ----------------------------- [Cartesi Will Be Fine | Co-founder Felipe Argento Reaction to Vitalik’s Post on L2s ](https://x.com/felipeargento/status/2018826655209234487?s=20)[Reinforcing the Cartesi Thesis: Real L2 Differentiation | Cartesi Contributor Danilo Tuler](https://x.com/dtuler/status/2018786066917216691?s=20) [Direct Alt-VM Access: libcmt Bindings for Rust, Python, and Go | Claudio Silva ](https://x.com/claudioengdist/status/2024903956812444009?s=20)[Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Horse | Galxe Quest ](https://app.galxe.com/quest/cartesi/GCh2RtY3TM)[Why DeFi Needs a Better Execution Environment | DevAd Lead, João Garcia ](https://x.com/joaopdgarcia/status/2018688089258865078?s=20)[DeFi Works. But It Can Be Better | Developer Advocate, Chinonso Idogwu ](https://x.com/ChinonsoIdogwu/status/2018754539545887140?s=20)[DeFi is shaped by EVM limits, not finance (DeFi series ep. 1) | DevAd Lead João Garcia ](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7d-2LJxi8PM)[No math means no cash (DeFi series ep. 2) | DevAd Lead João Garcia](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/57pIayO6118) [Stop coding math from scratch (DeFi series ep. 3) | DevAd Lead João Garcia ](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Lur8rsuabpo)[Cartesi DevAd Lead João Garcia on X Spaces | House of Chimera ](https://x.com/HouseofChimera/status/2021992851245273376?s=20)[Making Ethereum rollups safer and more accessible for developers | TechBriefly](https://techbriefly.com/2026/02/11/making-ethereum-rollups-safer-and-more-accessible-for-developers/) --- *Originally published on [Cartesi](https://paragraph.com/@cartesians/cartesi-ecosystem-updates-february-2026)*