The market might be ugly, but Tezos is quietly laying down serious foundations.
Let’s face it, the crypto market hasn’t exactly been sunshine and rainbows over the last couple of weeks. Prices have dipped, engagement has slowed, and the general vibe across the space has been… well, kind of gloomy. It’s the environment where people unplug, projects go quiet, and the hype dies down.
But here’s the thing: in the Tezos ecosystem, things haven’t stopped. In fact, they’ve been speeding up. There’s real momentum here. Not hype-fueled, not VC-manufactured, just steady, meaningful progress. And in times like these, that counts for a lot. Let’s take a closer look at what I mean.
Etherlink: EVM With a Tezos Twist
Let’s start with the new kid on the block, Etherlink, which is Tezos’ new EVM-compatible Layer 2. Unlike many other rollups out there, Etherlink is fully decentralized, permissionless, and built with Tezos’ signature upgradeability. And it’s not just a spec on a roadmap. It’s live, with projects deploying and actual activity happening.
With more than 30 projects building on it, it is surely growing and establishing its name in the EVM space, from decentralized exchanges and on-chain order books to lending aggregators, real-world asset tokenizations, and smooth bridges to move funds in and out of the ecosystem. Add to that programs like Apple Farm that incentivize liquidity providing some of the juicy APYs in the blockchain defi space, and it’s no wonder why it’s growing fast.
Tezos Upgrades: Shipping Nonstop
Next we have the core of Tezos, which is upgradability, not just a buzzword here, but something that actually happens through on-chain governance, and happens often. Tezos continues to evolve through regular, community-driven protocol upgrades. If you’ve been around a while, it’s easy to take this for granted. But that pace and consistency? It’s rare in the crypto world.
And these upgrades aren’t just surface-level tweaks. We’re talking full-on consensus changes, major reductions in block times, the launch of enshrined optimistic rollups like Etherlink, improvements to the economic model of the protocol, the introduction of the new staking mechanism, and plenty more. These are the pieces that form the backbone of the Tezos X vision, and they keep landing, block after block.
The most recent upgrade proposal named “Rio” (the 18th in line) is currently being voted on, and you can find more information on it on Tezos Agora.
Real-World Assets: From Talk to Action
Real-world asset tokenization is one of the hottest narratives in crypto right now. But on Tezos, it’s more than just talk. Take Uranium.io, for example, a project bringing uranium ownership on-chain. It’s a niche asset, sure, but one that’s traditionally inaccessible to most people. With Uranium.io, owning a slice of uranium can be done in just three steps, and it’s all transparent, on-chain, and Tezos-native.
Recently, the project also launched a gamified experience called Uranium Mining, where users can mine uranium points by playing, and eventually convert them into real uranium-backed tokens. This kind of utility-driven approach is exactly what Tezos is good at: making real, tangible value accessible through solid tech, not hype, but actual use cases in motion.
The Art Scene: Still a Powerhouse
Even in the bear market, the Tezos art ecosystem remained one of the most vibrant corners of crypto and platforms like objkt.com, fx(hash), Skurpy, and teia are still bustling. Artists continue to mint, collectors continue to collect, and the culture is thriving, not because of incentives or marketing, but because of genuine passion and community support.
What makes the Tezos art scene so special is that it’s not just about flipping JPEGs, it’s about curation, collaboration, connections, and real artistic expression. Events like exhibitions, open calls, and community-led galleries keep the creative momentum going, even when the broader market cools.
While other chains chase volume with hype and gimmicks, Tezos still feels like a place where art matters. It’s community-first, not marketing-first, and that’s rare. It’s not just a marketplace, it’s a movement.
Gaming: A Slow-Burning Rocket
Tezos also sees real movement in gaming. A number of games have already launched or are integrating with the ecosystem, including titles like BattleRise and Sugar Match, and even gamified DeFi-style projects like the Uranium Mining game from Uranium.io, with many more games and announcements on the way. It’s not just speculation or trailers; it’s actual games, playable and progressing, right now.
These games are a great signal of the kind of momentum that’s building beneath the surface. The devs and studios behind them are choosing Tezos and Etherlink because the tools are solid, the fees are low, the support is amazing, and the community shows up. And with even more (big) announcements coming, it’s another reminder that things are actually happening on Tezos, not months from now, but right here, right now.
Beyond the headlines and hype cycles, there are a lot of builders quietly pushing things forward on Tezos. From wallets and marketplaces to DAOs, mobile apps, and tools, new ideas are being shipped all the time. You might not see them on a big stage or in a viral thread, but they’re deep in the Discords, shipping on GitHub, and iterating in the open.
These are the people who show up even when the charts are red. The ones building not for the “pump”, but because they believe in the tech, the community, and the long game.
And when you zoom out, that energy is everywhere, in the tools being built, the art being minted, the DeFi taking shape, and the games being launched.
So next time someone says “nothing’s happening in crypto,” tell them to look a little closer. Or better yet, hand them a wallet and a few tez. Let them see for themselves.
The market might be quiet. But Tezos? Tezos is rocking and rolling!
Market’s Quiet Phase, Tezos’ Busiest Hour was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
