Several events feature among the top crypto news this week, with this article giving traders and investors a chance to get ahead of the respective ecosystem developments.

From the upcoming Jupiter airdrop news to Dusk mainnet launch, this week in crypto promises to be eventful.

THORChain Integrates Base L2

In October, Nine Realms, which supports the THORChain ecosystem, revealed the network’s roadmap, indicating plans to start supporting Base L2 for cross-chain swaps.

“Base may be the next major chain connected to THORChain. Nine Realms team is working on delivering to mainnet,” an excerpt in the Medium post read.

The integration is expected to happen in the second week of January. In her 2025 preview, Jade, popular for her THORChain ecosystem updates, articulated that it was around the corner.

THORChain uses the IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol) to bring additional assets into the App Layer. Connecting to more chains, THORChain boosts its liquidity and elevates the experience for Liquidity Providers (LPs).

USUAL Fee Switch Activation

The fee switch mechanism for Usual (USUAL) will be activated on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Usual, a real-world asset (RWA) stablecoin protocol, shared the news in a January 1 post on X (Twitter).

“The fee switch era begins. 2025 marks a turning point for DeFi: real value, real distribution. Get your USUAL ready for January 7th. It’s a new year, a new standard. Let’s make 2025 the year of USUAL,” the network said.

Fee switches are gaining traction in the decentralized finance space, transforming passive token ownership into a more rewarding experience. They enable the redistribution of collected fees to key stakeholders, such as liquidity providers, stakers, and token holders.

The January 7 USUAL fee switch activation could signal a new era for the ecosystem, prioritizing real value and equitable distribution. This shift may set a new benchmark for success within the DeFi sector.

At the same time, the activation could also influence the competitive dynamics among decentralized exchanges (DEXs). It could see leading DEXs solidify their position by retaining a larger share of their fees. However, there is also the question of how much higher these fees can be without losing liquidity and trading volume.

ZKSync Incentive Program

ZKsync’s incentive program starts on January 6, with up to 300 million ZK tokens due for distribution to DeFi users.

“The official launch time of Ignite is scheduled for Monday, January 6th, 2025 at 1 PM UTC,” ZKNation shared in a recent forum post.

In this first phase, the network will incentivize similar pools and assets across participating protocols. It will use a standardized structure to identify high-growth candidates. The network will assess Pool performance. Key merits include comparable pool APRs, TVL growth per $1 of incentives, fee generation, and share of aggregator swap paths.

In addition to the primary asset pools, ZKNation will also allocate ZK to incentivize the bridging of funds to the ZKsync Era. Specifically, it will use the Jumper Exchange allocation to encourage users to bridge funds to ZKsync Era and deposit them into incentivized pools.

Simultaneously, the LayerSwap allocation will target users holding funds on ZKsync Lite, incentivizing them to bridge these funds to the ZKsync Era.

“Most people will chase stable pairs or deposit into lending protocols, but they’re not maximizing their capital,” an airdrop farmer on X quipped.

Jupiter Airdrop Checker Release

The initial Jupiter airdrop remains one of the most successful on Solana to date, meriting the airdrop checker release for a position among top crypto news this week. This makes its next airdrop a key watch, with Jupiter expected to release the checker this week. This is ahead of the 700 million worth of JUP to be airdropped.

“Jupiter will distribute 700M tokens Airdrop. The first draft tiers are expected to change significantly,” said Jussy.Sol, a DeFi and airdrops researcher.

Details for the 2025 airdrop, including the date, time, and eligibility criteria, remain broadly undisclosed. To boost their future JUP allocation, participants must actively increase buying, selling, and trading on Jupiter platforms, as airdrop rewards are typically tied to user activity.

After the record of accomplishment in the initial allocation, the second Jupiter airdrop is shaping up to be one of the largest in crypto history. However, the price impact on the JUP token remains a subject for discussion.

“Will it impact the token price? NO. There’s a big difference between a purposeless airdrop and one linked to a strong DAO with a 30% token burn. The team hasn’t created selling incentives, you can stake and earn +20% in 4 months through votes. So, the token price shouldn’t be heavily impacted. When Kamino dropped Season 2, the token price even pumped,” Jussy.Sol added.

Second Hearing of Do Kwon’s Case

The second US hearing in the case of the Terra founder Do Kwon will happen on January 8, adding to the list of top crypto news this week. The development comes only days after Do Kwon pleaded not guilty to US fraud charges linked to TerraUSD and Luna’s $40 billion collapse in 2022.

The Wednesday hearing will see the defense and the prosecution discuss motions and evidence leading into the trial. As BeInCrypto reported, even if the controversial crypto executive pursues a plea deal similar to his agreement with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), the chances of prison time remain high.

Despite increasing pro-crypto sentiment in the US government, prosecutors are still outspokenly eager to sentence major fraudsters like Sam Bankman-Fried. Therefore, a high-profile case like Do Kwon’s is expected to attract attention.

Dusk Mainnet Launch

Dusk, a ZK-friendly L1 blockchain, will launch its mainnet on January 7 as part of its token generation event (TGE). Along with the mainnet launch, Dusk will also produce its first immutable block, paving the way for a blockchain-based financial system.

“Starting today, we are officially in the Mainnet Rollout Phase, starting with DUSK on-ramping and ending on 7th Jan with the first immutable blocks being produced,” Dusk Foundation said in a December post.

Of note is that the Dusk Mainnet enables organizations of all sizes to use blockchain for regulated assets. It also enables blockchain-based stock exchanges to issue assets on-chain natively. Further, other RWA projects can use DUSK for their own protocols and applications, safe in the knowledge that they are compliant. It also enables developers to create privacy-friendly protocols.

Dusk gained attention for its $5 million grant program and the “Succinct Attestation” consensus mechanism offer, which facilitated the on-chain issuance of regulated assets.