In this week’s issue of The Protocol newsletter, our Sam Kessler writes about the “private mempools” that Ethereum users are increasingly relying on to avoid front-running MEV bots. PLUS: Margaux Nijkerk explores the growing use of “councils” to oversee adolescent networks. Author: Bradley Keoun

Its FTT token surged nearly 11% after the news. Author: Aoyon Ashraf

The U.K.’s approach to handling privacy concerns posed by a digital pound should help quench concerns, according to interviews with a wide range of crypto industry legal and technical insiders. Author: Camomile Shumba

Next week, on Feb. 7, Dencun will go live on its final Ethereum testnet, Holesky. After that, developers will ink in a date to activate Dencun on the main blockchain. Author: Margaux Nijkerk

The Ethereum co-founder has warmed up on the potential intersection between AI and crypto, though he warns developers to be careful. Author: Sam Kessler