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VanEck on ‘Significant’ Implications of December’s Fusaka Upgrade

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Ethereum’s next major network upgrade, Fusaka, could reshape how users experience the blockchain by lowering costs and boosting efficiency, according to asset manager VanEck.

In its September crypto market recap, VanEck’s research team said Fusaka, expected to go live in December, is designed to tackle one of Ethereum’s biggest hurdles: data availability for rollups, the scaling solutions that bundle many transactions together before settling them on Ethereum.

Why Fusaka matters

The centerpiece of the upgrade is a technique called Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS). Instead of requiring every Ethereum validator to download all transaction data, PeerDAS allows them to verify blocks by sampling smaller pieces.

VanEck explained that this reduces bandwidth and storage demands, making it possible to safely raise Ethereum’s “blob” capacity — the data slots used by rollups — without putting strain on the network.

This matters because Ethereum developers have already doubled blob limits once this year, and demand continues to rise.

Coinbase’s Base and Worldcoin’s World Chain now account for about 60% of all rollup data submitted, VanEck noted, showing how central L2s have become to the network’s growth. By expanding capacity further, Fusaka is expected to cut costs for rollups, which should translate into cheaper transactions for end users.

Implications for ETH

VanEck argued that the upgrade underscores Ethereum’s shift away from being driven by base layer fees.

As more activity moves to rollups, mainnet fee revenue has declined, but the firm stressed this does not diminish ETH’s importance. Instead, Ethereum’s security role in settling rollup transactions increases, reinforcing ETH’s position as a monetary asset rather than just a fee-yielding one.

VanEck analysts also warned that unstaked ETH holders face dilution risk as institutional actors — from exchange-traded products to crypto treasury firms — continue accumulating ETH positions to stake for yield.

In that context, they believe, Fusaka strengthens Ethereum’s appeal by lowering L2 costs and reinforcing its centrality in a scaling ecosystem that is expected to attract more institutional adoption.

VanEck concluded that while technical challenges remain, Fusaka marks a pivotal step in Ethereum’s rollup-centric roadmap, with “significant implications” for both users and long-term holders.



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Coinbase stock surges on Rothschild upgrade and Samsung deal
Crypto Trends

Coinbase stock surges on Rothschild upgrade and Samsung deal

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Coinbase is riding a wave of positive momentum, with a Rothschild upgrade validating its financial evolution as a massive Samsung deal simultaneously places its services directly in the hands of tens of millions of new users.

Summary

  • Coinbase stock rose 2.59% to $381.80 after a Rothschild upgrade to Buy.
  • Rothschild says Coinbase’s business is shifting beyond retail fees, driven by institutional trading, USDC income, and its Base network.
  • Meanwhile, a landmark Samsung Wallet integration will embed Coinbase services on 75M Galaxy devices.

On Oct. 3, Coinbase Global, Inc. (COIN) shares gained more than 2%, a move catalyzed by a strategic “Buy” upgrade from financial institution Rothschild & Co. and the simultaneous announcement of a landmark integration with Samsung.

Notably, Rothschild’s revised outlook, which includes a $417 price target, hinges on Coinbase’s successful diversification beyond its core trading business, while the Samsung deal embeds its services directly into the native wallet of 75 million Galaxy devices in the U.S.

From upgrade to embed: what’s driving Coinbase’s momentum

Rothschild’s central thesis is that the market continues to value Coinbase as a direct reflection of Bitcoin’s price, overlooking a fundamental business model shift. The institution notes that retail transaction fees, which once constituted about 90% of revenue, are projected to fall to nearly 50% next year.

According to Rothschild, this rebalancing act is being fueled by faster growth in institutional trading, derivatives, and a suite of subscription and services revenue, including its lucrative share of income from the USDC stablecoin and its burgeoning Layer-2 network, Base. Rothschild acknowledges that fee compression is an industry reality but contends that rising overall volumes and deeper institutional penetration will more than compensate.

This optimistic view of Coinbase stands in stark contrast to Rothschild’s assessment of its peers, illustrating a clear preference for diversified platforms. The institution initiated coverage of Circle, the issuer of USDC, with a neutral rating. While acknowledging the stablecoin’s dominant $73 billion supply, Rothschild pointed out Circle’s heavy reliance on interest income from its reserves, a significant portion of which (over 60%) is paid out to distribution partners like Coinbase.

For Robinhood, the outlook was more dire, with a reiterated sell rating. The bank warned that its crypto economics remain overly cyclical and dependent on retail traders, leaving it vulnerable to fee pressure as the market matures.

The Samsung integration, announced Friday, serves as a tangible execution of this diversification and could be the largest single consumer distribution play in Coinbase’s history. The deal links Samsung Pay to Coinbase accounts, placing crypto trading and payment functionality alongside everyday tools like transit passes and digital keys, normalizing digital asset use for a massive, mainstream audience.



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Binance To Halt Polygon Withdrawals To Support Network Upgrade
Crypto Trends

Binance To Halt Polygon Withdrawals To Support Network Upgrade

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Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced it will suspend deposits and withdrawals for tokens on the Polygon (POL) network next week to facilitate an upcoming protocol update and hard fork.

The move is a standard operational procedure to ensure the smooth transition of assets during core blockchain maintenance. The network upgrade, dubbed the “Rio” hard fork, is a crucial phase in Polygon’s ongoing technical roadmap, targeting substantial improvements in network scalability and efficiency.

According to the announcement, the temporary suspension is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:12 UTC on October 8, 2025. The hard fork itself is expected to take place about an hour later, at the specific block height of 77,414,656, or around 14:12 UTC.

Binance confirmed that the trading of Polygon-related tokens will remain unaffected during the maintenance window, and no action is required from users who hold POL or other tokens on the exchange. Deposits and withdrawals are expected to resume once the updated network is deemed stable.

Rio Upgrade Targets 5,000 TPS and Decentralization

The Rio mainnet upgrade is positioned as a foundational change to the Polygon Proof-of-Stake (PoS) chain’s architecture. The primary objective is to enhance the network’s capacity to handle high-demand applications, with the ultimate goal of supporting up to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS).

This scaling effort is part of the network’s broader “GigaGas” roadmap, which focuses on better accommodating global payments and the growing sector of tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs). 

The hard fork includes key technical proposals designed to optimize block production and validation. This includes PIP-64, the Validator- Elected Block Producer (VEBloP), which introduces a new block production model intended to increase network throughput and eliminate chain recognitions.

Additionally, PIP-72 introduces “Witness- Based Stateless Verification,” a feature that allows validator nodes to confirm blocks without needing to maintain the entire blockchain state, a change aimed at lowering hardware requirements and supporting decentralization. 

While the brief pause in service may inconvenience users who need to move their tokens on the Polygon network around the specified time, the action ensures the exchange can manage all technical requirements for its users. The timeline for the reopening of deposit and withdrawal services will be solely dependent on the stability of the upgraded Polygon PoS mainnet.

Also Read: Polygon Teams Up with Cypher Capital to Expand POL Access



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Is It Time to Upgrade to the iPhone 17? How Older iPhones Compare

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The arrival of the iPhone 17 might have you wondering if it’s time to swap your older Apple device for the latest model. Depending on your current iPhone, getting the iPhone 17 could be a notable step up.

The iPhone 17 starts at $829, or $799 if you activate through a carrier. But unlike previous generations, the lowest storage option is 256GB, which is a nice upgrade from the previous 128GB starting point.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Several noteworthy updates to the iPhone 17 make it feel like a tempting choice, even over the pricier iPhone 17 Pro models. At long last, Apple has extended a 1-120Hz display across its entire lineup, so you can have smoother scrolling and an always-on display without spending upwards of $1,100 on a Pro model. An anti-reflective coating and higher 3,000-nit peak brightness make the screen slightly easier to see outdoors. And camera upgrades help to level up photos and selfies. 

Here’s how the iPhone 17 compares to older iPhones, ranging from last year’s iPhone 16 to 2020’s iPhone 12.

The iPhone 16

James Martin/CNET

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16

Appearance-wise, the iPhone 17 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16. But beneath the surface, there are some key differences. 

The display goes from a meager 60Hz on the iPhone 16 to 120Hz on the iPhone 17 (at long last). That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time and your notifications without waking the screen and enjoy smoother scrolling. A new anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare, especially in the bright outdoor conditions. 

The iPhone 17 has a larger 6.3-inch display, versus the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen, thanks to slimmer bezels. That can make viewing content slightly more immersive, though it won’t be a hugely noticeable difference. And a new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers three times better scratch resistance, according to Apple, so you can worry a little less about etching into your phone’s screen (but maybe still get a screen protector to be safe).

The iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, but the iPhone 17 bumps the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels. The front-facing camera also gets upgraded from 12 megapixels (on the iPhone 16) to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. Both phones have a Camera Control button for quickly launching the camera and snapping photos.

A new Center Stage feature can automatically adjust selfie photos from portrait orientation to landscape to ensure everyone is in the shot, so you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore. Dual Capture lets you simultaneously record on your front and back cameras. These upgrades are specifically catered to the latest iPhone lineup, so that they won’t be coming to older models like the iPhone 16, even with an iOS 26 update.

Battery life is a little longer on the iPhone 17. Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 8 hours more of video playback than the iPhone 16. This change aligns with improvements CNET noticed in our battery tests. In a 3-hour streaming test, for example, the iPhone 17’s battery dropped from 100% to 89%, while the iPhone 16 hit 86%. It’s an incremental update, but even a little more battery life is a welcome change. The iPhone 17 also supports up to 40-watt charging, which is a boost over the 25 watts you get with the iPhone 16, helping you top off your battery a little faster.

The bottom line: While the updates to the iPhone 17 help it stand out as an all-around solid device, the changes over last year’s iPhone 16 are incremental enough that there’s not much reason to upgrade — unless you’re really excited about that smoother display and faster charging. But for most people, subtle differences mean you should probably just hold onto your iPhone 16. 

The iPhone 15

James Martin/CNET

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16, including a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 6.1-inch display. The 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 17 has slimmer bezels to expand that real estate a bit, and the 48-megapixel ultrawide camera can lead to slightly sharper shots.

The baseline iPhone 15 doesn’t have an Action button that you can customize to launch various apps and functions, and instead has the more traditional ring/silent switch. The iPhone 17 has an Action button and a Camera Control button.

Both phones have a Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the display for showing alerts and Live Activities, such as the time your DoorDash order is arriving, flight updates and what song is currently playing.

With each generation, Apple touts longer battery life, so you can expect to get a couple more hours of video playback with the iPhone 17 than you would with the 15.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the iPhone 15 and 17 is that the iPhone 15 doesn’t have Apple Intelligence; those AI features only arrived on that year’s Pro models. If you upgrade to the iPhone 17, you’ll have access to writing and image editing tools, as well as newer features like Live Translation for calls and messages. 

The bottom line: Like the iPhone 16, there aren’t many drastic differences between the iPhone 15 and 17, though upgrading will notably grant you access to Apple Intelligence. But the other hardware and software-related updates are relatively minimal, so you’re probably good keeping your iPhone 15 for at least another year.

The iPhone 14

James Martin/CNET

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 was the last Apple phone with a Lightning port and that’s one of most significant differences between it and the iPhone 17, which has a USB-C port. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 means you won’t have to rely on an outdated and limited-use charging cable anymore, and can instead use one that works with most of your other devices. 

The baseline iPhone 14 also doesn’t have a Dynamic Island cutout in the display, as that feature launched with just the Pro models that year. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will let you quickly tap into activities like your rideshare trip or flight information.

The iPhone 14 has a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide-angle camera on the back, while the iPhone 17 bumps that to 48 megapixels across the board. The iPhone 17 also increases the front-facing camera’s resolution from 12 megapixels to 18 megapixels, while adding a new Center Stage selfie feature to automatically adjust between portrait and landscape images without you having to rotate your phone. 

But the two phones also some key similarities, like having eSIM and satellite connectivity on board.

The bottom line: The iPhone 14 has the most noticeable differences with the iPhone 17. Upgrading could offer some fresh features like an Action button and, at last, a USB-C port, as well as Dynamic Island and an upgraded camera. But if you want to save some money and keep your current phone, you won’t be missing out on anything too drastic.

The iPhone 13

Patrick Holland/CNET

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has a similar A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, and shares the same dual 12-megapixel camera system. But unlike the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 doesn’t have crash detection or satellite connectivity, or camera features like Action mode for more stable videos. 

At this point, your iPhone 13 may be showing its age. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will give you access to newer features like Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, USB-C charging and the Camera Control and Action buttons. You might also notice faster speeds by switching to the iPhone 17, now that it’s been a few years since the iPhone 13 came out.

The bottom line: It may be time to upgrade to the iPhone 17 if you have an iPhone 13. It’s possible your phone is starting to show its age, and switching to Apple’s latest baseline will get you a longer-lasting battery, an upgraded camera, AI features and a handful of new hardware and software capabilities. 

The iPhone 12

Sarah Tew/CNET

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 12

Like the next couple of iPhones after it, the iPhone 12 has a dual 12-megapixel camera system, as well as a 6.1-inch display. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will get you a slightly more immersive 6.3-inch display with thinner bezels, along with a 48-megapixel dual camera system. 

The iPhone 12 lacks features like crash detection, satellite connectivity, Dynamic Island and USB-C charging. It also doesn’t support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features for writing, photo editing, language translation and more. 

It’s possible your iPhone 12 has become sluggish and your battery isn’t holding up like it used to. Taking age out of the equation, at launch, the iPhone 12 boasted up to 17 hours of video playback, while Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 30 hours. So there’s likely to be a noticeable difference between how long each phone can hold up.

The bottom line: Swapping your iPhone 12 for the iPhone 17 could be a smart move. There have been noticeable changes over the last several years, from the addition of the Action and Camera Control buttons to the introduction of Apple Intelligence. The swap to USB-C and expanded battery capacity can also make the newest iPhone more tempting; you won’t have to cling to your now-outdated Lightning cable. And you’ll likely notice faster speeds and higher performance across the board when switching from a 5-year-old device to the latest generation. 

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Older iPhones

Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 16Apple iPhone 15Apple iPhone 14Apple iPhone 13Apple iPhone 12Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate 6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixelsPixel density 460ppi460 ppi460 ppi460 ppi460 ppi460ppiDimensions (inches) 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 in5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 inDimensions (millimeters) 149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm147 x 72 x 7.8 mm147 x 72 x 7.65 mm146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mmWeight (grams, ounces) 177 g (6.24 oz)170 g (6 oz.)171g (6.02 oz)172 g (6.07 oz)6.14 oz; 174g5.78oz; 164gMobile software iOS 26iOS 18iOS 17iOS 16iOS 15iOS 14Camera 48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)Front-facing camera 18-megapixel12-megapixel12-megapixel12-megapixel12-megapixel12-megapixelVideo capture 4K4K4K4K at 60 fpsHDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps4KProcessor Apple A19Apple A18A16 BionicApple A15 BionicApple A15 BionicApple Bionic 14RAM + storage RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GBRAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB, 512GBRAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB, 256GBExpandable storage NoneNone (Face ID)NoneNoneUndisclosedUndisclosedBattery Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15WUndisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)Undisclosed; Apple claims 20 hours of video playbackNoNoFingerprint sensor None (Face ID)None (Face ID)None (Face ID)None (Face ID)Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playbackUndisclosed; Apple lists 15 hours of video playbackConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-C (USB 2.0)LightningNo (Face ID)No (FaceID)Headphone jack NoneNoneNoneNoneLightningLightningSpecial features Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivityNoNoUS price starts at $829 (256GB)$799 (128GB)$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM) 5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)



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NFT Gaming

Solana Developers Consider Removing Block Limits Post-Alpenglow Upgrade

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In brief

  • If approved, it would enable Solana blocks to expand dynamically, rather than being capped.
  • Validators with less powerful machines could forego oversized blocks through a skip-vote.
  • Supporters see increased throughput, while critics warn of risks associated with centralization.

Solana developers are weighing a new proposal to remove block limits once the network’s planned Alpenglow upgrade takes effect, a change aimed at expanding throughput by letting performance scale with validator hardware.

Filed Friday as SIMD-0370, the proposal would scrap Solana’s current 60 million compute unit cap per block and instead allow block size to adjust dynamically, meaning blocks could expand to fit as many transactions as the fastest validators can handle, while smaller validators could simply skip voting on blocks that exceed their capacity.

Validators on Solana are the independent operators who run nodes to process transactions and secure the network, earning rewards through staking and transaction fees.



Lifting Solana’s block cap could raise throughput by letting stronger validators pack in more transactions, but it may also tilt rewards toward operators with bigger machines, which, in effect, creates a trade-off between scaling capacity and keeping the validator set broad.

“The current incentive structure for validator clients and program developers is broken,” the proposal submitted by the Firedancer development team at Jump Crypto reads. “The capacity of the network is determined not by the capabilities of the hardware but by the arbitrary block compute unit limit.”

Jump Crypto is the digital assets arm of Chicago-based Jump Trading Group. Earlier this month,  Jump Crypto provided funding for Forward Industries’ $1.65 billion PIPE deal, alongside Galaxy Digital and Multicoin Capital, to help establish a public Solana treasury strategy, making Forward a vehicle to hold and deploy Solana tokens at scale.

Proposal pushback

Still, the change has sparked debate among developers and community members on the GitHub proposal thread.

Some warn that removing caps may tilt the playing field in favor of well-funded operators, who can deploy high-end hardware and potentially squeeze out smaller validators while increasing the risk of centralization.

Others have raised concerns that overly large blocks could cause propagation delays or weaken security if too many validators abstain from voting. The Jump Crypto team did not immediately return Decrypt’s request for comment.

In Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade, the skip-vote feature allows smaller validators to abstain from blocks they can’t keep up with, thereby maintaining consensus even under load.

Expected later this year, Alpenglow already promises to cut block finality from roughly 12.8 seconds to about 150 milliseconds while adding new features such as skip votes. 

The Firedancer proposal would build on that foundation by tying Solana’s capacity to validator performance rather than protocol-set ceilings.

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Vitalik Buterin Names Most Important Fusaka Upgrade Goal
NFT Gaming

Vitalik Buterin Names Most Important Fusaka Upgrade Goal

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Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum founder, says the upcoming Fusaka upgrade will be a breakthrough for Ethereum (ETH) scaling and data availability. He made this known in a detailed explanation provided on his verified X handle. Through his post, Buterin highlighted the impact of the upgrade on the blockchain.

Fusaka upgrade introduces PeerDAS for Ethereum scaling

Notably, Fusaka will be powered by peer-to-peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS). It introduces a new approach to node interaction. The nodes do not need to carry out a complete download to be confident that the data is available.

PeerDAS aims to address the increasing volume of data by avoiding downloads. Currently, for a blockchain to be secure, every node would need access to all block data. This slows the process, but with Fusaka leveraging PeerDAS, each node will only download a few random chunks of blocks.

Fusaka will fix this.

But also, safety first is of the utmost importance for Fusaka. The core feature, PeerDAS, is trying to do something pretty unprecedented: have a live blockchain that does not require any single node to download the full data.

The way PeerDAS works is that… https://t.co/go6QsqjaFC

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) September 24, 2025

It works on the assumption that if more than 50% of chunks are available across the network, then there is a high probability the entire block can be reconstructed. This allows nodes to safely verify blocks while saving on bandwidth and storage.

Vitalik Buterin, however, acknowledges that two cases require the full data of the block. These are for initial broadcasting when a block is first published and reconstruction, if a block publisher provides less than 100% of the data.

The Ethereum founder has advised caution as the technology is still novel, and developers are proceeding with care and testing along the way. Buterin assured that blob count will also increase gradually to avoid any risks.

Overall, Fusaka using PeerDAS will allow rollups and other layer-2s to scale and secure their data storage while maintaining functionality. As for Ethereum itself, once its capacity grows, execution data will move into blobs.

From Pectra to Fusaka for layer-2 growth

This is the next major step after a successful Pectra upgrade. Interestingly, Pectra has been hailed as being pivotal for on-chain usability. Jeremy Allaire, Circle CEO, values its utility for stablecoins like USDC, as it allows smart accounts to automate transactions and pay fees in stablecoins.

Vitalik Buterin has always been focused on improving functionality across Ethereum and its layer-2 networks. Pectra has been activated on Arbitrum, one of Ethereum’s L2 networks, making developer workflows more seamless. The Pectra upgrade is notable for doubling Ethereum blob throughput.





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The Questyle QCC Dongle Pro with a smartphone to denote size, on a light wooden table
Product Reviews

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: the Bluetooth upgrade your phone has been waiting for

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Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro: Two-minute review

You may not realise it, but your phone and your wireless headphones don’t always agree on how good your music should sound. It’s a question of compatibility, and it can be a thorny issue.

Bluetooth audio codecs are the invisible lines of code that translate your music (whether streamed from a subscription service or stored locally on your phone) into something that can be transmitted wirelessly to your headphones, earbuds, or portable speakers.

All Bluetooth products support SBC, a codec that provides basic ‘vanilla’ audio quality, but when it comes to high-quality advanced codecs, like LDAC and aptX Adaptive (which preserve far more of your music’s detail), it’s the wild west out there. Some Android handsets support both. Some just support one. iPhones (in fact, all Apple devices) support neither. Support on the headphones/earbuds side of the equation can be equally messy – and it doesn’t always follow that the more you pay, the more codecs your buds (or cans) will support.

So wouldn’t it be nice if there were a tiny, simple (yet powerful) gadget you could plug into any phone, tablet, computer, or game console that would assure you’ve always got support for these codecs? Behold – the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro.

Plug it in, open the app, and pair your headphones. Done. You’re now listening wirelessly at the highest possible quality (perhaps even losslessly) and you didn’t even have to mess around in Android’s Developer Options.

All of this makes the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro a very attractive little accessory for anyone who wants to maximize their listening experience.

One of the best portable DACs around – and more specifically, one of the best wireless Bluetooth DACs we’ve tested? Let’s get to it.

Oh, it’s red and no mistake (Image credit: Future)

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Price and release date

  • Release date: August 29, 2025
  • Price: $99 (around £70; AU$150)

$99 may seem like a lot for what you get. After all, it is tiny – and this device doesn’t make music or even play music; it just makes the music you already have access to sound better, with no guesswork.

I’ve also tried the $50 FiiO BT11, a nearly identical-looking product that, on paper at least, does all the same things. But it’s so maddeningly difficult to use, I’d happily pay the difference for the QCC Dongle Pro.

Still, there is another option. If you don’t need LDAC (perhaps because your Android phone already supports it), you can get the aptX-family-only QCC Dongle for $69 and save yourself some cash.

Elsewhere (and if you’ve got hard-to-drive headphones and a little more to spend), we love the FiiO BTR17 for its amplification powers on top of its codec mastery, and TR’s audio editor still uses the FiiO BTR7 – both around $200 / £175 / AU$279.

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyQuestyle QCC Dongle Pro: specs

Dimensions

25mm x 10mm x 15mm

Weight

2.5 grams

Supported codecs

SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive (including aptX Lossless), LDAC

Supported interfaces

USB-C, USB-A (UAC 1, UAC 2)

System compatibility

WinXP/Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10/Win11/Linux/Android/HarmonyOS/macOS/iOS/iPadOS

Bluetooth version

5.4

Power draw

37mA

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Features

  • Excellent codec support
  • Easy, intuitive app
  • Works with almost all USB-equipped devices

A helpful app lets you control the dongle’s two main functions: getting it paired with your headphones and picking which codec and optional settings you want to use. An LED on the QCC Dongle Pro gives visual feedback on its pairing status as well as which family of codec is currently in use – a reassuring feature.

Better yet, as long as your headphones or earbuds support Bluetooth Multipoint, it’s possible to connect them to the dongle and your phone simultaneously. Doing so maintains your ability to adjust the headphones’ settings via their mobile app (if any).

Oh, and one more thing: the dongle also supports USB Audio Class 1 (UAC 1), which is a spec-speak way of saying you can use it as a wireless audio transmitter with gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch and PlayStation families – devices that don’t play nicely with run-of-the-mill USB Bluetooth dongles. Full disclosure: I didn’t test this feature.

You can use it as a transmitter for a PC or Mac, too, though with one caveat: there’s no Windows or macOS app, so you’ll need to initially pair your preferred headphones using the mobile app on a phone, then move the dongle over to your PC. It will automatically re-pair with your headphones and then you simply need to choose the Dongle Pro from your computer’s sound output menu.

Worried about the Dongle Pro sapping your phone’s battery life? Don’t be. With a 37mA draw, Questyle estimates that even if you used it intensively (e.g., with LDAC) for 10 hours straight, you’d only dent an iPhone 16’s full battery capacity by about 10%. Using aptX Adaptive would consume less juice. I didn’t notice any impact on my day-to-day use of my iPhone.

The bulk of my testing was done with the Sennheiser IE900 or the Austrian Audio ‘The Composer’ (Image credit: Questyle)

The QCC Dongle Pro is so easy and effective that it’s hard to find flaws. But if I were to nitpick, I’d point to the fact that the Questyle app doesn’t give audio nerds as much control over codec behavior as, say, Android’s Developer Options, or the uber-handy Bluetooth Codec Changer app.

For instance, purists often want to avoid additional resampling between their source of digital music and the output that gets to their headphones. With the apps/settings I mentioned above, you can set LDAC’s bit-depth and sampling rate to match that of your source. The QCC Dongle Pro doesn’t provide this level of control. The same goes for LDAC’s bitrate; however, you can nonetheless choose to favour sound quality over connection stability, which should accomplish the same thing.

I might also note that the dongle can’t support simultaneous Bluetooth connections. So if you were hoping to connect a set of wireless earbuds using LDAC and a set of headphones using aptX HD so you can hear the difference, I’m afraid you’ll have to find another way of satisfying your inner scientist.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

Note the ‘wings’ (Image credit: Future)

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Design

  • Tiny and featherweight
  • Fits most phone cases
  • Might block adjacent ports

The QCC Dongle Pro can plug directly into any device that can output audio over USB. At 2.5 grams, it weighs less than half as much as a single AirPods Pro earpiece. On its own, it will snap into USB-C ports, and a small ledge lets it protrude about two millimeters, making it compatible with many 3rd-party protective phone cases. It also comes with an adapter for gadgets that are still rocking USB-A ports. The only devices it can’t support are older iPhones/iPads with Lightning ports.

It’s a phone-friendly design, as long as you don’t mind using wireless charging while it’s plugged in. For laptops, especially those like the Apple MacBook Air with just two, closely spaced USB-C ports, the Dongle Pro forces the same choice, but without the fallback of wireless charging: You can have better Bluetooth audio or you can charge your computer, but not both.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Everything in its right place… (Image credit: Future)

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Sound quality

  • Perfect match for LDAC/aptX devices
  • Lets you choose which codec to use when more than one will work

How does it perform? Brilliantly. Which is to say, when I use it on an iPhone 16 in either LDAC or aptX Lossless mode, with a compatible set of headphones, and then compare it to a phone with these codecs built in (e.g., Motorola ThinkPhone), they sound the same to me. I’m not sure I could ask for anything more.

Sony’s WH-1000XM6 (LDAC) revealed the subtle details in Dire Straits’ You And Your Friend that tend to go missing when listening via AAC. Similarly, Sennheiser’s aptX Lossless compatible Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds were able to tame the blurry bass notes and crunchy highs that I typically hear when playing Bob Dylan’s Man in the Long Black Coat.

Given how convenient it is to pop the Dongle Pro into the bottom of my iPhone, I can easily see it becoming a permanent fixture in my daily listening life.

Sound quality score: 5 / 5

This white light (for aptX Lossless) was oddly hard to come by when using sources able to handle it… (Image credit: Future)

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Value

  • Pricey compared to other transmitters
  • Unmatched codec support
  • Perfect size/shape for mobile use

Though a pricey little device, you need to look at the QCC Dongle Pro in the context of your other options.

Most companies that make USB-C Bluetooth transmitters that sell for between $25-$55 on Amazon come with one or more compromises. They’re primarily intended for PC use, so they’re often equipped with a USB-A interface. Even the ones with USB-C tend to stick out too far and could easily snap off during portable use. The Dongle Pro’s one direct competitor, the $50 FiiO BT11, is a bargain by comparison – but I found it much harder to use.

Value score: 4/5

Note the new ‘rails’ on the casework to help with cooling (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Features

Gives any phone or PC the most popular hi-res Bluetooth audio codecs.

4 / 5

Sound quality

Works as well as any phone with these codecs built in.

5 / 5

Design

Tiny, lightweight, and elegant. If only it were a tad narrower, it would be perfect.

4.5 / 5

Value

Pricey, but worth it.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro review: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Product

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro

FiiO BTR11

Dimensions

25mm x 10mm x 15mm

28mm x 9mm x 21mm

Weight

2.5 grams

3 grams

Supported codecs

SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive (including aptX Lossless), LDAC

SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive (including aptX Lossless), LDAC

Supported interfaces

USB-C, USB-A (UAC 1, UAC 2)

USB-C, USB-A (UAC 1, UAC 2)

System compatibility

WinXP/Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10/Win11/Linux/Android/HarmonyOS/macOS/iOS/iPadOS

WinXP/Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10/Win11/Linux/Android/HarmonyOS/macOS/iOS/iPadOS

Bluetooth version

5.4

5.4

Power draw

37mA (LDAC)

22mA (static)

iFi makes strong design choices and you love to see it (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro

  • Tested for 2 weeks
  • Used it at home and while at the gym
  • Predominantly tested using Apple Music on an Apple iPhone 16, but also: Google Pixel 7 Pro, Apple MacBook Air M1

Testing the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro was primarily a case of comparisons. In other words, how easy was it to use, and how did the sound quality compare to a smartphone with the same Bluetooth Codecs built in?

To do this, I paired the Dongle Pro first with the Sony WH-1000XM6 (to test LDAC performance) and then with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds (to test aptX Adaptive/Lossless), with the Dongle Pro plugged into an iPhone 16.

Since both devices support Bluetooth Multipoint, I was able to pair them simultaneously with a Motorola ThinkPhone, which supports both codec families.

While using the same Apple Music Playlist on both the iPhone and the ThinkPhone, I swapped back and forth between these two sources, listening for any perceptible differences. I couldn’t detect any.

For additional testing, I swapped the dongle over to my MacBook Air and a Google Pixel 7 Pro. Both performed without issue.

First reviewed September 2025

Questyle QCC Dongle Pro: Price Comparison



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$180 Billion XRP Faces Its Biggest Upgrade Yet With New Ripple DeFi Roadmap
Crypto Trends

$180 Billion XRP Faces Its Biggest Upgrade Yet With New Ripple DeFi Roadmap

by admin


Ripple’s new roadmap makes it clear that XRP, already valued at $180 billion, is being promoted as an institutional DeFi asset at a time when the sector is demonstrating its true size: $161.8 billion is locked in protocols, $292.8 billion in stablecoins, $15.6 billion is traded daily on DEXes and there is $23 billion in perpetuals volume, according to DefiLlama. 

The message is clear: XRPL is evolving beyond payments to encompass the compliance, credit and tokenized markets, where billions are already changing hands daily.

1/ Institutional DeFi is here and the XRP Ledger has solidified its position as the trusted open source settlement layer for global institutions.

The next phase of the roadmap starts now. Explore it below and read the full blog for details 🧵⬇️ https://t.co/YLQ9Po8xMQ

— RippleX (@RippleXDev) September 22, 2025

Upgrades are now live, with on-chain proof of regulatory status, freeze controls for issuers and simulation tools for reducing errors. These features address regulators’ concerns, contributing to the growth of XRPL’s stablecoin, which recently surpassed $1 billion in a single month, and its position in the top 10 real-world asset chains, valued at $15.6 billion in DeFi. XRP’s role as a settlement asset within this system continues to expand.

Source: DefiLlama

The bigger shift will come with version 3.0. A protocol-level lending system will pool liquidity and issue loans natively under KYC/AML standards, creating cheaper institutional credit and direct yield opportunities. The Multi-Purpose Token standard, due in October, will allow bonds and structured products to be issued and traded directly on XRPL. 

Bottom line

These are not side experiments but are ways of pulling regulated money into markets where XRP is both the collateral and the liquidity rail.

Privacy is next. Zero-knowledge proofs are being developed to enable institutions to transact and collateralize positions without revealing details while still passing audits.

In a market where ETFs are pulling in inflows of $270 million in a single day and stablecoins are approaching $300 billion, Ripple’s plan signals that XRP is not just surviving but is being positioned to sit at the heart of the largest flows in digital finance.





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Amazon Wants You to Ditch Your Old Laptop and Upgrade to the New MacBook Air at a Record Low
Game Reviews

Amazon Wants You to Ditch Your Old Laptop and Upgrade to the New MacBook Air at a Record Low

by admin


Apple’s latest MacBook Air (launched in March) has been among the company’s most popular laptops for some time now, but price has usually been the stumbling block. On Apple’s website, this MacBook Air with the M4 chip in its base configuration (16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage) starts at $999.

But today, Amazon has knocked everyone back by lowering the very same model to an all-time low price of $799. It includes the same warranty, the same box-fresh product and even more convenient delivery and return arrangements.

See at Amazon

The Lightest MacBook Just Got Serious Power

The new M4 chip is at the heart of it and brings faster performance across the board. For everyday use, it makes juggling multiple apps smoother and faster. But it also goes into denser ground like photo and video editing or even graphics-intensive games. On top of that, Apple’s new Intelligence features which rely on the M4 to make writing assistance, automating operations and privacy-first AI capabilities possible.

While the performance boost is significant, design is still focused on portability: Winging in at over 2.7 pounds and under half an inch thick, this MacBook Air is meant to slide into a bag and almost disappear until you need it. Battery life is another bonus with up to 18 hours on one charge. That means you really can make it through a whole workday without having to plug in. It still has the same MagSafe charging port that’s so fashionable again, plus two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 support. For extreme users, you can even connect up to two external monitors.

The screen is also somewhere where the Air does better than you might guess at this price: The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen displays a billion colors and has amazing brightness and contrast. Text is razor-sharp for everyday use like reading and writing. But when streaming TV shows or looking at photos, the color accuracy is actually superb.

Apple has also put major work into the camera and audio system, changes that are more vital than ever with so much of life happening on video calls. The 12MP camera with Center Stage keeps you centered and properly focused and the three-microphone array ensures voices sound loud and clear. Four built-in speakers handle audio with support for Spatial Audio, and thus music or conference calls can sound surprisingly immersive.

What should seal the deal for many is the value angle. At $999, the MacBook Air M4 is already positioned as Apple’s most balanced machine between performance and portability. But at $799 on Amazon, you’re essentially getting premium performance, build quality, and the ecosystem advantages of macOS at a price that undercuts many Windows ultrabooks with weaker specs. Throw in Amazon’s delivery speed and return policy, and it’s difficult to argue full price up front from Apple’s website at this point.

The MacBook Air has long had the reputation of being the Mac for everyday use. With the M4 chip now inside and a historic price cut dropping it under $800, the 2025 MacBook Air feels like a golden moment for upgrading.

See at Amazon



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Crypto Trends

Ethereum Devs Set December Date for Fusaka Upgrade

by admin



In brief

  • Mainnet activation is set for December 3, with testnets starting in October.
  • Recent testing suggested raising blob capacity in phases.
  • Further tests will confirm those numbers before rollout.

Ethereum developers have set Dec. 3, 2025, as the mainnet activation date for the Fusaka upgrade, nudging forward a timeline that had been expected to extend well into 2026.

The decision came after testing on Fusaka Devnet-5, which highlighted some software bugs and setup errors that cut short the time developers had to measure data capacity, according to a summary from researcher Christine Kim.

During the brief period when the test network was stable, developers agreed to raise blob capacity in two steps: First to 10/15 blobs per block, then to 14/21. A blob on Ethereum is a temporary data packet that rollups, or bundling and scaling solutions on the network, use to post transaction data to the blockchain at lower costs.

Another Ethereum test network, called Devnet-6, will be launched soon to double-check those numbers before they go live on public testnets and mainnet, per the call logs.



Developers found that the Prysm client, one of Ethereum’s major validator clients, struggled under high loads, creating orphaned blocks.

Validator clients are the software running Ethereum’s proof-of-stake system, responsible for proposing and verifying blocks. A block is “orphaned” when it was produced correctly by a validator, but was rejected because the network chose a different block for the same spot in the chain.

Ethereum researcher Justin Traglia said a bug in the ckzg library, used to verify blobs, had been fixed, and added that a lighter version is being prepared to make upgrades easier for client teams.

The Ethereum Foundation did not immediately return Decrypt’s request for comments.

According to the notes from Kim, the faster timeline is aimed at giving rollups more blob space to handle transactions and keep fees low, with capacity raised step by step to reduce the risk of overloading the network. Over the call, developers also confirmed that client teams will ship bundled releases for the October testnet upgrades and run shadow forks, or copies of Ethereum’s main network,  ahead of deployment. The developers then agreed that delays remain possible if new bugs appear or if testing falls short.

The Fusaka upgrade follows Pectra, which was rolled out in May and helped make the Ethereum network easier to use, raised staking limits, and boosted data capacity to reduce costs for rollups.

At the time, industry observers touted Pectra as a turning point for Ethereum’s roadmap, but also warned that scaling pressures would persist, with rollups needing far more blob capacity to stay uncongested as usage grows.

Fusaka is designed to address that demand, phasing in higher blob limits much sooner as network activity continues to increase.

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