Berachain is rolling out the next phase of its proof-of-liquidity system, expanding governance and emissions beyond its native BEX pools. 

Up until now, only Berachain’s (BERA) native exchange, BEX, was used to distribute rewards. Other decentralized applications will be able to apply for incentives through new reward vaults starting on Mar. 24, according to Berachain’s official announcement. This will help them expand by drawing liquidity.

Liquidity pools from multiple decentralized finance platforms have been included in the initial set of vaults, with more to be added later. This has opened up a more transparent system where users have more control over how incentives are allocated and projects vie for rewards.

With Berachain’s PoL model, assets remain active in DeFi, in contrast to traditional proof-of-stake blockchains, where users lock up tokens for security. Network activity is limited in PoS systems because staked tokens are frequently not available for lending or trading.

The system used by Berachain ensures that validators send back some rewards to the network rather than keeping them. Applications that boost activity on the blockchain and aid in its growth receive these rewards. The governance token, BGT, gives holders the ability to vote on which validators and projects receive support, thereby determining how these rewards are distributed.

The first approved vaults focus on DEX liquidity pools, which allow users to swap tokens easily. These pools were selected based on their liquidity, security, and importance to the network. Liquidity pairs on BEX, Kodiak, Beradrome, and other protocols featuring key assets like BERA, HONEY, and BGT, as well as major stablecoins, are among the first approved vaults.

Berachain has grown rapidly since launching its mainnet on Feb. 6. The platform now has $3.1 billion in total value locked and almost $1 billion in circulating stablecoins. The trading volume in February alone was $1.9 billion, according to DefiLlama data. 

Following launch, BERA hit an all-time high of $18.82 before falling to its present range of $6.03–$6.93. The network has a fully diluted volume of $3.37 and a $728 million market capitalization as of Mar. 24. The new governance initiative is expected to attract more users and contribute to further growth of the blockchain.

Solana, the layer-one blockchain platform, celebrated five years since the launch of its mainnet on March 16, 2020.

To celebrate the milestone, the network shared its accomplishments, which include more than 1,300 validators, nearly $1 trillion in trading volume, and over 408 billion total Solana transactions, in a post on its official X account.

Solana (SOL) was founded in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko with the goal of addressing the primary challenge facing blockchain technology. The network aims to strike the right balance between scalability, security, and decentralization.

When combined with proof-of-stake, Yakovenko’s proof-of-history system speeds up transaction processing. Solana has been able to grow while maintaining low costs as a result.

More than 254 million blocks have been generated by Solana since its mainnet went live in March 2020. Since then, the network has grown to be a major force in decentralized finance, with over $7 billion in total value locked in its protocols, according to DeFiLlama data.

Meanwhile, Solana’s stablecoin market has reached $11 billion, down from its peak of over $12.6 billion in February 2025. Similarly, its market cap, which once peaked at $127.5 billion, now stands at $65 billion.

Developer interest in Solana has also significantly increased. It surpassed Ethereum as the most popular blockchain for new developers in 2024. According to Electric Capital’s 2024 developer report, Solana attracted 7,625 new developers in the previous year, accounting for 19.5% of all new entrants in the market.

On Mar. 17, CME Group plans to introduce Solana futures contracts, subject to regulatory clearance. These futures, which are intended to assist investors in protecting themselves from price swings, indicate that Solana is becoming a more widely accepted asset in the cryptocurrency market.

Furthermore, Solana has been included in several exchange-traded funds applications, indicating its increasing mainstream acceptance and room for growth.

Cryptocurrency prices rose modestly during the weekend as investors embraced a risk-on sentiment following Friday’s surge in the US stock market. 

Bitcoin (BTC) held steady above $84,000, while the market cap of all coins rose to over $2.8 trillion. 

The crypto market will have two main catalysts this week: President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions. A sign of Trump easing his stand on tariffs and a more dovish Fed will be bullish for cryptocurrencies and other risky assets. 

The top cryptocurrencies to watch this week will be Binance Coin (BNB), Cronos (CRO), and ZetaChain (ZETA).

BNB

BNB price will be in the spotlight this week as the developers activate the Pascal hard fork on March 20.  This is one of the three upgrades scheduled for the year’s first half. It is set to introduce newer features, including more Ethereum compatibility, native smart contract wallets, and more security. 

The other two upgrades will improve BNB Chain’s speed and security. This is happening as the BSC Chain becomes one of the best alternatives to Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL). Ethereum has higher fees and is slow, while the Solana network is highly associated with meme coins. 

Cronos 

A key Cronos vote will conclude on March 17. This crucial vote seeks to determine the creation of the Cronos Strategic Reserve. It aims to do that by undoing a 70 billion token burn that happened in 2021. 

If the vote passes, Cronos will create 70 billion tokens and use them to create a reserve that will be used to support the ecosystem. Critics argue that creating these new tokens will dilute existing investors by adding to the supply.

Voting data shows that 45.8% of users have voted in support of the proposal, while 44.4% have rejected it. 9.27% have abstained. If the vote ends like this, the proposal will be rejected as the turnout is less than the quorum. 

ZetaChain

ZetaChain is another top cryptocurrency to watch after its price crashed to a record low of $0.2070. It has dropped by over 92% from its all-time high, bringing its market cap to $151 million. 

One reason for the ZETA price crash is that the total value locked in its ecosystem has crashed to $13 million from its all-time high of near $20 million. 

The other reason is that Zetachain is highly dilutive as it has a circulating supply of 731 million against a total supply of 2.1 billion.

The network will unlock tokens worth over $6.6 million, representing 4.29% of the float this week. Cryptocurrencies are often highly volatile when there is a major unlock.