Trends & Signals
By: Kevin Kelly
Explore the latest insights, thought leadership, and research from FCAT®
Behind the Blocks: How Solana Staking Powers the Network
October 28, 2025
Solana’s ecosystem is set to undergo significant transformation, and this report from FCAT’s Blockchain team explores a new era of network performance and efforts to redefine the underlying economics that drive validator activity on-chain.
Ethereum’s Security: 5 Key Signals to Watch
June 25, 2024
Nearly two years have passed since The Merge—how has the Ethereum network fared since? What are the most essential considerations for validators and network security?
A Closer Look at Bitcoin Ordinals
September 7, 2023
The introduction of ordinals has sparked debate across the Bitcoin community regarding proper use of block space. Some consider ordinals as "spam" to the blockchain, occupying unnecessary space. On the other hand, proponents view ordinals as a way to open up new use cases for Bitcoin and enhance network security through increased transaction fees. This piece aims to provide a summary of ordinals and examine their broader implications on the Bitcoin ecosystem.
A Q&A on Bitcoin mining in North America with Whit Gibbs
January 6, 2022
The following is excerpted from an interview with Whit Gibbs, the Founder & CEO of Compass Mining. Compass recently authored the North American Mining Index. In this interview, Gibbs provides unique insights into the topical issues facing the US mining industry including the effects of the mass exodus of Chinese miners in mid-2021 as well as an industry-wide shift to sustainable mining solutions. The interviewer is FCAT’s Kevin Kelly, business analyst of Bitcoin mining.