Five months of quiet execution, and @union_build now stands out as a serious infrastructure layer for cross-chain coordination. - Zero-knowledge foundations - Real testnet traction - Growing alignment with Bitcoin This isn't just an initiative; it's groundwork for something enduring. 👇 $U is coming!
Over the last five months, I’ve monitored @union_build with a focus on substance over noise. Between March and July 2025, their progress has been strategic and consistent. Here’s my thesis on why Union is becoming a foundational layer in cross-chain infrastructure: 👇 Union have always been clear to us from day one of their existence about building a modular, zero-knowledge-based interoperability layer designed to streamline asset flow across Ethereum, Cosmos, and eventually Bitcoin. It’s secure, programmable, and designed with long-term scalability in mind. → Backed by serious capital In early 2025, Union raised $16M in a Series A round led by @GumiCryptos and @LongHashVC With additional participation from teams at Polygon, Celestia, and Movement, they brought their total to $16M allocated toward team expansion, integrations, and ecosystem development. →Technical validation through testnet activity By April 30, their public testnet (Testnet 9) was live. Users could connect with MetaMask, Keplr, Rabby, Leap, and initiate asset transfers across ecosystems. By July, the testnet had recorded over 275 million transactions a clear signal of protocol robustness and active participation. → Strategic alignment with Bitcoin via Babylon Union’s integration with the Babylon Genesis Network enabled support for Bitcoin Secured Networks and Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs). This makes Union a key player in bringing Bitcoin liquidity into the multichain DeFi, an area long underserved due to BTC’s scripting limitations. →Trusted Setup Ceremony got completed On July 29, Union finalized its Trusted Setup Ceremony with 5,866 contributors. This event laid the cryptographic foundation for its zero-knowledge proofs, ensuring decentralization and integrity across the protocol. → Community engagement done thoughtfully Union’s “Mad Yaps Incentive Program” launched on July 23 in collaboration with KaitoAI. 1% of token supply was allocated to early participants and content creators. The campaign wasn’t just about reach, it was about cultivating early believers. Season 1 is now active, with transparent leaderboards and a fair distribution model. → Leadership with purpose On July 25, @Gandalf_NFT joined as Head of Liquid Staking & DeFi. With 8 years of experience across L1s, NFT infrastructure, validators, and staking platforms, his appointment signals a focused push into Bitcoin-native DeFi aligned with Union’s broader BTC integration. → Consistent presence and accessibility Union has maintained active dialogue with its community. Through initiatives like Union Hall Casts featuring builders like @DeanTribble (Agoric) and @niravmurthy (Camp), they’ve managed to bridge technical insight with community accessibility without losing depth. → Union has now activated their official foundation domain: [ There’s been growing talk that TGE could happen this month. Based on timing and traction, that no longer feels like speculation; it feels imminent. When teams start finalizing domains and wrapping incentive programs, it usually means one thing, They’re preparing for what comes next. → Where this leaves us From funding to testnets, community building to cross-chain integrations, Union is showing all the right signals: – They’ve validated interest and use – They’ve prioritized decentralization and transparency – They’re solving a long-standing problem in Web3 which is trustless, scalable cross-chain coordination Mainnet isn’t live yet but the groundwork is not just promising, it’s mature. I’ll continue observing how they navigate the final phase. But from what I’ve seen, Union is quietly positioning itself as a key piece of Web3’s next infrastructure wave.
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