The Monad Pulse #018
Monad Ecosystem Updates, Feb 19 - 26
Monad’s last week was all signal, no fluff. From a $500K Code4rena audit wrap-up and Perpl’s private mainnet launch to 400+ hackathon submissions, Bridge Kit integration with Circle, and the first evm/accathon kicking off at ETH Denver, the ecosystem is compounding across security, capital, and builder density.
Code4rena Audit Competition Concludes with $500K Payout
The largest-ever unconditional audit prize pool concluded, distributing all $500,000 to participants who identified security vulnerabilities in Monad’s codebase. The competition attracted 1,614 participating wardens who submitted 952 findings across 164,246 lines of code reviewed. Four high-severity and seven medium-severity findings were rewarded.
First place went to oct0pwn, second to @asen_sec, and third to RadiantLabs (@3DOCsec & @0xEV_om). The full winners list is available at code4rena.com/audits/2025-09-monad. Monad and Category Labs demonstrated unwavering commitment to security through one of the largest audit competitions ever run.
Foundry NYC 3.3 Applications Open
The Foundry two-week builder residency runs March 16-27 in NYC, bringing ambitious founders together for relationship building, in-person co-working, and collective leveling up. The program features AI, GTM, and security workshops, hands-on support from the Monad Foundation team, and Demo Day with top VCs. Foundry takes place before Nitro and teams can apply to both programs.
Apply at deltav.monad.xyz/programs/foundry-nyc-33
Unlink Partners on Ship Private. Ship Fast. Hackathon
Monad and Unlink co-host a 36-hour in-person hackathon focused on building private apps on Monad. The event runs February 27 - March 1 in NYC with $30,000 in prizes. Applications are open at hackathon.unlink.xyz.
Perpl Private Mainnet Goes Live
Perpl launched its private mainnet, bringing fully onchain perpetuals to Monad. The platform enables greater composability and capital efficiency, uniquely possible on a high-performance, decentralized L1.
Trade at app.perpl.xyz
Moltiverse Declares 16 Winners from 400 Submissions
The Moltiverse Hackathon concluded with 16 winners selected from over 400 project submissions. Winners span agent VCs, dating apps, open worlds, and battle arenas across two tracks:
Agent + Token Track Winners:
Claw IO by @KshitijGajapure
Soulbyte by @cpongl
Monagotchi by @0xMonagotchi
ChainMMO by @stokasz
TCG Arena
Prometheus by @eztramble
Nobel by @0xkadzu
BuidlBook by @buidldao_
The Apostate by @Novee_VeenoX
Agent Track Winners:
NoJohns by @Scav (Gaming Arena Bounty)
MoltGit by @Wahabahmadbaig
Moltmatch by @keccak256ex
Fiber by @LaurentSalou
Chaos Arena by @sotoalt_
The Reef by @Coopesmtg (World Model Bounty)
Clawmate by @xxbozohead1
Circle Bridge Kit Supports Monad
Circle integrated Monad into Bridge Kit, enabling developers to add crosschain USDC transfers using CCTP in under 10 lines of code. The integration eliminates manual contract management, domain IDs, and chain-specific complexity, making it easier for emerging ecosystems to tap into multichain USDC liquidity from launch.
Start building at developers.circle.com/bridge-kit
Nitro Publishes Network Referrer List
Nitro Accelerator published its network of referrers whose recommendations carry significant weight in the selection process. The 60+ referrers include @adeets_22 (Aditi), @advait_jayant (Advait), @chainyoda, @amanda0x, @ani_pai (Anirudh Pai), @andy8052, @AugieIlag (Augustus Ilag), @aadams (Austin Adams), @realitywarp (Austin Marrazza), @denverjude (Denver Dsouza), @emilylai (Emily Lai), @JackSimison, @JoyceInNYC, @etherary (Kushagra), @0xMadSped (Mads), @PaulTaylorVC (Paul Taylor), @Shaughnessy119 (Tommy), @wyatt_khos (Wyatt Khosrowshahi), and many others.
Full list at nitroacc.xyz/referrers
Nitro Hosts AMA for Prospective Applicants
Builders considering applying to Nitro can join a one-hour AMA on Friday at 11am ET.
Register at luma.com/9a8enivg
Hetzner Network Outage Affects Testnet Validators
Hetzner experienced a network outage affecting multiple testnet validators, causing them to fall out of sync. Operators running with Hetzner should check their service status. If affected, perform a restart/soft-reset first. Only perform a hard-reset if the validator stays behind sync and monlog output shows “StateSync appears stuck on the following prefixes.”
Gas Limit vs Gas Used: Technical Explanation
Monad charges gas limit instead of gas used, a necessary change to enable the massive speedup of async execution. @liobaheimbach, a rising star in EVM research, published an excellent assessment of the implications and proper pricing strategy.
Read the full analysis at x.com/i/status/2025994293857657105
MON Token Unlock Scheduled
The next MON token unlock is scheduled for February 24, 2026, releasing tokens to the Category Labs Treasury. This follows the standard vesting schedule with allocations to Ecosystem Development, Team, Investors, Validator Rewards, Public Sale, Category Labs Treasury, and Airdrop. The full unlock schedule extends into 2029.
evm/accathon Hackathon Begins at ETH Denver
The first-ever Monad hackathon, evm/accathon, launches February 26 - March 12, beginning with a two-day in-person event at ETH Denver followed by a two-week online portion. This inaugural hackathon marks a major milestone for ecosystem development. Full details coming soon.