The field of blockchain research is moving towards improving scalability and security. Recent developments focus on creating more efficient and secure networking layers, such as robust distributed arrays, which can serve as the foundation for Data Availability Sampling. Furthermore, novel development frameworks like vApps are being introduced to streamline the creation and deployment of verifiable blockchain computing applications, offering a unified Domain-Specific Language and comprehensive SDK. A general security framework for Layer 2 protocols has also been proposed, enabling comparative analysis of their security and trade-offs. Additionally, there is a growing interest in tracing cross-chain transactions and developing trusted compute units for verifiable off-chain computations. Noteworthy papers include:

• vApps: Verifiable Applications at Internet Scale, which presents a novel development framework for creating and deploying verifiable blockchain computing applications.
• A Security Framework for General Blockchain Layer 2 Protocols, which introduces the first general security framework for Layer 2 protocols, enabling comparative analysis of their security and trade-offs.
• Trusted Compute Units: A Framework for Chained Verifiable Computations, which proposes a unifying framework for composable and interoperable verifiable computations across heterogeneous technologies.
• DTVM: Revolutionizing Smart Contract Execution with Determinism and Compatibility, which introduces a next-generation smart contract execution framework designed to address critical performance, determinism, and ecosystem compatibility challenges in blockchain networks.