Rootstock Achieved Record Merged Mining Participation Despite Declining User Activity in Q1

In its Q1 2025 report, blockchain intelligence company Messari highlights significant developments in Rootstock, a bitcoin sidechain, including a record-high merged mining participation rate of 81%, up from 56.4% in the previous quarter. This came following the integration of Foundry, the largest bitcoin mining pool. Transaction costs on the network dropped by 60% due to collaborative efforts among core contributors and mining partners, enhancing user affordability. The report also notes the successful implementation of the Lovell 7.0.0 upgrade, which improved EVM compatibility, and the integration of Layerzero, facilitating cross-chain asset transfers. Despite these advancements, Rootstock experienced a 24% decline in onchain revenue, attributed to reduced transaction fees and a significant drop in user activity, with active addresses falling by 26.5% and new addresses by 55.7%.