We Made It Out The Trenches.
PLUS: A deep dive into Uniswap V4, P2P's new tooling and so much more.
It’s wild to think we’ve made it to this point.
Not too long ago, we were just students — grinding through final semesters, balancing side gigs, chasing opportunities, and figuring out what came next. Some nights, it felt like we were barely holding it together. But we kept showing up, fueled by the belief that education infrastructure deserves an upgrade — and we’ve been committed to making it happen.
Now, we’re here. College DAO has officially joined OC-X, one of the top accelerators for edtech startups. Huge congratulations to the incredible startups in this cohort —together, we’re shaping the future of education. 🚀
For us, this is more than just an accelerator — it’s a launchpad to the next level. Over the next six weeks, we’ll be diving deep, scaling our impact, unlocking strategic B2B partnerships, and accessing up to $500K in non-dilutive funding. We’ll be working alongside some of the best minds in the space, learning from leaders at Netflix, Riot, and IKEA, and fine-tuning our vision to make a lasting impact.
But this moment isn’t just about us — it’s about everyone who’s been on this journey with us. To our members, mentors, and partners: Thank you. Thank you for believing in the vision, for pushing forward with us, and for helping us turn this dream into something real.
Now, let’s get back to business.
The Eigen Games are just two weeks out, and we’re doubling down on exploring the technologies that will be at your fingertips to build, experiment, and push forward.
This week, we’re diving into P2P and Uniswap V4.
Unichain & Uniswap V4 Deep Dive
The DeFi landscape just witnessed something remarkable: Unichain has hit mainnet, arriving perfectly in sync with the Uniswap v4 release. For those following DeFi's evolution, this is a pivotal moment – Uniswap, the protocol that revolutionized decentralized trading, is about to transform the space once again. The timing couldn't be better. As AI innovations accelerate and the Eigen Games spark new waves of development, we're witnessing what could be called a DeFi renaissance.
At the heart of Uniswap v4 is a groundbreaking feature called Hooks, which fundamentally transforms how liquidity pools can operate. Think of Hooks as customizable plugins that give developers unprecedented control over how trading pools work. For the first time, teams can create specialized pools with custom fee structures, unique trading strategies, and innovative liquidity management systems – all while maintaining the security and efficiency that Uniswap is known for.
This flexibility pairs perfectly with Unichain, a new DeFi-focused Layer 2 solution built specifically for Ethereum. What makes Unichain special is its incredible speed – with transaction times of just 250 milliseconds, it's bringing traditional finance-level performance to DeFi. This means traders and liquidity providers can execute strategies almost instantly, opening up possibilities that were previously impractical due to network latency.
Together, these innovations enable developers to build sophisticated DeFi applications like:
Dynamic fee systems that adjust based on market conditions
Advanced protection mechanisms against impermanent loss
Automated liquidity management systems
Novel trading strategies with institutional-grade execution
Custom financial products like structured tokens and derivatives
Real-time analytics and performance tracking tools
The combination of Uniswap v4's programmability and Unichain's speed creates a powerful foundation for the next generation of DeFi applications. For builders looking to push the boundaries even further, there's potential to integrate EigenLayer's restaking infrastructure, adding another layer of security and cross-chain capabilities to these innovations.
This is the moment where DeFi stops being "almost as good as TradFi" and starts being "why would anyone use anything else?" The tools are here. The infrastructure is ready. Now we just need builders to come and create the future.
🔗 Read More
Restaking Infrastructure just evolved
While staking ETH has become a cornerstone of network security and passive income generation, we're facing an interesting situation: as more validators join the network, individual staking rewards naturally decrease. Enter restaking – and if you haven't heard about it yet, seriously, where have you been? (Don't worry though, we've got you covered below).
Here's the magic of it: imagine owning a property and discovering you can rent out not just the spare room, but somehow use the same space for multiple purposes simultaneously – each generating its own stream of income. That's exactly what restaking enables with your staked ETH, allowing it to secure multiple services and networks while earning additional rewards.
P2P.org's Restaking API marks a pivotal moment in this evolution. By transforming complex restaking processes into streamlined, accessible operations, They're democratizing access to these advanced staking strategies. The API handles all the technical intricacies – from EigenPod creation to ongoing management – making sophisticated yield opportunities available to everyone from individual stakers to major institutions.
Think of the API as a universal bridge connecting traditional ETH staking to enhanced restaking rewards. Businesses can now rapidly deploy restaking features, offering their users access to additional rewards and potential airdrops without investing months in technical development. As the industry's first solution of its kind, the API maintains the critical security of non-custodial staking while opening doors to previously inaccessible opportunities.
The possibilities this unlocks are transformative. Developers can now create:
Automated staking vaults that optimize yields based on market conditions
Intelligent yield optimization tools that balance between staking, restaking, and DeFi
New financial products like liquid restaking tokens for stETH and rETH holders
Index tokens offering exposure to multiple restaking strategies
Insurance protocols protecting against slashing risks
Leveraged restaking systems that compound returns through lending protocols
And honestly? This is just scratching the surface. We're betting that somewhere out there, fueled by energy drinks and inspiration, some brilliant developers at the Eigen Games are about to cook up something that'll flip DeFi on its head.
🔗 Read More
For the Students, By the Degens ⚡️
Skip the lecture, catch the alpha. 3k+ students trust us to transform frontier tech research/information into bite-sized technical insights. This is your go-to for the weekly 5-minute power-up on frontier tech.
Unsubscribe anytime – but if something's not hitting different, slide into our DMs first and let us know how we can do better. We're here to build together 🤝
ETH Denver Scholarships
This year’s ETHDenver is shaping up to be our biggest yet, and we’re making sure student builders get the support they need to show up and BUIDL.
As the Official University Ecosystem Partner, we’re offering $300 scholarships for College DAO members who submit a project to the BUIDLathon — because travel and accommodation costs shouldn’t stop innovation :)
Celo Governance Program
College DAO will be joining the Celo ecosystem as a governance delegate together with university clubs in the College DAO network including UIUC, Emory, Purdue, University of Minnesota, UC Berkeley and University of Pennsylvania.
The College DAO governance collective will participate in governance by voting on proposals and engaging in discussions on the forum. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to us through telegram.
Eigen Games Creators Cup
As if everything else wasn’t enough, Eigen Games is leveling up with the Creator’s Cup— your chance to flex your creative muscles and claim a share of the $8,000 prize pool.
The top 12 university clubs will split the prize pool, with $2,000 for first place, $1,500 for second, and $1,000 for third. Winners will be judged on post count, creativity, and quality, with rankings revealed during The Eigen Games at ETH Denver—the perfect finale to an already epic event.
To get noticed, tag @buildoneigen and @collegedao_hub in your posts. Clubs like Waterloo, Dalhousie, and Blockchain at Berkeley are already setting the pace.
Who will take the crown?
⚡️ Your Job Search, Optimized
We know how it goes - endless applications, generic responses, and that LinkedIn anxiety. But we've built something different: a system that actually helps you land roles where you'll build meaningful things.
Think of us as your career co-pilots. We'll help optimize your entire process - from resume reviews to interview prep - while sending cutting-edge opportunities your way.
We’re also here to assist you with resume advice, career guidance, interview preparation, networking strategies, and more 👇
College Fest SZN is upon US
As we wrap this week, let's talk about something special brewing - College Fest is back, and it's going to ETHDenver.
For the newcomers: College Fest is our roaming student festival that pops up at major conferences. What makes College Fest hit different? We strip away all the conference fluff. No talks, no speakers, no stage – just real conversations that actually matter.
Picture this: students finally meeting their Discord frens IRL, linking up with protocol teams and VCs who actually want to vibe and share ideas, not just pitch their latest thing.
Think about it – our community spends months building bonds in Telegram chats and Discord servers. College Fest is where those digital friendships become real. We've seen how the right connections can change everything, so we've created this perfect space where students can explore ideas with industry pros who genuinely want to help, not just network.
And the College Fest lore? It's kinda wild. Our first event was done with help from the CryptoPunks crew, then we were screening Vitalik's documentary in Singapore, and now? We're about to take over prime real estate at ETHDenver. Talk about a glow-up :)
This third edition is about to be our biggest yet. We’ll see you there.
Big!!