Crypto journalist Laura Shin dropped a fresh edition of her Unchained Daily newsletter, highlighting some key developments in the blockchain world. Her tweet, which went live on September 29, 2025, sums up the big stories, including potential changes to Solana's network that could have huge implications for meme token traders. Let's break it down, starting with that eye-catching cartoon she shared.

The illustration pokes fun at a proposal from Jump Crypto, showing a enthusiastic Jump rep pitching bigger blocks to a skeptical Solana figure. It's a clever nod to the ongoing debate about scaling Solana's performance.

Solana's Push for Unlimited Blocks Post-Alpenglow

One of the headline items is Solana potentially ditching its block size cap after the Alpenglow upgrade. For those new to this, Solana is a high-speed blockchain that's become a hotspot for meme tokens like dogwifhat or Bonk due to its low fees and fast transactions. But it has limits—currently, each block is capped at 60 million compute units to keep things stable.

Jump Crypto's Firedancer team proposed SIMD-0370, which would remove this cap once Alpenglow rolls out. Alpenglow itself is a major upgrade set for testnet in December 2025, slashing transaction finality times from about 12.8 seconds to just 150 milliseconds—faster than a Google search! This is thanks to a new consensus mechanism that cuts down on unnecessary network chatter.

Without the cap, block sizes could grow based on what validators' hardware can handle. Stronger nodes pack in more transactions, boosting overall throughput. Weaker ones might skip some votes, but the idea is to create a "performance flywheel" where better hardware gets rewarded more. According to Decrypt, this could tilt rewards toward big operators, but it might also supercharge the network for high-volume activities like meme token launches and trading.

For meme enthusiasts, this is exciting. Solana's already handling thousands of transactions per second, but removing caps could mean even wilder pumps during hype cycles without as much congestion. Imagine launching the next viral cat token without waiting in line— that's the dream.

Hyperliquid's NFT Drop and Spot Market Moves

Next up, Hyperliquid is making waves with a fresh NFT drop and opening up spot quotes. Hyperliquid is a decentralized perpetuals exchange built on its own blockchain, known for lightning-fast trades. They just airdropped 4,600 Hypurr NFTs to early adopters on their HyperEVM chain. These cat-themed collectibles exploded in popularity, with floor prices hitting nearly $69,000 and trading volume topping $45 million, as reported by The Block.

The "opens up spot quotes" part likely refers to expanding their spot market features, allowing users to get real-time quotes for non-perpetual trades. This could attract more liquidity and make Hyperliquid a one-stop shop for DeFi traders. While not purely meme-focused, NFTs like Hypurr have that viral, community-driven vibe that overlaps with meme token culture. If you're into flipping digital assets, this drop shows how projects are rewarding loyal users in creative ways.

Aster's Fee Domination: Outpacing Circle and Uniswap

Aster, a multi-chain decentralized perpetuals exchange, is raking in fees like never before. In just 24 hours, it pulled in $14.33 million, landing second only to Tether's $22.18 million. That's more than Circle ($7.7 million) and Uniswap ($4.19 million), per data from Coinpedia.

What makes Aster stand out? Low fees (0.01% for makers, 0.035% for takers), a private order book to prevent front-running, and support for cross-chain trading. This surge points to booming perpetuals volume, possibly driven by whale activity and hype around potential celebrity endorsements like Mr. Beast. For meme token traders, perpetuals are a way to bet on price swings without holding the asset—think leveraged plays on your favorite dog coin. Aster's rise shows DeFi is evolving, potentially pulling more meme liquidity into sophisticated trading tools.

Regulatory Watch: SEC and FINRA Scrutinize Crypto Announcements

Finally, the SEC and FINRA are eyeing over 200 firms for suspicious trading around crypto treasury announcements. These are companies adding Bitcoin or other assets to their balance sheets, inspired by MicroStrategy's success. Regulators spotted stock price spikes and high volumes before public reveals, hinting at insider trading or selective disclosures violating Reg FD rules.

As noted in the Wall Street Journal (via CCN), firms raised over $100 billion for crypto buys this year, but some saw 10x stock jumps post-announcement. This probe underscores the risks of blending traditional finance with crypto—expect tighter compliance if you're running a meme project or investing in related stocks.

Laura's newsletter is a great way to stay on top of these shifts. If you're building in blockchain or just chasing the next meme moonshot, subscribe to Unchained for more insights. At Meme Insider, we're all about decoding how these tech upgrades and market moves impact the wild world of meme tokens—stay tuned for more!