Cartesi, a modular blockchain protocol pioneering application-specific rollups, has just introduced an upgraded version of its Honeypot dApp, elevating standards for rollup security. With a new milestone accomplished, the protocol is likely to be listed on L2Beat among Stage 2 rollups.
Cartesi L2 activates crucial update for security
According to the official statement by the project, Cartesi, a new-generation rollup network on EVM, has shipped a massive upgrade to its Honeypot dApp. Largely, it contributes to the security of Cartesi’s smart contracts and its overall tech architecture.
Meet the Cartesi PRT Honeypot 🍯🐝🐧
Our first rollup application equipped with the PRT fraud-proof system, putting the appchain stack to the test.
It’s a key milestone toward decentralization and trustless security, in line with @l2beat’s standards.
➝ https://t.co/DwLrcll4vt https://t.co/tSo88Suea1 pic.twitter.com/RwzOjUdpqa
— Cartesi (@cartesiproject) June 19, 2025
Now equipped with Cartesi’s Permissionless Refereed Tournaments (PRT) fraud-proof system, Honeypot reflects the project’s commitment to security, transparency and open development.
First launched on the Ethereum mainnet two years ago, Honeypot — described as a “hacking challenge based on the concept of honeypots” — transforms rollup security testing via a community-incentivized audit and gamified hacker battlefield.
This latest version has been bolstered by PRT, a fraud-proof system that ensures resistance to Sybil attacks without reliance on permissioned validators or heavy hardware.
Erick de Moura, Founder at Cartesi, explains the motivation behind the implementation of the new upgrade and its meaning for Ethereum’s L2s ecosystem security design:
We don’t expect trust to be given — it should be earned. Honeypots allow projects to commit their own funds to validate the integrity of their fault proofs before asking others to rely on them. It’s a gradual, transparent path toward trustless security that reflects the values this ecosystem was built on.
With Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin recently emphasizing the need for all layer 2s to adopt fraud-proof mechanisms, Cartesi’s new Honeypot upgrade represents a necessary and important accomplishment.
Cartesi poised to be included in Stage 2 category on L2Beat
A leading open-source analytics platform for layer-2 solutions, L2BEAT evaluates projects based on proof systems that verify rollup data for secure Ethereum settlement.
Considered a major industry benchmark for rollup decentralization and security, it is currently recategorizing L2 projects based on their progress toward fully operational fraud-proof systems.
With its fully permissionless fraud-proof system that does not rely on a gated multisig for any interventions, Honeypot is likely to be directly recategorized as Stage 2, the final stage where rollups become fully managed by smart contracts.
Looking ahead, the team is developing the next-generation “Dave” fraud-proof system to further strengthen security.
