It will be very interesting to see how the Raiden network enfolds and how much efficiency it adds to the Ethereum network. Exciting times for sure!
The other good news from the developers of ethereum is Casper FFG testnet is coming. Theyve got a three-node network working with two validators. Still a few bugs to work out. Whitepapers are cool and all but seeing this come to life is amazing. Casper Friendly Finality Gadget (FFG) is a hybrid Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of Work (PoW) implementation developed by Vitalik Buterin, ethereums inventor, and others.
This implementation is apparently sufficiently advanced to the extent it could even be incorporated in the next ethereum upgrade, Constantinople Metropolis.