We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Hex Trust, where Swyke has been onboarded as a staking operator. Starting with Solana (SOL), Hex clients can now stake directly with Swyke from their user interface and benefit from our robust, ISO-27001 certified institutional-grade staking infrastructure.

Hex Trust is one of the industry’s most recognized custodians offering regulated custody, staking and trading, providing their clients with peace of mind and a complete suite of product to serve their institutional needs.

We are incredibly excited about this partnership and look forward to welcoming new institutional clients and strengthening this relationship in the years to come.

About Hex Trust

Hex Trust is a leading, fully regulated digital asset company offering institutional-grade services in custody, staking, and markets. They support a broad range of blockchains and assets, including Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Polkadot. Hex Trust is licensed and registered in key jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE, Italy, and France. Their platform is built for enterprise users, offering high security, regulatory compliance (KYC, AML), interoperability, and dedicated support.

About Swyke

Swyke is a leading staking provider for institutions and builders, delivering infrastructure that meets rigorous standards in security, reliability, and scale. The company holds an ISO 27001 certification and manages more than $250 million in assets under stake (AUS). They support a broad range of blockchains, offer enterprise-grade staking solutions, and are built to serve institutional clients with high demands for compliance, transparency, and performance.

The Somnia mainnet is officially live. At Swyke, we are honored to have played a pivotal role during its testnet phase and now to be part of the genesis set of validators powering what promises to become the fastest and most cost-efficient EVM Layer-1 in existence.

The foundation Somnia lays today is not another addition to the Layer-1 landscape. It is infrastructure designed to scale the next generation of decentralized applications. Whether it is DeFi, AI protocols, or high-performance gaming platforms, Somnia provides an environment optimized for throughput, cost efficiency, and reliability.

Somnia’s architecture introduces cornerstone innovations that collectively redefine performance boundaries for EVM-based systems:

• MultiStream Consensus: Enabling each validator to publish on its own chain while a separate consensus layer finalizes them. This approach ensures sustained high throughput as the network activity scales.
• Accelerated Sequential Execution: Compiling EVM bytecode to native code for single-core execution, eliminating the bottlenecks and unpredictability inherent in parallelization strategies.
• IceDB: Delivering deterministic performance with nanosecond read times and rapid snapshot commits, removing the latency typically associated with Merkle-based systems.
• Advanced Compression & BLS Aggregation: Leveraging cutting-edge compression and signature aggregation to minimize bandwidth overhead, approaching physical network limits without compromising decentralization.

These are production-ready innovations designed to extend the capabilities of today’s EVMs.

A Testnet Like No Other

For over six months, we actively participated in Somnia’s testnet, witnessing performance metrics that exceeded every prior benchmark in our operational history since 2021.

• 2 billion transactions processed during the testnet
• A single-day EVM record of over 80 million transactions

Looking Ahead

Somnia is a strong addition to the growing EVM ecosystem, designed to deliver high scalability and cost efficiency while maintaining decentralization. At Swyke, we are pleased to support the Somnia mainnet from day one, alongside partners such as DAIC x Coinage, Google Cloud, and other leading infrastructure providers. We look forward to contributing to the continued growth and evolution of this network.

[Re-upload from July 18, 2025] — The original version can be found here.

The cross-chain and multichain landscape has expanded rapidly since mid-2021, when general-purpose Layer 1 blockchains like Solana, Cardano, Avalanche, and BNB Chain began meaningfully challenging Ethereum’s dominance. Just five years ago, DeFi was almost entirely confined to Ethereum. Today, billions in total value are locked across a diverse set of ecosystems, each powered by its own consensus mechanism.

As this multichain reality emerged, bridging technologies evolved in response. Early solutions were centralized and fragile, relying on multi-signature schemes controlled by a small group of signers. In contrast, more advanced solutions like IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) introduced decentralized architectures using relayers and light clients to enable trust-minimized interoperability.

We are now entering the next era of the cross-chain economy, powered by Parallel MPC (Multi-Party Computation) Networks. In this model, native assets no longer need to leave their origin chains to interact with other ecosystems. Rather than bridging tokens, developers and users can interact with them directly via secure, distributed cryptographic protocols.

Crucially, this shift aligns with how users behave: they don’t care what chain they’re on — they care about smooth UX and reliable functionality. Developers, too, no longer need to commit to a single blockchain. With MPC networks, they can build applications tailored to their needs while programmatically accessing wallets across multiple chains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more.

This is where Ika comes in. Built on Sui, Ika is one of the first and most advanced MPC networks, designed to lead this transformation. By enabling programmable, transferable dWallets, secured via the 2PC-MPC protocol and a Zero Trust cryptographic framework, Ika turns Sui into a meta-chain — a unifying layer for the multichain future.

This new architecture doesn’t just benefit Sui — it unlocks new design space, simplifies development, and enables real cross-chain utility for both users and builders.

Ika’s Architecture: A Parallel MPC Network

Let’s clear up a common misconception: Ika is not a blockchain, not a typical bridge, and not a Layer 2. Instead, it is a cryptographic MPC protocol built on top of Sui. It empowers developers to create Sui smart contracts that can natively control and interact with assets on other blockchains — such as Bitcoin, Solana, and Ethereum — without those assets ever leaving their origin chain.

This enables a new design paradigm. For example, a developer can build a vault on Sui that holds native BTC, ETH, and SOL — all while those assets remain on their original chains. This is made possible through Ika’s three core components:

• 2PC-MPC Protocol: A Two-Party Computation protocol that splits a private key into two cryptographic shares: one held by the user (or smart contract logic), and the other by the Ika network. This ensures shared control and eliminates any single point of failure. It is the backbone of dWallets.
• dWallets Decentralized signing primitives that enable Sui smart contracts to sign transactions on other blockchains. Think of dWallets as programmable, non-custodial wallets (controlled by code, not people) powered by the 2PC-MPC protocol.
• Zero Trust Cryptographic Framework Built for maximum security. It ensures no single party (not the user, not the network) can unilaterally control or misuse a dWallet. It enforces shared control and uses threshold cryptography to guard against misuse, even in compromised or adversarial environments.

In summary, the 2PC-MPC protocol splits the private key into cryptographic shares. dWallets use those shares to sign transactions across chains, triggered by Sui smart contracts. The Zero Trust Framework ensures that no entity can misuse a dWallet, enforcing strong security guarantees.

Operators, Staking, Security & MPC Coordination

Since Ika is not a blockchain, a typical question is: What is staking IKA for? Staking IKA plays a critical role in securing the protocol and enabling dWallet operations. A set of MPC Nodes collaborate to:

• Hold encrypted key shares
• Precompute presignatures
• Participate in signing sessions

These nodes stake IKA as a security deposit. If they act maliciously (e.g., by signing unauthorized transactions), their stake is slashed. This creates strong economic incentives for honest behavior.

Staking also functions as Sybil resistance: only those who stake IKA (or receive delegated stake) can operate MPC nodes. This prevents attackers from flooding the network with fake identities. Regular users can delegate their IKA to node operators, similar to Cosmos-style DPoS, and earn rewards.

Besides, the Ika network is asynchronous, meaning nodes and users don’t need to operate simultaneously. There’s no global clock or timing assumptions. Like a group chat, participants can respond when available, and the protocol still executes correctly.

This is reinforced by Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) — Ika doesn’t reach consensus over blocks, but rather over signing intent. Even if some nodes act maliciously or go offline, the network can still execute transactions securely.

Unlike traditional MPC wallets like Fireblocks or ZenGo (which are centralized and limited in programmability), Ika supports:

• Sub-second latency
• Thousands of concurrent signing sessions
• On-chain programmability via Sui

This makes Ika ideal for high-throughput, cross-chain DeFi applications and dApps that require programmable, secure, multi-chain wallet access.

Why It Matters for Sui

Ika’s deployment on Sui represents a turning point. By enabling Sui smart contracts to control and interact with assets on their native chains, Ika transforms Sui into a meta-chain, a programmable hub for the entire multichain economy.

Developers and users no longer need to deal with bridges or fragmented wallets. They can build or use products directly on Sui that can natively interact with assets on dozens (eventually hundreds) of other blockchains.

This unlocks:

• Real cross-chain liquidity
• Sustainable fee generation
• A simplified developer experience
• New DeFi and financial primitives

Ika also makes Sui appealing for Web2 developers looking to build real-world finance apps with native access to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and more.

Projects already building with Ika include:

• Native — Bitcoin-native yield products
• LegacyLink — Crypto inheritance & estate planning
• FullSailFi — Sui-native decentralized exchange
• Rhei Finance — Bitcoin interoperability in DeFi
• AEON HQ — Decentralized institutional custody

And many more to come.

Conclusion & Outlook: A New Paradigm for Cross-Chain UX

The cross-chain world has long been fragmented, siloed, insecure, and developer-unfriendly. Ika fundamentally changes that.

By introducing a powerful and secure Parallel MPC Network architecture, centered around the 2PC-MPC protocol, dWallets, and a Zero Trust cryptographic framework, Ika redefines what’s possible in multichain development. Instead of moving assets between chains, Ika enables seamless and programmable interaction with native assets where they are. This is not only a technical leap forward but also a pragmatic one: it aligns infrastructure with user expectations for smooth, chain-agnostic experiences.

By anchoring itself to Sui, Ika doesn’t just enhance one ecosystem: it transforms it into a meta-chain capable of tapping into the liquidity and utility of the entire blockchain landscape. Builders can now create dApps that are natively cross-chain, with wallet-level programmability, enterprise-grade security, and lightning-fast execution.

Looking forward, Ika will empower new financial primitives, reshape custody, and enable completely new user experiences in both consumer and institutional-grade Web3 products. As more developers and protocols build on top of this new trust-minimized, programmable infrastructure, Ika has the potential to become a foundational layer for a truly interoperable internet of value.

The original publication can be found here.

The modular economy is growing, but standalone chains are increasingly becoming unprofitable. The original Cosmos vision — hundreds of standalone blockchains, each with their own digital currency — is slowly dying. Blockchains launch and pay validators for the service of validating the chain. Inflation is a double-edged sword. In bull markets, when prices rise across the board, even highly inflationary tokens can appreciate significantly. Take $OSMO in 2021/22, which surged from $4 to $10 despite inflation rates exceeding 100%. Validators thrived during this period, benefiting from both rising token prices and generous reward issuance. In bear markets, however, high inflation often accelerates token devaluation — $OSMO, for instance, now trades around $0.24. Conversely, if inflation is too low, validators must rely primarily on user-generated network fees, which are difficult to sustain without substantial, consistent activity and traction on the chain. Striking a balance is key: inflation should be high enough to bootstrap growth and secure the network, but gradually give way to a model driven by native fee generation.

That said, many validators are not in it for the long haul. When rewards shrink, typically due to inflation dragging token prices down, they shut down operations. This is a common part of the blockchain lifecycle, and understandably so, given the real business costs validators face in infrastructure and engineering. It becomes clear that most chains do not have enough usage, generating network fees, to pay for their own infrastructure, security, and therefore, data availability (DA) and consensus.

The Modular Opportunity and the Monetization Challenge
Celestia introduces a breakthrough model in blockchain architecture: modular blockchains, where execution, consensus, and data availability are decoupled. Celestia’s core value proposition is providing decentralized data availability (DA) for rollups and sovereign chains. This “blockspace-as-a-service” (BAAS) unlocks scalable, flexible infrastructure for next-generation decentralized applications.

The comprehensive difference between monolithic and modular blockchains.

But vision alone isn’t enough to build sustainable ecosystems. To make this work — and to create real economic gravity — TIA must become modular money: the reserve currency of the modular economy. But without active demand for blob space — and thus for TIA — Celestia’s model cannot scale economically. DA infrastructure generates revenue through usage, not hype. In modular ecosystems, that usage is blobs.

Blobs on Celestia are large chunks of data that protocols can publish to the blockchain without executing any smart contract logic. They enable modular blockchains to post transaction data securely and cheaply, relying on Celestia for data availability rather than computation. So, blobspace is the core resource on Celestia. Protocols pay to publish data (“blobs”) without needing to run their own validator set. Instead of securing their data through native inflation, they pay a fee for decentralized data availability from Celestia.

This model shifts the economic burden from token inflation to actual usage, making blobspace the foundation of sustainable modular blockchain ecosystems and the key driver of demand for TIA. Therefore, the future of TIA directly depends on the number of projects paying for blobspace. Our thesis is simple but strong:

Increase Demand for Blobspace to make TIA Money and the Reserve Currency of the Modular Ecosystem.

The idea is to achieve that by aggressively driving real demand for blobspace, aligning developer growth with tokenomics, and positioning Celestia as the backbone of a multi-chain future. Modular blockchains separate consensus, DA, and execution, but they need a monetary glue — this is where TIA must step in.

Make TIA Money

TIA must become the monetary glue of the modular ecosystem! In the same way that commodities like oil are priced and settled in U.S. dollars — creating structural demand for USD as the global medium of exchange — blobspace, the essential bandwidth for rollups in a modular blockchain architecture, must be denominated in TIA for Celestia to achieve long-term success. Just as the dollar’s role in global trade reinforces its reserve status, denominating blobspace in TIA creates a foundational economic layer for the modular ecosystem.

As rollups increasingly require blobspace to scale securely and cost-effectively, demand for TIA rises, not only as a means of payment but also for staking, governance, and network alignment. This establishes a reinforcing economic loop: more rollups drive more blobspace usage, which increases TIA demand, thereby strengthening validator incentives and securing the network.

For Celestia to become the economic base layer of a scalable and efficient modular stack, it must not only supply blobspace as a vital resource but also ensure that its value is consistently and credibly expressed in TIA.

The Mechanics of Making TIA Money
Again, Celestia’s long-term success depends not only on the technical value of its modular architecture but also on the establishment of a robust, self-reinforcing economic system centered around TIA.

As blobspace becomes the critical commodity of the modular blockchain stack, analogous to oil in the physical economy, TIA must be the unit in which this resource is denominated and settled. This ensures that increased network usage directly translates into economic demand for the native token, aligning incentives across validators, users, and rollup developers.

Under its current design, increasing demand for blobspace is the only viable path to making TIA a true currency.

Why Denominate Blobspace in TIA, Not Stablecoins?
While Celestia’s model hinges on rollups paying for blobspace in TIA, many may ask: why not denominate fees in stablecoins like USDC or USDT, which are less volatile and widely held across the crypto ecosystem?

The answer lies in aligning economic incentives, securing the network, and establishing TIA as the foundation of a modular economy. When blobspace is priced in TIA, every increase in network activity directly increases demand for the native token, strengthening validator incentives, improving staking yields, and reinforcing the security budget.

If fees were instead denominated in stablecoins, this value capture would bypass the native token entirely, weakening the connection between usage and security.

Furthermore, denominating blobspace in TIA anchors economic activity within the Celestia ecosystem. Validators are paid in TIA, a developer’s bond, or escrow, and governance is denominated in TIA. Introducing stablecoins as the medium of payment would fragment this alignment. Worse, it could create arbitrage loops where users speculate on TIA fluctuations rather than engage in productive network usage.

ETH has succeeded as a monetary asset in part because gas is paid in ETH, not DAI or USDC. This enforced usage creates persistent structural demand. For Celestia to follow a similar path, TIA must become the default unit of account and settlement across the ecosystem, especially for blobspace.

Stablecoins may still serve a purpose within the broader modular stack — for treasury management, protocol stability, or bridging external value — but when it comes to purchasing blobspace, TIA must remain the standard. This is not just a design choice; it’s a strategic necessity for making TIA modular money.

Blobspace Payments: The Core Monetization Engine
Rollups consume blobspace when posting data to Celestia. These payments are denominated in TIA, establishing a link between network usage and token demand. As blob count increases, more TIA is bought and spent, driving value accrual for both validators and token holders. Conversely, a decline in blob count leads to an immediate contraction in TIA demand. As a result, blob volume effectively represents Celestia’s revenue stream.

Bonding and Pre-Funding
Rollups may pre-fund wallets with TIA to cover expected blob payments, often locking substantial capital for extended periods. In some implementations, TIA bonding or escrow is required to guarantee blob throughput, effectively removing these tokens from circulation and reinforcing price stability.

Staking and Network Security
Celestia operates under a Proof-of-Stake consensus model, where validators must stake TIA to participate. As usage grows and blob-related fees increase, more value flows to validators, encouraging further staking and reducing token velocity while enhancing both network security and token stability.

Understanding Demand Drivers for Blobspace
Blobspace is Celestia’s core commodity, but what actually drives demand for it? To fully grasp how TIA accrues value, we need to understand why rollups consume blobspace in the first place and which segments of the ecosystem are likely to scale that consumption meaningfully.

The primary driver of blobspace demand is rollup data publication. Every time a rollup posts transaction data or state updates to Celestia for availability, it consumes blobspace. The more frequently and densely a rollup produces blocks, the more blobspace it requires. This demand scales with user adoption, app complexity, and transaction throughput.

Not all rollups are created equal, however. Some classes are inherently more blob-intensive:

• DeFi rollups executing high volumes of swaps, liquidations, and arbitrage rely heavily on data posting.
• Gaming rollups, especially those storing in-game state or high-frequency player interactions, generate continuous data availability needs.

ZK-rollups tend to compress execution but still require consistent, reliable blobspace for final proofs and verification.

Social and content rollups (e.g., Farcaster-style protocols) generate massive amounts of user-generated data — an untapped frontier for DA demand.

Incentive alignment also plays a role. Developers choosing Celestia as a DA layer gain low-cost, censorship-resistant data availability with no execution overhead. As more rollups seek scalability without compromising decentralization, Celestia becomes the default choice — especially for sovereign chains and non-EVM appchains that don’t fit neatly into Ethereum’s L2 paradigm.

Finally, the user experience layer matters. A modular stack with frictionless dev tooling, fast settlement, and low blob pricing unlocks experimentation. Builders are more likely to ship new rollups when DA costs are predictable and affordable.

This fuels an innovation loop: more rollups → more blobspace usage → higher TIA demand.

Understanding and growing these demand vectors is the single most important task for Celestia’s long-term economic viability. Blobspace is not just a technical primitive — it is the economic engine that makes TIA matter.

Further Approaches to Strengthen TIA’s Role in the Modular Ecosystem

Identifying TIA’s optimal velocity is key to establishing it as the reserve currency of the modular ecosystem. Token velocity reflects how frequently a currency changes hands. If velocity is too high, it may suggest strong liquidity and usage, but it also signals that the asset is not being held, undermining its role as a store of value. A token that’s passed around like a hot potato may be useful, but not trusted. Conversely, if velocity is too low, it implies insufficient economic activity — a token that isn’t used lacks relevance, especially in a utility-driven network like Celestia.

The key is balance. For Celestia, which uses the TIA token to pay for data availability (blobspace) but also requires it for staking and governance, an intermediate velocity is optimal. As an ecosystem, we want TIA to be used actively to pay for core services (which increases velocity), while also being held for long-term value via staking and governance (which reduces velocity). This dynamic is not unlike the USD: trusted globally as a medium of exchange and reserve asset, while also being attractive to hold via instruments like bonds.

Now that we understand TIA’s velocity sweet spot, we must examine the various push and pull factors that affect it, from fee design and staking incentives to speculation and liquidity depth. Only by carefully managing these forces can TIA evolve into a true reserve currency of the modular blockchain stack, supporting a sustainable and resilient ecosystem in the long term.

1. Creating High Token Velocity (Push Factor)

High token velocity for TIA can be driven by ensuring it is actively used across the modular ecosystem, particularly by projects paying for blobspace in TIA. If TIA is limited to just staking, governance, or speculation, it will struggle to justify its relevance in a competitive crypto landscape dominated by established assets like BTC, ETH, and SOL.

The key to creating real demand is incentivizing developers to build on the Celestia stack, thereby increasing usage of blobspace and driving organic demand for TIA. (More on this in the “Strengthening Infrastructure” and “Community & Growth” sections.)

In parallel, it’s critical to push for network-wide adoption of TIA as the native fee and settlement token. This means encouraging native Celestia rollups to denominate user interactions in TIA. This expands utility and boosts transaction volume — both critical drivers of higher token velocity.

In addition, Celestia needs its own liquidity layer — ideally, a native AMM, deployed as an appchain-style rollup. This would:

• Aggregate TVL around TIA
• Enable developers to swap assets into TIA to pay for blobspace
• Allow protocols to convert revenues into stablecoins or other assets
• Strengthen the token’s role as the primary medium of exchange within the ecosystem

The strategic relevance of such an AMM and its role in bootstrapping economic activity around TIA will be explored further under “Strengthen Infrastructure.”

2. Creating Low Token Velocity (Pull Factor)

Now that we’ve explored the push factors that increase TIA’s token velocity, let’s turn to the pull factors that help reduce it, which are just as critical to anchoring long-term value. The most common and effective mechanisms are staking and liquidity provision:

• When users stake TIA, they lock up tokens in exchange for staking rewards and governance rights, signaling long-term commitment.
• When providing liquidity, TIA is deployed into pools, often with bonding periods, further limiting short-term circulation.

Both mechanisms reduce free-floating supply and reinforce trust in the network’s long-term prospects.

To deepen capital alignment and promote sustainable growth, we propose a mechanism where new rollups launching on Celestia are required to deposit a fixed amount of TIA (X) into a time-locked escrow contract. These escrowed tokens could be staked by the projects themselves, allowing them to earn rewards used to fund protocol development. To benefit the broader ecosystem, a proposed 8% protocol-level tax on these staking rewards would be redirected into a public goods funding pool, governed by the community or a designated DAO committee.

This design achieves several goals:

• It reduces TIA velocity by locking tokens in escrow
• It maintains capital efficiency by enabling yield generation
• It rewards alignment by tying project success to the underlying ecosystem

While allowing staking of escrowed tokens introduces a modest counterbalance to the reduction in velocity, the overall structure still fosters long-term holding, ecosystem sustainability, and governance participation — all essential traits for TIA to emerge as the modular ecosystem’s reserve asset.

3. Strengthen Infrastructure

A proposed 8% protocol-level tax on staking rewards could serve as a powerful engine to fund critical infrastructure across the Celestia ecosystem. The logic is simple: better infrastructure attracts more builders, and more builders increase demand for Celestia’s data availability (DA) layer, feeding a self-reinforcing growth loop.

This creates a positive flywheel effect:

More protocols launch on Celestia →

More staking rewards and protocol tax revenues are generated →

More funds become available for ecosystem infrastructure →

Stronger infrastructure attracts even more rollup teams →

The cycle strengthens

In addition to the proposed AMM rollup (which brings liquidity and TVL into the ecosystem), another high-impact project could be a rollup launchpad: a dedicated rollup that helps new teams deploy native Celestia rollups easily and secure early funding.

Such a launchpad would lower technical barriers and also serve as an interactive hub for the community, enabling users to discover, support, and invest in emerging projects within the Celestia ecosystem.

Beyond flagship projects like the AMM and the launchpad, protocol tax revenues could also fund:

Developer toolkits and SDKs

Interoperability bridges

Security modules

Other foundational primitives

In short, by using a portion of staking rewards to fund public goods and strategic infrastructure, Celestia can create a sustainable, compounding ecosystem where each layer of growth reinforces the next, all anchored in long-term alignment around TIA.

4. Designing the Modular Flywheel: TIA as the Engine

If Celestia is to realize its ambition of making TIA the reserve currency of the modular blockchain ecosystem, it must master a delicate but achievable balancing act.

• It must optimize token velocity, ensuring TIA is used actively enough to remain relevant, yet held confidently enough to be trusted.
• It must foster organic demand by embedding TIA into the very architecture of rollups — from blobspace fees to platform-native pricing.
• It must incentivize long-term commitment through mechanisms like staking, liquidity provision, and project-aligned escrow models.
• It must build strategic infrastructure — not just with rollup tooling and liquidity layers, but with compounding funding loops that drive continuous ecosystem growth.
• And most critically, it must build a culture — a narrative that inspires belief, a shared identity that people want to belong to, and a symbolic movement that transforms a utility token into a totemic asset.

This goes beyond tokenomics. It’s about executing a comprehensive economic, technical, and cultural strategy — one that positions TIA not merely as a means of exchange, but as the monetary foundation of a new modular world.

Here’s how the Celestia flywheel operates:

Developer Adoption Increases → More rollups launch on Celestia to leverage cheap, scalable blobspace

Blobspace Consumption Rises → These rollups post more data to Celestia, consuming blobspace and driving up fee volume

TIA Demand Grows → Because blobspace is priced in TIA, more tokens are bought, locked, and used

Validator & Staker Incentives Strengthen → Higher usage leads to increased staking rewards and validator profitability

Network Security and Token Stickiness Improve → More TIA is staked and bonded, reducing supply velocity and improving token trust

Infrastructure and Public Goods Receive Funding → Protocol-level taxes (e.g., 8% on staking rewards) feed back into developer tooling, launchpads, and liquidity layers

Ecosystem Quality Improves → Better infrastructure attracts more developers, restarts the cycle, and compounds momentum

This is the modular flywheel in action: a multi-directional loop where usage and incentives feed each other. Crucially, this system only works if all core activities — blob payments, staking, bonding, governance — are denominated in TIA. If value leaks into stablecoins or external chains, the flywheel loses energy.

The best analogy is Ethereum’s post-merge dynamic: fees are paid in ETH, ETH is burned, ETH is staked, and ETH governs the network. Celestia has the opportunity to replicate and expand on this model within a modular architecture, where data availability becomes the new gas layer, and TIA becomes the indispensable fuel.

To operationalize this flywheel, Celestia must align protocol design (blob pricing, bonding incentives), infrastructure funding (tax flows, grants), and cultural narrative (shared belief in modular money). The goal is not just to power a DA layer — it’s to create a monetary engine for the modular internet.

5. Community & Growth

Now that we’ve identified TIA’s ideal velocity range, explored push/pull mechanics, and proposed tangible infrastructure initiatives, we must turn to what is arguably the most important ingredient for long-term success: culture and belief.

This isn’t just about tokenomics — it’s about sparking a movement.

Like it or not, every successful cryptocurrency has a cult-like community behind it. The most prominent example is Bitcoin, with mythical founders like Satoshi Nakamoto, evangelists like Michael Saylor, and a deeply rooted belief in sound money and digital sovereignty. Memes of nations adopting Bitcoin or central banks stacking sats are more than jokes — they’re cultural artifacts of conviction.

Ethereum built its own cultural identity around Vitalik Buterin, an open financial system, and the rise of DeFi and NFTs. Even Solana — the underdog turned contender — has rallied its tribe around memecoins, fast UX, and its founder, Anatoly, while turning Ethereum into the villain in its storyline. A successful cult is built around a unifying mission — something greater than the individual — anchored by a leader, clear social hierarchies and status markers (e.g., Monad Discord roles), and a shared enemy.

Strong communities rely on a cult and don’t just support a protocol — they worship a coin:

• Bitcoin has BTC
• Ethereum has ETH
• Solana has SOL

The coin becomes the totem of belief — the symbolic embodiment of the ecosystem’s vision. In crypto, cultivating a strong, almost cult-like community is especially important, as technologies like Celestia often require years of development before reaching mass adoption. During these long build cycles — when progress is happening behind the scenes but little appears to change on the surface — the community needs to stay engaged, united, and inspired. This cultural energy fills the gap between milestones, sustaining belief and momentum when there’s little visible progress. A compelling narrative, rituals, memes, and shared identity aren’t just nice to have — they’re essential fuel for the quiet phases of innovation.

Even outside crypto, this cultural gravity is real. The USD dominates not just because of economics, but because it represents stability, power, and trust. The Euro, gold, and other currencies have similar narratives attached to them. Belief precedes adoption.

Celestia must embrace this truth. If TIA is to become the reserve currency of the modular blockchain era, it needs:

• A strong narrative that people can rally behind
• A cultural identity that feels unique and sticky
• And yes, a charismatic leader or symbol to crystallize the story

We’re already seeing early success: Mammoths and sloths have sparked community imagination. These shouldn’t be side projects — they are the beginnings of a mythology.

Mammoths have become a critical part of Celestia’s culture.

Now is the time to build on that energy. Give the community a mission, a meme, and a mythos. Transform TIA from just a token into a movement.

If Celestia is to realize its ambition of making TIA the reserve currency of the modular blockchain ecosystem, it must master a delicate but achievable balancing act.

• It must optimize token velocity, ensuring TIA is used actively enough to remain relevant, yet held confidently enough to be trusted.
• It must foster organic demand by embedding TIA into the very architecture of rollups — from blobspace fees to platform-native pricing.
• It must incentivize long-term commitment through mechanisms like staking, liquidity provision, and project-aligned escrow models.
• It must build strategic infrastructure — not just with rollup tooling and liquidity layers, but with compounding funding loops that drive continuous ecosystem growth.
• And most critically, it must build a culture — a narrative that inspires belief, a shared identity that people want to belong to, and a symbolic movement that transforms a utility token into a totemic asset.

This goes beyond tokenomics. It’s about executing a comprehensive economic, technical, and cultural strategy — one that positions TIA not merely as a means of exchange, but as the monetary foundation of a new modular world.

Competition: Who Else Wants Modular Mindshare?

Celestia must also understand the competitive landscape to establish TIA as the modular ecosystem’s reserve currency. At first sight, here are the competitors fighting to become the leading modular ecosystem leaders:

• Ethereum DA (via Danksharding): Promises cheap blobspace with EIP-4844.
• Babylon
• EigenDA: A decentralized, specialized DA layer competing for rollup adoption.
• Polygon Avail, NEAR DA, and others: Racing to become the DA layer of choice for appchains and L2s.

But Celestia has an edge: it’s native-first, purpose-built, and not encumbered by legacy execution or L1 user activity.

Why Celestia’s Native Modularity Wins

Celestia’s edge is more than architectural — it’s strategic. Unlike Ethereum DA, which must retrofit data availability into an execution-first design, Celestia was purpose-built for modularity. It isn’t weighed down by legacy user state, DeFi liquidity, or political constraints around protocol-layer neutrality. This enables faster iteration, clearer fee markets, and simpler integration paths for rollups. In contrast, solutions like EigenDA and Avail are either tightly coupled to existing execution layers or are still in experimental phases. Celestia, by being credibly neutral and laser-focused on DA from day one, offers an unopinionated substrate for all ecosystems — whether Cosmos SDK chains, Ethereum L2s, or non-EVM sovereign rollups. This neutrality is not just a design preference — it’s a market moat. Furthermore, Celestia is already live, onboarding real rollups, and enabling developers to build today. It isn’t selling vapor — it’s selling bandwidth. As more teams build on Celestia-native infrastructure, switching costs rise and composability increases, further entrenching Celestia as the standard for modular DA. In short, while competitors race to bolt on DA functionality, Celestia is the only network offering a live, scalable, and purpose-built foundation for modular blockchains, with TIA positioned to monetize the entire stack.

The Opportunity: Total Addressable Market

The addressable market for Celestia is, at its core, every blockchain, Layer 2 (L2), or rollup that chooses not to operate its own data availability (DA) layer. As the blockchain ecosystem transitions toward a modular architecture, Celestia emerges as a foundational infrastructure layer, providing specialized DA services that allow chains to scale without bearing the cost, complexity, or decentralization tradeoffs of self-hosted DA. Its Total Addressable Market (TAM) includes every rollup, appchain, L2, and sovereign chain that opts to externalize its blobspace, effectively, any chain-like network or application that decouples execution from data availability. This shift mirrors a broader modularization trend seen in Web2, where cloud services like AWS abstract away operational burdens by offering scalable backend utilities on demand. In this context, Celestia is poised to become the “blobspace cloud provider” of Web3, offering a decentralized and scalable DA layer that underpins a new generation of sovereign and modular blockchains. By 2028, the modular blockchain landscape could comprise hundreds of independent chains, ranging from Ethereum L2s and Cosmos SDK appchains to novel rollup architectures and application-specific sovereign chains. A conservative estimate suggests that 200 to 300 active modular chains may exist by then, with 70–80% expected to rely on external DA solutions like Celestia rather than managing their own DA layers. This fuels growing demand for decentralized, censorship-resistant, and cost-efficient blobspace.

Fee Generation Today
To estimate the revenue potential of this market, we can look at the leading modular chains active today:

• Osmosis and Injective, two prominent Cosmos-based chains, each generated over $11 million in annual protocol revenue (as of 2024–2025).
• Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem has surpassed $9 billion in total value locked (TVL), and the top 10 rollups collectively produce over $15 million annually in chain fees (excluding Base).

These figures highlight the substantial and growing economic activity across these networks — and by extension, the increasing demand for infrastructure layers like Celestia.

Revenue Estimation Q4, 2028
If Celestia captures 60% of the external DA market, and if the average chain spends between $100,000 and $500,000 per year on blobspace, its TAM would range between $30 million and $100 million annually by 2028. These figures depend significantly on bullish scenarios that include:

• Higher on-chain throughput and activity
• Greater DA bandwidth requirements
• Accelerated adoption of rollup-centric architecture.

These projections highlight the need to strengthen TIA’s tokenomics in tandem with growing adoption of the modular ecosystem, which must go hand in hand with driving broader adoption. Both objectives are interdependent and should be pursued in parallel to reinforce Celestia’s long-term value proposition.

Risks and Mitigations
No thesis is complete without addressing what could go wrong. While Celestia is well-positioned to become the default DA layer of the modular blockchain stack, its vision for TIA as modular money comes with meaningful risks — technical, economic, and behavioral.

1. Insufficient Demand for Blobspace
   The most direct risk is that not enough rollups adopt Celestia or generate significant blob usage. Without high blob throughput, TIA remains speculative and struggles to find real demand. Mitigation: Invest heavily in developer enablement (e.g., rollup SDKs, templates, launchpads), subsidize early blobspace usage via grants, and build an ecosystem of anchor tenants (flagship rollups) to kickstart demand.
2. Preference for Stablecoins Over TIA
   Protocols may prefer to pay blob fees in stablecoins for predictability and liquidity. This breaks the value loop for TIA and commoditizes blobspace.
   Mitigation: Enforce native TIA settlement at the protocol layer, subsidize stablecoin → TIA swaps via an in-ecosystem AMM, and structure rewards around TIA usage.
3. TIA Volatility Undermines Utility
   As with any early-stage token, price volatility could make TIA unattractive for long-term usage or financial planning.
   Mitigation: Encourage bonding/escrow mechanisms, increase staking participation to absorb supply, and use treasury resources to provide counter-cyclical liquidity (e.g., insurance pools or fee smoothing).
4. DA Fragmentation and Competitive Erosion
   Rivals like Ethereum (Danksharding), EigenDA, and Avail could pull away developers or offer subsidized alternatives, fragmenting demand.
   Mitigation: Differentiate with neutrality, simplicity, and early integrations. Build deep relationships with modular rollups and appchain teams, and offer the fastest onboarding experience in the industry.
5. Governance and Cultural Drift
   Without strong narrative and community buy-in, TIA risks becoming “just another token” in a crowded market.
   Mitigation: Continue cultivating the TIA mythos — mammoths, modular memes, and mission-driven messaging. Strengthen the cultural layer alongside the technical and economic stack.

Every modular stack will need DA. Every DA system will need monetization. And every monetary system requires belief. Celestia’s opportunity is enormous, but success depends on bridging technical credibility, ecosystem execution, and cultural cohesion. By preparing for these risks now, Celestia can turn headwinds into fuel and build not just a DA layer, but a durable, full-spectrum economy.

The Status Quo

Celestia’s current fee structure reflects a deliberate strategy designed to accelerate growth and ecosystem adoption. By heavily subsidizing transaction costs — currently around $0.00001 per transaction, significantly lower than on networks like Ethereum or Solana — Celestia prioritizes user acquisition and developer onboarding over immediate revenue. This ultra-low fee model mirrors the growth-first playbook used by successful startups: scale first, monetize later.

This approach is already showing strong results. The ecosystem is expanding rapidly, and total value secured (TVS) has grown to over $600 million, signaling increasing trust and usage.

Looking ahead, it’s anticipated that transaction fees will rise once Celestia captures sufficient market share and the network infrastructure matures. A shift toward revenue generation will likely follow continued progress in areas such as rollup deployment, developer engagement, and community growth.

Conclusion

Celestia is more than a technology — it’s an economic protocol with the potential to become the foundational infrastructure of a modular future. But to realize this vision, $TIA must evolve beyond a utility token and become modular money: the reserve currency that anchors economic activity across hundreds of sovereign chains and rollups.

This transformation will not happen through speculation or hype, but through sustained usage, robust infrastructure, aligned incentives, and a strong cultural identity. From incentivizing blobspace consumption and optimizing token velocity, to funding public goods and sparking community belief, every component must work in concert to embed $TIA at the heart of the modular stack.

As data availability becomes a scarce resource of the modular era, and rollups seek scalable, decentralized foundations, Celestia has a singular opportunity to become the AWS of Web3 — and $TIA its native unit of value.

The blueprint is clear, and the opportunity is enormous — now is the time to execute.

Author(s) & Team

Juri Maibaum, Head of Product & Research at Swyke

Juri, formerly co-founder of Frens Validator and Cosmoverse, is the Head of Protocol & Research at Swyke, a leading provider of institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure. He joined Swyke following the acquisition of Frens Validator, a validator company he co-founded in 2022, in early 2025. Juri has been a prominent figure in the Cosmos ecosystem, having co-founded Cosmoverse in 2021 — the largest in-person conference dedicated to the Cosmos network. His passion for the appchain thesis and cross-chain interoperability dates back to early 2021. Notably, he began covering Celestia and modular blockchain concepts on his YouTube channel well before Celestia’s official launch in 2023.

Swyke

Born in Switzerland and backed by industry leaders, Swyke is the go-to Web3 partner for institutions and builders, offering top-tier infrastructure, funding, a research hub, and an in-house engineering lab.

The DeFi Dojo

The DeFi Dojo is a team of DeFi experts and researchers maintaining one of crypto’s most thriving DeFi communities.

Union’s path to mainnet is straightforward: test, refine, and scale. But a hyper-efficient zero-knowledge infrastructure layer designed for general message passing, asset transfers, NFTs, and DeFi is not built in a day. Everything needs to be sharp, secure and working without any issues.
That’s why Union is deploying an unprecedented Testnet model. There’s no “redo” button, no second life, only one chance. Testnet started on the 26th of June 2024 and in a short time, after only a few days, the chain processed over 200K transactions. With the testnet now live, users have the opportunity to engage directly with Union’s technology.

The testnet includes an integrated faucet, allowing users to quickly obtain testnet UNO tokens to interact with the network. Initially, asset transfers between the Union testnet and Ethereum’s Sepolia testnet are supported, and now that we’re nearing Testnet 9, Cosmos, chainlink and Circle have been added.

But you should try it for yoruself. Connecting your wallet to the testnet lets you explore the network firsthand, transferring assets, viewing blockchain data through the explorer, and testing features like the DyDx or Stride Cosmos Faucet to bridge assets.

Participating in the testnet gives you a chance to contribute to the network’s development and robustness. By engaging with Union’s ZK-powered consensus system, you could help ensure the network’s reliability in real-world conditions, identifying and solving issues ahead of the mainnet launch. This is ultimately why Testnets are so important. it’s a gauge that can tell, community sentiment and protocol’s robustness, with every transaction and action taken during the testnet being part of the crucial process to make the platform more resilient and ready for enterprise-scale adoption. Because every action taken during testnet gets Union closer to their goals: to connect every blockchain in the modular multi-chain landscape securely and efficiently, using a ZK-powered consensus. This mission is underscored by Union’s vision of creating a sovereign interoperability layer that is permissionlessly accessible to every Layer-1, appchain, rollup, and beyond. Basically, without using “confusing” words, an omnicomprehensive chain that anyone could build on. Union is laying the groundwork for a decentralized, scalable world of application-specific blockchains and rollups, where the need for centralized entities, multi-sigs, or bridge hacks is a thing of the past.

And as the testnet progresses, Union continues to build a platform that can handle enterprise-grade use cases. How? Through feedback and community participation. That’s how the platform refines its capabilities, ensuring that it can scale seamlessly across blockchain ecosystems. This means that once the mainnet goes live, Union’s network will be ready to support a wide variety of applications, including cross-chain asset transfers and DeFi.

Right now the beta testnet 9 is about to start, bringing increased efficiency and capability, support for intents and state lenses and a Mainnet-grad tech stack.

If you’re lost and wish to know more, just read about the improvements applied, check out this

article.

The data collected during the testnet phase is already being used to improve Union’s mainnet. Key features have been tested, validated, and optimized based on real-world usage. Feedback from developers has led to improvements in transaction throughput, cross-chain communication, and other aspects that we won’t bore you with, to handle higher volumes of data. The great thing about all this? Everything was achieved through, but not only, Validators, with Swyke being a natural fit.

As Union’s mainnet approaches, Swyke will continue to play a key role in maintaining the integrity of the network while providing institutional grade validator performances.

Union’s journey to mainnet is about laying the foundation for a blockchain ecosystem that can address real-world challenges. With each step moving Union closer to its goal: An interconnected blockchain experience for everyone. Let’s now see the latest updates from UNION: ♦️ Union Dashboard is live A custom platform for the community to break the testnet, gain notoriety on mainnet, and stay active on Union socials. Connect your accounts, complete missions, earn XP, and climb the leaderboard. Rewards include Discord roles, achievement cards, and even a whitelist spot for the upcoming Wandering Whale Sharks mint.

Start here: dashboard.union.build.

♦️ Union x @nodekitorg

NodeKit’s Javelin superbuilder meets Union’s Galois prover to accelerate zkIBC. By executing transactions before consensus finalization, Union can reduce ZKP generation time while maintaining full security guarantees. It’s basically a real-time ZK. Integration lands in Q2 2025.

♦️ Union raises $12M in Series A, led by Gumi Cryptos Capital and Longhash Ventures With $16M total raised, Union is scaling trustless, modular interoperability across Web3. Backed by @0xPolygon, @movementlabsxyz, and @Berachain founders, Union is pushing ahead with Ethereum-to-IBC bridging, Bitcoin asset transfers, and sovereign interoperability — zero third parties, just ZK proofs.

♦️Union x @babylonlabs_io

Babylon turns Bitcoin into a security layer for PoS chains — Union moves its assets and LSTs with sub-second transfers, powered by ZK proofs. No trusted third parties, no added complexity, just seamless asset flow. Already live on Testnet 9, with public testing coming soon. For any other update make sure to follow @union_build on X and closely monitor their Blog page, everything’s there!

https://union.build/blog

We can’t wait to see Union finally hit mainnet and be part of the journey together.

Since Blockchain tech has invaded everyday life, our thinking about finance and decentralised systems has shifted.

Bitcoin has just entered a new arc: The era of programmable capital.

Today, billions of dollars in Bitcoin are locked in security protocols.

For institutions and validators, that’s capital on the sidelines when it could be reshaped into something active.

The reality is that much of the capital tied up in Bitcoin could be leveraged in new ways.

Those assets could fund decentralised lending initiatives, provide liquidity for Bitcoin trading pairs, or serve as collateral for large-scale institutional loans.

This is how @ArchNtwrk could change this dynamic.

It focuses on Bitcoin’s ecosystem, introducing programmability, allowing institutions to potentially unlock liquidity without compromising its security.

Pretty cool stuff.

In this article, we’re not going to focus on Arch’s tech.

Instead, we’ll try to delineate “What Could Be.”, but if you wish to know more, read our latest deep dive:

ARCH HAS LIFT OFF

Let’s move on:

The concept of programmable liquidity is simple, and that’s probably why it works. It uses multi-party computation (MPC) to create programmable liquidity, eliminating the need for cross-chain bridges or wrapped tokens.

Institutions retain full control over their assets while deploying them across lending, liquidity provision, or collateralisation opportunities.

So, basically, the tradeoff between earning rewards and maintaining flexibility could be gone.

Take Swyke. We oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in delegated assets, with BTC being a portion of them.

With Arch’s solutions, Bitcoin could transform into a tool — backing loans, creating liquidity pools, or participating in Bitcoin-native DeFi markets like @FluidtokensXBT.

The impact could go further.

Decentralised lending is a prime example.

With Arch’s solutions, we could enable Bitcoin to act as collateral for loans, unlocking liquidity without disrupting existing holdings.

For validators managing large-scale assets, this means the potential to scale operations while keeping every Bitcoin productive.

We’re part of the Lian group, with one of our sister companies being CoWa, the largest European BTC miners.

Just imagine the possibilities of what could be achieved.

It doesn’t stop here, though.

Arch addresses one of Bitcoin’s most significant pain points: interoperability.

By introducing programmability directly at Bitcoin’s base layer, it eliminates the need for bridges or external layers, which often come with security tradeoffs.

We could confidently deploy our assets within Bitcoin’s framework, extending what they could do while mitigating the risk of bridging and wrapping.

And it’s not all about institutions.

Arch could enable DAOs to deploy their Bitcoin for real-world initiatives, whether that’s funding projects, securing decentralised loans, or providing liquidity in multi-chain DeFi markets.

They stay in control of their assets and unlock new possibilities for growth.

In short: Bitcoin could become dynamic.

This is what Arch could be and will be, but what’s happening right now?

@funkybit_fun MemeJam launchpad offers a glimpse into what’s changing. Powered by Arch’s bridgeless execution platform, it enables users to create memecoins with a single click, automate price discovery through algorithmic bonding curves, and provide cross-chain liquidity without relying on bridges. They are bringing Bitcoin up to speed with the web3 we know and love.

Meanwhile, @FluidtokensXBT has streamlined Bitcoin-native lending, addressing long-standing inefficiencies: Previously, Bitcoin’s Script language forced lenders and borrowers into clunky, multi-step processes, limiting scalability and adoption. By integrating Arch, FluidTokens offers a one-click experience that allows users to deploy Bitcoin as collateral in lending pools while maintaining trustless execution.

Borrowers can instantly access liquidity, and lenders gain efficiency without sacrificing decentralisation. A win-win.

This is the kind of infra that developers, institutions, and decentralised platforms can rely on.

And most importantly, one that they will use.

And then there’s @RunesDEX.

Arch is making AMMs happen on Bitcoin. Forget order books. Liquidity pools are here, creating instant trades powered by algos.

What we love about this is that Arch is not another chain full of promises, adding complexities to an already intricate system.

Instead, they are removing barriers people thought to be insurmountable.

We can’t wait to see the future of Bitcoin and Arch, knowing full well that we’ll be there, every step of the way.

The OOGA BOOGAS have been echoing in CT for a while now. Berabaddies and multiple bear-related personalities arose, while the community and the founding team continued to surprise everyone with a mix of memes, competence, and boldness.

We’re obviously talking about @berachain the high-performance EVM-compatible platform using Proof-of-Liquidity as their consensus mechanism.

Since a lot is happening, we’ve gathered everything you need to know to keep up with the fast-moving landscape of Berachain. You wouldn’t want to enter Q5 without knowing what just happened, right?

Recent Developments

@Stake_Stone Berachain Vault Milestone: On December 27, 2024, StakeStone announced that its Berachain Vault surpassed 30,000 holders, unlocking over $300 million in total value.

@TenderlyApp Integration: In December 2024, Tenderly integrated Berachain into its platform, providing full-stack infrastructure support to developers building and scaling on Berachain.

Berachain V2 Announcement: Berachain introduced V2, a significant upgrade from V1, featuring a novel architecture that improves execution client diversity and consensus mechanisms. This advancement is expected to enhance the network’s performance and scalability.

Berachain Ecosystem Weekly Recap: The Berachain ecosystem witnessed a flurry of activities, including new partnerships, protocol updates, and community engagements. Here’s what happened during the latest weeks, summarised beautifullyby @ttt_lab

https://x.com/ttt_lab/status/1874445619307352296

https://x.com/TTT_INSIGHTS/status/1868617413186764816

We could write many other important achievements gathered by berachain in the last 2 months but for the sake of this article we’ve decided to keep it shorter and to look at the future. We’ve oficially entered Q5, let’s see what will happen:

Upcoming Milestones (Q5 2025)

1. Mainnet Launch: Berachain is gearing up for its mainnet launch in Q5 2025. OOGA BOOGA.
2. Berally Platform Launch: Berally, a social trading platform on Berachain, plans to launch its AI Agents platform in Q1 2025. The platform aims to simplify financial growth for retail users by providing insights and enabling investments alongside top professional traders.
3. Token Generation Events (TGEs): Berachain is among the top anticipated projects preparing for their Token Generation Events in early 2025.
4. Staking Revolution on Mainnet:

Staking will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the ecosystem. The next cohort of stakers will unlock new opportunities by integrating liquidity provision with staking rewards, enhancing network security and capital efficiency.

This innovative approach to staking will not only incentivize participation from a diverse group of users but also fuel Berachain’s growth as a leading DeFi platform.

Some Staking Data:

• Staking Rewards: While specific staking rewards for BGT (Bera Governance Token) are not yet available, we eagerly await the BeraChain dedicated page on Staking Rewards. We’re sure that every piece of info needed will be there, it’s just a matter of time!
• Staking Providers: The berachain validators landscape looks jacked. All of the big names are there. We run our own node as well, feel free to delegate some BGT to us ❤
• Community Engagement: StakeStone’s Berachain Vault has achieved significant milestones, with over 30,000 holders and more than $300 million in total value unlocked. A testament to the berachain community’s strenght.

No matter how we spin it we can’t refrain from saying: We’re hyped. Protocols sprout like mushrooms but sometimes from the ground a true gem is born, and we believe that berachain is a diamond.

Don’t believe us? try it for yourself. Berachain is in testnet, so you can actually check out how it works, you just need a computer and an internet connection, the rest is free, thanks to the FAUCET:

https://bartio.faucet.berachain.com/

After you got your hands on some $BERA, check out the different dApps that are already running:

-https://bartio.bex.berachain.com/- Berachain DEX -

https://bartio.bend.berachain.com/- Lending protocol -

https://bartio.beratrail.io/- Block explorer

And many more.

We have no secrets, we’re excited for Q5, mainnet and starting to produce blocks. We can’t wait to lend a hand in this endeavour, after all we’re the institutional architects of blockchain ecosystems, we live for this.

OH! One last thing: OOGA BOOGA!

Let’s talk about @MangoOS_Network 🥭

First of all, let’s clarify some concepts: Virtual Machines (VMs) revolutionized blockchain technology by enabling developers to build and execute smart contracts efficiently across decentralized networks.

This innovation unlocked a new era of programmable blockchain functionality, transforming from a niche technology into one of the industry’s essential building blocks.
Today, VMs serve as the foundation of decentralized ecosystems. With multi-VM omnichains like Mango Network, we’re witnessing a breakthrough that redefines what’s possible in the blockchain landscape.
Mango Network is a Layer 1 blockchain featuring a multi-VM omnichain architecture — a unique infrastructure that connects multiple blockchain ecosystems. They’ve elevated the VM concept to new heights.
At its core, Mango Network is built on a multi-VM system that encompasses every chain. The network runs multiple virtual machines on a single platform, executing smart contracts across different programming languages and frameworks.

Its omnichain functionality connects various blockchain networks for seamless communication. By integrating different VMs, Mango creates a bridge for smooth interaction between ecosystems like Bitcoin, Solana, and SUI — a breakthrough for blockchain interoperability enthusiasts.
Now, let’s explore the:
Advantages of an Omnichain.
An omnichain infrastructure addresses a core challenge in the blockchain space — interoperability.
Traditional blockchain networks operate in silos, limiting their ability to exchange data or assets directly.
With an omnichain, Mango Network eliminates these boundaries, allowing assets and data to flow freely across different chains. They basically create invisible bridges for everyone.
This capability enhances scalability, security, and flexibility, enabling applications to access a wider range of decentralized services and data sources.
Additionally, omnichains reduce congestion on individual chains by distributing transactions across multiple networks.
This is something we’ve already talked about in the case of Linera’s micorchains, and while the idea is similar the execution is surely different.
Let’s see how:
Mango Network Architecture and Infrastructure
The network’s infrastructure achieves high scalability through its modular architecture and multi-VM setup, enabling simultaneous processing of numerous transactions across multiple virtual machines.

Instead of using monstrous machines or enormous servers they unite different EVMs to collaborate towards a goal.
This design prevents bottlenecks and ensures the network can scale to meet diverse application demands, from DeFi to gaming and data-intensive dApps.
For robust security, Mango Network combines advanced consensus mechanisms with the Move programming language, whose resource-oriented model minimizes vulnerabilities and enhances contract safety. Through rigorous validation layers and VM isolation, the network protects against contract exploits and systemic failures.
The Importance of Modularity in Blockchain
Modularity is crucial for blockchain networks’ future.

It enables flexibility and scalability by allowing component updates without system-wide disruptions.
Mango Network’s modular design facilitates easy integration of new features, from additional VMs to advanced consensus algorithms.
This approach simplifies maintenance through task-specific module optimization.
Mango’s modularity supports various dApps, from DeFi to gaming, while maintaining performance and security.
A novel system that has been well designed.
Everything’s been taken into account, and everything has been built towards a goal: Creating a system that has real world uses. A system that IS needed in our blockchain world.
Mango Network serves diverse real-world applications.

In DeFi, it enables seamless cross-chain trading.
Its modular structure supports dApps using both Move and EVM smart contracts, giving developers flexible programming options.
The network’s omnichain capabilities excel in projects requiring cross-chain data or token exchange, such as NFT marketplaces and decentralized exchanges (DEXs).
Basically, Mango Network tackles blockchain interoperability challenges through its multi-VM omnichain infrastructure, delivering the flexibility, scalability, and security needed for diverse applications.

Its modular approach ensures adaptability to future blockchain innovations while maintaining robust performance.

As adoption grows, Mango Network demonstrates increasing potential to transform the blockchain landscape. That’swhy we wanted to highlight how the network operates and how it is poised to better the ecosystem for everyone.

In this article we’ll touch upon:

• Babylon’s architecture
• Babylon’s staking phases
• Institutional adoption

Bitcoin is the cornerstone of decentralization and financial sovereignty sought as a tool for pursuing freedom and change. Many have embraced the original ethos of bitcoin but only a few decided to expand upon them, to create something greater and unlocking $2t energy vaults.

@babylonlabs_io is one of them.

As the first protocol to integrate Bitcoin into Proof-of-Stake networks without compromising decentralization or custody, Babylon is actively transforming BTC into an active contributor to blockchain security.

So, what’s the deal?

In a few words Babylon enables Bitcoin holders to stake their BTC while maintaining full control of their assets. No bridging, no wrapping. Through self-custodial staking, participants not only help secure PoS networks but also earn rewards in the process.

With Babylon, Bitcoin evolves from a passive store of value into a powerful tool for decentralized security.

But what Makes Babylon so Unique?

Babylon’s innovation lies in Bitcoin timestamping— a trust-minimized mechanism that bridges Bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work security with PoS chains. This approach allows BTC to serve as collateral for securing PoS networks, all while remaining under the complete control of its owner.

Let’s now dive deeper, and see what Babylon’s about.

Babylon is built to unlock Bitcoin’s active potential in decentralized ecosystems. By seamlessly connecting Bitcoin’s unparalleled security with Proof-of-Stake networks, Babylon ensures that BTC holders can:

• Secure Decentralized Networks: Babylon enables Bitcoin to become an essential layer of security for PoS blockchains, amplifying the resilience of decentralized systems.
• Expand Bitcoin’s Utility: With Babylon, Bitcoin transcends its role as a store of value, driving innovation across PoS ecosystems while remaining firmly rooted in its principles.
• Empower Stakers: The protocol prioritizes user sovereignty, allowing Bitcoin holders to stake without relinquishing custody or trust, all while contributing to blockchain security and earning rewards.

Babylon’s Staking Phases: A Testament to Success

Babylon’s staking rollout was executed in carefully planned phases, each showcasing the protocol’s scalability and the immense interest from the Bitcoin community.

Phase 1: Cap-1

The first staking phase launched with a cap of 1,000 BTC. Demand was extraordinary, with 12,720 stakers filling six Bitcoin blocks in just 74 minutes, recording 21,000 transactions.

Phase 1: Cap-2

Cap-2 introduced a duration-based cap of 10 Bitcoin blocks, removing the total value locked (TVL) limit. Over 4,160 BTC was staked during this phase.

Phase 1: Cap-3

Cap-3 expanded staking with a 1,000 BTC block window. This milestone pushed Babylon’s total value locked (TVL) beyond $5 billion, establishing it as the largest Bitcoin staking protocol. Institutional players like Anchorage Digital and Hex trust joined the ecosystem, and Babylon’s integration with networks such as Sui demonstrated Bitcoin’s enhanced role in decentralized finance.

Let’s go deeper and see what ther longstanding partnerships Babylon has made in the last few months:

Strategic Partnerships and Custodians

As we’ve said, Babylon’s growth is propelled by strategic partnerships and collaborations with leading custodians, enhancing its ecosystem and expanding its reach.

• Anchorage: As a trusted global crypto platform for institutions, Anchorage Digital has integrated Babylon’s protocol, enabling institutional clients to participate in Bitcoin staking securely.
• StakingRewards: The leading crypto staking platform for every protocol. Staking rewards facilitates staking, enabling everyone to stake BTC on the Babylon network. Stake with Restake as your finality provider.
• Sui Network: Babylon’s collaboration with Sui, a Layer-1 blockchain and smart contract platform, allows Bitcoin holders to stake their BTC, unlocking Bitcoin’s liquidity on the Sui network.
• Binance: The first centralized exchange to offer Babylon BTC Staking through Binance Earn, Binance provides users with seamless access to Bitcoin staking opportunities.
• Leap Wallet: As the first Cosmos wallet to enable BTC staking, Leap Wallet expands the accessibility of Babylon’s staking services to a broader user base.
• Onekey Hardware Wallet: By integrating with Babylon, Onekey hardware wallets offer users a secure and self-custodial method to participate in Bitcoin staking.

Wallet Expansion and User Accessibility

Leap and onekey aren’t the only wallets enabling Babylon:

• Bitget Wallet: A leading non-custodial Web3 wallet, Bitget Wallet launched a Babylon ecosystem staking program in October 2024, offering users opportunities to engage with Babylon ecosystem projects and earn rewards.
• Tomo Wallet: Available on Telegram, iOS, Android, and Chrome, Tomo Wallet introduced a 50,000 Bitcoin staking rewards campaign in collaboration with Babylon, enhancing user engagement and participation.
• Ceffu: Through collaboration with Solv and Babylon, Ceffu has integrated Babylon’s protocol into its MPC custodial wallets, marking a significant advancement in Bitcoin staking innovation and asset security.

The Future of Bitcoin Staking

Babylon’s success is a clear signal: Bitcoin can be more than a static asset. With Babylon, BTC holders actively secure PoS networks while earning rewards, all within a self-custodial framework that prioritizes decentralization and security.

As Babylon scales, it’s shaping a new era for Bitcoin — a future where every BTC holder can contribute to and benefit from decentralized ecosystems without compromise. At Restake, we’re proud to support Babylon because it aligns with our mission: enabling everyone to participate in decentralized ecosystems with ease and confidence.

Babylon’s innovation in bridging Bitcoin to PoS networks is not only groundbreaking but also a powerful step toward expanding Bitcoin’s role in blockchain security.

If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of your Bitcoin, Babylon’s protocol is the key.

Blockchain ecosystems are expanding, with billions of dollars locked in staked assets.
Yet, despite the value they represent, these assets are often underutilised.
For institutions and networks, this means missed opportunities to add sources of liquidity and optimise performance. And that’s extremely bad.

While staked assets earn passive rewards, they could be more active across ecosystems, fueling new opportunities for lending, borrowing, and cross-chain interactions.

Take Ethereum, for example:

over 33 million ETH is staked, worth approximately USD 108 billion (at $3,200 per ETH). Combined with other blockchains like Solana, Avalanche, and Cardano, the total value of staked assets exceeds USD 340 billion. (data provided by @StakingRewards )

Yes, Solana airdrops are great, and ISPOs on Cardano can generate some rewards, but this capital sits idle and while securing the network and validating transactions, it is not used to its full potential.

So, why are we telling you this?

Because we want to introduce a new concept, something that may change the way even we, as the institutional architects for blockchain ecosystems, operate.

This is where IKA (@ikadotxyz ) comes in:

Initially built on @SuiNetwork to support decentralised signing and cross-chain interoperability using Multi-Party Computation (MPC), Ika has expanded its scope to handle a wider range of asset management tasks.
At the heart of Ika’s design is the dWallet — a programmable blockchain account capable of holding and managing staked assets while being governed by smart contract logic.

And Unlike conventional staking systems, where assets are often locked and inaccessible, Ika’s technology allows institutions to retain control over their staked assets, while using them in lending, borrowing, and other use cases without needing to rely on derivatives.

Now do us a favour, read that phrase again ☝️.

This opens the door to so much more than good old staking.
But we’ll talk about this later, for now, let’s continue the deep dive into Ika’s structure:

Ika’s 2PC-MPC cryptographic framework supports transactions by requiring both the user and the network to participate in the signing process (that’s where the 2 comes from).

This ensures the user keeps control of their assets, while the network enforces predefined logic such as loan terms or liquidation conditions.

So, basically, dWallets give institutions the flexibility to create custom conditions for their staked assets, without transferring ownership or relying on external platforms.

For instance, a borrower could lock their staked ETH or SUI in a dWallet, using it as collateral for a loan while maintaining control of the account.

The smart contract governing the dWallet would ensure that collateral is only unlocked under specific conditions, such as repayment or liquidation.
This ability is especially useful for institutional stakers who manage large assets.

We currently manage over $340 million in delegated assets, the majority of which comes from the SUI network.

This provides us with a solid foundation to extend the functionality of staked assets beyond simple staking.

By integrating Ika’s dWallets, we can offer a solution that allows validators to leverage staked assets while being sovereign.
This includes using the assets for other DeFi applications while safeguarding the integrity and security of our operations.

It turns previously passive capital into active liquidity, all while avoiding third-party intermediaries.
Basically THE solution to the problem we’ve discussed at the beginning of this article.
But it does not stop here, we’ve just showcased how we could implement it in our systems.

The applications are vast.

DAOs could manage treasury assets across different blockchains, while DeFi protocols could create new liquidity pools by unlocking previously siloed assets. The programmability of assets — such as setting time locks, conditional access, or requiring multi-party signatures becomes possible, allowing for more flexible and secure management of institutional ones.

We could include RWAs, or even AI agents to the mix, but that’s a topic for another article.
No matter how you look at it, this could lead to more use cases for blockchain-based finance, where staked assets are not just held but are leveraged.

What Ika enables is the ability to create conditions for financial interactions that were simply not possible before.

The flexibility in how dWallets can be programmed and controlled means that, as a validator provider, we can push the boundaries of staking in new directions — making staked assets more dynamic and usable in an evolving blockchain ecosystem.

And that’s amazing in itself.