David Gogel, VP of Strategy and Operations at the dYdX Foundation, discusses the recent milestone of operating on their independent app chain. They delve into the transition process, tokenomics mechanisms, and the implications for dYdX going forward. Topics include the entities within the dYdX ecosystem, the benefits of a separate chain, on-chain trading, customized proof of stake blockchain, open-source nature of the dYdX exchange, tokenomics for validators, and bridging USDC to the dYdX chain.
dYdX has launched its own app chain on the Cosmos network to address centralization concerns and improve scalability.
The dYdX governance token allows users to control aspects of the Ethereum protocol and over 70,000 unique wallet addresses have earned DYDX tokens and participate in governance decisions.
Deep dives
DYDX Protocol and Development
DYDX protocol is a leading decentralized exchange focused on perpetual trading. It has seen over a trillion dollars in cumulative volume and has recently launched its own app chain using the Cosmos SDK and Comet DFT consensus mechanism. The new DYDX chain is fully decentralized and open source, with the entire technical stack now controlled by a community of ecosystem partners. The DYDX trading team is responsible for developing the protocol on Ethereum and the open-source software behind the DYDX chain.
DYDX Foundation and Community Governance
The DYDX Foundation is a separate entity, a non-profit organization based in Switzerland, with the mission to enable and grow the DYDX protocol through decentralized governance. They have introduced the DYDX governance token that allows users to control aspects of the Ethereum protocol. Over 70,000 unique wallet addresses have earned DYDX tokens and participate in governance decisions. The foundation also funds the DYDX grants and operations sub-dows, which support various initiatives and provide community-based infrastructure for the DYDX chain.
Transition to DYDX Chain
The decision to build the DYDX chain was made to address centralization concerns and improve scalability. The customized proof-of-stake blockchain on Cosmos allows for low-latency, high-throughput, and low-fee trading. The DYDX chain operates with an off-chain order book that is decentralized and run by validators who participate in consensus. The bridging process enables token holders to transfer their DYDX tokens from Ethereum to the DYDX chain. The goal is to gradually migrate users and volume from the Ethereum protocol to the DYDX chain while maintaining both in parallel for a transition period.
Tokenomics and Incentives
DYDX operates with a fixed max supply of 1 billion tokens. Fees generated on the DYDX chain will be distributed to validators who secure the network and can be shared with stakers. The fees primarily come from trading fees and are paid in USDC, which is natively deposited in the Cosmos ecosystem. The DYDX token on Ethereum is wrapped as ETH DYDX, allowing token holders to participate in governance. Validators and stakers on the DYDX chain earn fees in USDC for their contribution to network security. There is no inflation or minting of new tokens.
David Gogel is the VP of Strategy and Operations at the dYdX Foundation.
In today's podcast, David will discuss the recent milestone of the foundation operating on its independent app chain. This transition involved multiple stages and intriguing tokenomics mechanisms, marking a significant moment for the organization.
In our conversation, we will delve deeper into the evolution of this move and its implications, offering insights into dYdX's journey going forward.
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