Why We Build

The motivation

We are driven by a bold vision to revolutionize the way individuals engage with blockchain networks, staking protocols, and the broader decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Our passion lies in the creation of interoperable liquid staked tokens (LSTs) that transcend the boundaries of single blockchain networks and traditional staking limitations. Through this transformative approach, we aim to empower individuals, enhance financial accessibility, and shape a more inclusive and decentralized financial landscape.

To achieve this, we engage in the following approaches:

LST Research and Development: Our team of experts is relentlessly exploring innovative solutions to unlock the value of staked assets and create a more dynamic and accessible staking experience. Through extensive research, rigorous testing, and constant iteration, we are pioneering advancements in staking protocols, liquidity mechanisms, and yield generation strategies.
Community Engagement: Community lies at the heart of Ike, and we believe in the power of collective action to drive positive change in the DeFi space. We actively engage with our community of innovators, builders, and enthusiasts in various ways, including hackathons, community meetups, and social platforms. We foster an inclusive and collaborative environment where ideas are shared, feedback is valued, and collaborations thrive.
Education and Awareness: By demystifying complex concepts and promoting best practices, we strive to equip our community with the knowledge they need to actively participate in the growing DeFi ecosystem. We engage in community discussions, host informative events, and collaborate with industry experts to facilitate a deeper understanding of the intricacies of cross-chain interoperable LSTs.
Partnerships and Collaborations: We recognize that collaboration is key to driving innovation and expanding the possibilities of DeFi. Ike actively seeks strategic partnerships with leading projects, platforms, and protocols that share our vision and values. Through these partnerships, we aim to foster interoperability, expand the reach of our solutions, and create synergies that unlock new opportunities for our users.

Harnessing the Power of Liquid Staked Tokens

Liquid Staked Tokens (LSTs), which are liquid tokens that represent a user's stake, have emerged as a powerful innovation in the blockchain space, revolutionizing the traditional concept of staking and unlocking new possibilities for token holders. With their unique features and advantages, these liquid tokens offer a range of benefits that enhance the user experience and enable broader participation in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Whether it's maximizing yield, enhancing liquidity, lending, gaming, or managing risk, Ike empowers users to navigate liquid staking with efficiency, flexibility, and security.

Here are the advantages of LSTs and how Ike facilitates their utilization:

Maximizing Yield: Staking traditionally involves locking assets, and limiting their use in other financial activities. With LSTs, users can stake their tokens while simultaneously accessing the benefits of DeFi. Ike allows users to generate yield through lending, liquidity provision, yield farming, and other DeFi applications, maximizing their earning potential.
Enhanced Liquidity: Staked assets are typically illiquid, and it also has very limited risk. LSTs solve this challenge by creating a liquid representation of staked assets. Through Ike, users can obtain LSTs that maintain a 1:1 ratio with the staked tokens, allowing for seamless transfer, trading, and utilization across different platforms. Offering an elegantly decentralized base yield into the DeFi ecosystem allows the ecosystem to have the best of both worlds
Security: without staking, there is no network security. We need a significant token supply staked to efficiently process transactions, having a booming DeFi ecosystem shouldn't detract from that
DeFi Accessibility: Ike brings staked assets into the DeFi realm, enabling users to participate in a wide range of decentralized financial activities. Users can leverage their LSTs for lending, borrowing, providing liquidity on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), participating in yield farming, and engaging in other DeFi protocols. This opens up a world of opportunities for users to diversify their strategies and optimize their financial positions.
Interoperability: One of the key advantages of Ike is its ability to facilitate interoperability between different blockchain networks. By bridging the gaps between chains, Ike enables users to stake their tokens on one network and access DeFi opportunities on another. This seamless interoperability expands the reach and scope of LSTs, allowing users to leverage the strengths of multiple networks and tap into a wider range of DeFi services.
Capital Efficiency: With LSTs, users can unlock the value of their staked assets without sacrificing their staking rewards. Ike enables users to collateralize their LSTs and access lending markets, borrowing against their staked tokens to obtain additional liquidity. This capital efficiency empowers users to utilize their staked assets in productive ways while maintaining their staking positions.
Risk Management: The Ike protocol incorporates risk management mechanisms to protect users' assets. By diversifying staked assets across validators, Ike mitigates the risk associated with a single validator having poor uptime or high fees. Additionally, the protocol incorporates security measures and rigorous audits to ensure the safety of user funds and interactions with the DeFi ecosystem.
Privacy Preservation: Ike recognizes the importance of privacy in decentralized finance. The protocol incorporates privacy-preserving measures, safeguarding user information and transactional data. This allows users to engage in DeFi activities without compromising their privacy or exposing sensitive information to the public domain.
Modularity: products in web3 are more like hardware. Once deployed, they are very permanent. Upgradability is in itself a form of strong modularity, but the goal shouldn't ever be to replace the whole system. With plugin architectures, we are capable of designing systems that are intended to be built into and on top of. This provides both users and developers with a consistent platform to build with. Modularity of risk is also of paramount importance.

It is important to note the specific crypto-economic factors that LSTs enable for broader access and utilization of the decentralized financial space. Unlike traditional staking models, the following features are made possible by adopting a liquid-staked model such as Kinstu protocol provides.

Fractional Ownership: LSTs enable fractional ownership of staked assets. Traditional staking often requires a minimum staking amount, which can be prohibitive for users with limited capital. LSTs allow users to stake any portion of their tokens, even if they don't have enough to meet the minimum requirement of a particular staking protocol. This fractional ownership model opens up staking opportunities to a broader range of users, regardless of their capital limitations.
Pooling Mechanisms: LSTs can leverage pooling mechanisms to aggregate smaller individual stakes into a larger collective stake. By pooling their resources together, users with limited capital can collectively meet the minimum staking requirements and participate in staking. Pooling mechanisms allow users to pool their tokens with others, combining their staking power and earning rewards proportionally to their contribution. This cooperative approach enables smaller holders to access the benefits of staking that would have otherwise been challenging to achieve individually.
Staking Providers and Services: LSTs are often facilitated by staking providers or platforms that offer staking-as-a-service. These providers cater to a wide range of users, including those with limited capital. They simplify the staking process, handle the technical complexities, and manage the infrastructure required for staking. By utilizing the services of these providers, users with smaller capital can benefit from staking without the need for extensive technical knowledge or significant capital investment.
Lower Entry Barriers: LSTs reduce the entry barriers for users with less capital to participate in staking. It is worth noting that this changes a lot from blockchain to blockchain. Traditional staking methods may require users to lock up a significant amount of tokens for an extended period, which can be financially burdensome for smaller holders. LSTs offer more flexibility in terms of staking duration and allow users to access their staked assets more easily. This lower entry barrier makes staking more accessible and attractive to users with limited capital, enabling them to participate and benefit from the staking rewards.

The Future of LSTs with Ike

As the Ike protocol continues to evolve and push the boundaries of liquid staked tokens (LSTs), the future holds exciting possibilities for users to unlock the full potential of their staked assets. Here are some envisioned use cases of what you will be able to do with Ike LSTs in the near future:

Trading with LSTs
- With Ike LSTs, users will have the ability to trade their staked assets seamlessly and efficiently on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and traditional cryptocurrency exchanges, allowing for increased market accessibility and potential trading opportunities.
Providing Liquidity on a DEX
- Ike LSTs will enable users to participate in liquidity provision on decentralized exchanges. By providing their LSTs to liquidity pools, users can contribute to the depth and stability of trading pairs, earning fees in the process. This presents an opportunity for users to earn additional rewards while their staked assets remain actively participating in the staking process, maximizing their earning potential and overall capital efficiency.
Lending Markets
- Ike LSTs will be instrumental in unlocking opportunities in lending markets. Users will be able to collateralize their LSTs and access lending platforms, borrowing against their staked tokens to obtain additional liquidity. This empowers users to utilize their staked assets as collateral without compromising their staking positions. Through lending markets, users can explore various financial strategies, such as leveraged trading or funding other investments, while their staked assets continue to earn staking rewards.
Gaming
- The integration of Ike LSTs into gaming platforms opens up a whole new dimension of possibilities for gamers and blockchain enthusiasts. By utilizing LSTs, gamers can stake their assets to earn rewards and enhance their in-game experiences. Additionally, LSTs can serve as a bridge between gaming ecosystems and the broader DeFi space, enabling users to access decentralized financial services directly within gaming environments. This fusion of gaming and finance brings new incentives, monetization models, and economic opportunities to the gaming community.
  These envisioned use cases demonstrate the transformative power of Ike LSTs, where users can seamlessly trade, provide liquidity, participate in lending markets, and engage in gaming activities while their assets remain staked and actively earning rewards. As Ike continues to innovate and expand its ecosystem, even more diverse and exciting use cases for LSTs are expected to emerge, enabling users to shape the future of finance and redefine the possibilities within the decentralized ecosystem.
Rollup Services & Restaking
- More to come...

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Last updated 2 months ago

Harnessing the Power of Liquid Staked Tokens

Here are the advantages of LSTs and how Ike facilitates their utilization:

Maximizing Yield: Staking traditionally involves locking assets, and limiting their use in other financial activities. With LSTs, users can stake their tokens while simultaneously accessing the benefits of DeFi. Ike allows users to generate yield through lending, liquidity provision, yield farming, and other DeFi applications, maximizing their earning potential.

Enhanced Liquidity: Staked assets are typically illiquid, and it also has very limited risk. LSTs solve this challenge by creating a liquid representation of staked assets. Through Ike, users can obtain LSTs that maintain a 1:1 ratio with the staked tokens, allowing for seamless transfer, trading, and utilization across different platforms. Offering an elegantly decentralized base yield into the DeFi ecosystem allows the ecosystem to have the best of both worlds

Security: without staking, there is no network security. We need a significant token supply staked to efficiently process transactions, having a booming DeFi ecosystem shouldn't detract from that

DeFi Accessibility: Ike brings staked assets into the DeFi realm, enabling users to participate in a wide range of decentralized financial activities. Users can leverage their LSTs for lending, borrowing, providing liquidity on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), participating in yield farming, and engaging in other DeFi protocols. This opens up a world of opportunities for users to diversify their strategies and optimize their financial positions.

Interoperability: One of the key advantages of Ike is its ability to facilitate interoperability between different blockchain networks. By bridging the gaps between chains, Ike enables users to stake their tokens on one network and access DeFi opportunities on another. This seamless interoperability expands the reach and scope of LSTs, allowing users to leverage the strengths of multiple networks and tap into a wider range of DeFi services.

Capital Efficiency: With LSTs, users can unlock the value of their staked assets without sacrificing their staking rewards. Ike enables users to collateralize their LSTs and access lending markets, borrowing against their staked tokens to obtain additional liquidity. This capital efficiency empowers users to utilize their staked assets in productive ways while maintaining their staking positions.

Risk Management: The Ike protocol incorporates risk management mechanisms to protect users' assets. By diversifying staked assets across validators, Ike mitigates the risk associated with a single validator having poor uptime or high fees. Additionally, the protocol incorporates security measures and rigorous audits to ensure the safety of user funds and interactions with the DeFi ecosystem.

Privacy Preservation: Ike recognizes the importance of privacy in decentralized finance. The protocol incorporates privacy-preserving measures, safeguarding user information and transactional data. This allows users to engage in DeFi activities without compromising their privacy or exposing sensitive information to the public domain.

Modularity: products in web3 are more like hardware. Once deployed, they are very permanent. Upgradability is in itself a form of strong modularity, but the goal shouldn't ever be to replace the whole system. With plugin architectures, we are capable of designing systems that are intended to be built into and on top of. This provides both users and developers with a consistent platform to build with. Modularity of risk is also of paramount importance.

Fractional Ownership: LSTs enable fractional ownership of staked assets. Traditional staking often requires a minimum staking amount, which can be prohibitive for users with limited capital. LSTs allow users to stake any portion of their tokens, even if they don't have enough to meet the minimum requirement of a particular staking protocol. This fractional ownership model opens up staking opportunities to a broader range of users, regardless of their capital limitations.

Pooling Mechanisms: LSTs can leverage pooling mechanisms to aggregate smaller individual stakes into a larger collective stake. By pooling their resources together, users with limited capital can collectively meet the minimum staking requirements and participate in staking. Pooling mechanisms allow users to pool their tokens with others, combining their staking power and earning rewards proportionally to their contribution. This cooperative approach enables smaller holders to access the benefits of staking that would have otherwise been challenging to achieve individually.

Staking Providers and Services: LSTs are often facilitated by staking providers or platforms that offer staking-as-a-service. These providers cater to a wide range of users, including those with limited capital. They simplify the staking process, handle the technical complexities, and manage the infrastructure required for staking. By utilizing the services of these providers, users with smaller capital can benefit from staking without the need for extensive technical knowledge or significant capital investment.

Lower Entry Barriers: LSTs reduce the entry barriers for users with less capital to participate in staking. It is worth noting that this changes a lot from blockchain to blockchain. Traditional staking methods may require users to lock up a significant amount of tokens for an extended period, which can be financially burdensome for smaller holders. LSTs offer more flexibility in terms of staking duration and allow users to access their staked assets more easily. This lower entry barrier makes staking more accessible and attractive to users with limited capital, enabling them to participate and benefit from the staking rewards.

The Future of LSTs with Ike

Trading with LSTs

With Ike LSTs, users will have the ability to trade their staked assets seamlessly and efficiently on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and traditional cryptocurrency exchanges, allowing for increased market accessibility and potential trading opportunities.

Providing Liquidity on a DEX

Ike LSTs will enable users to participate in liquidity provision on decentralized exchanges. By providing their LSTs to liquidity pools, users can contribute to the depth and stability of trading pairs, earning fees in the process. This presents an opportunity for users to earn additional rewards while their staked assets remain actively participating in the staking process, maximizing their earning potential and overall capital efficiency.

Lending Markets

Ike LSTs will be instrumental in unlocking opportunities in lending markets. Users will be able to collateralize their LSTs and access lending platforms, borrowing against their staked tokens to obtain additional liquidity. This empowers users to utilize their staked assets as collateral without compromising their staking positions. Through lending markets, users can explore various financial strategies, such as leveraged trading or funding other investments, while their staked assets continue to earn staking rewards.

Gaming

The integration of Ike LSTs into gaming platforms opens up a whole new dimension of possibilities for gamers and blockchain enthusiasts. By utilizing LSTs, gamers can stake their assets to earn rewards and enhance their in-game experiences. Additionally, LSTs can serve as a bridge between gaming ecosystems and the broader DeFi space, enabling users to access decentralized financial services directly within gaming environments. This fusion of gaming and finance brings new incentives, monetization models, and economic opportunities to the gaming community.
These envisioned use cases demonstrate the transformative power of Ike LSTs, where users can seamlessly trade, provide liquidity, participate in lending markets, and engage in gaming activities while their assets remain staked and actively earning rewards. As Ike continues to innovate and expand its ecosystem, even more diverse and exciting use cases for LSTs are expected to emerge, enabling users to shape the future of finance and redefine the possibilities within the decentralized ecosystem.

Rollup Services & Restaking

More to come...