What is Swell? Simplifying liquid staking and restaking

Swell is a non-custodial staking protocol designed to make Ethereum staking more accessible and flexible. It addresses the challenges of traditional Ethereum staking by offering liquid staking solutions that allow users to stake any amount of ETH without the need to manage complex infrastructure.

What is Swell?

Swell is a protocol that aims to strengthen Ethereum's security and decentralization by lowering barriers to staking. It offers several key features:

1. Liquid staking: Users can stake ETH and receive swETH, a liquid token that represents staked ETH plus accrued rewards.
2. Non-custodial protocol: Swell gives users control over their assets, reducing risks associated with centralized custodians.
3. Decentralization: By lowering barriers to staking, Swell promotes a more decentralized Ethereum network, improving its security and resilience.

How does Swell's liquid staking work?

Swell's liquid staking process is designed to be user-friendly and accessible:

1. Stake your ETH: Users deposit ETH into Swell's staking protocol, which is then pooled and delegated to professional node operators.
2. Receive swETH: In return, users get swETH, a liquid token representing their staked ETH and rewards.
3. Use swETH in DeFi: swETH can be used across DeFi platforms for other opportunities, such as lending, borrowing, or providing liquidity.

Additionally, Swell offers restaking through rswETH, allowing users to restake their ETH into protocols like EigenLayer without meeting the 32 ETH requirement. For Bitcoin holders, Swell provides swBTC, enabling participation in DeFi opportunities while earning native yield.

How does Swell Earn work?

Swell Earn vaults offer a way to gain rewards on digital assets through automated, risk-adjusted strategies:

1. Deposit assets: Users can deposit various assets, including swETH, rswETH, and swBTC.
2. Automated yield optimization: Assets are deployed across multiple DeFi protocols to improve returns while managing risk.
3. Earning risk-adjusted returns: Vaults provide returns by diversifying fund usage and employing balanced strategies.
4. ERC-4626 tokens: Users receive earnETH or earnBTC tokens representing their share of the vault.

Key benefits include automated management, risk mitigation, and liquidity.

What are SWELL tokenomics?

The SWELL token is a governance token for Swell's decentralized autonomous organization (DAO):

1. Decentralized governance: Token holders participate in key decision-making processes.
2. Voting power: Each SWELL token represents voting influence on the ecosystem's Snapshot platform.
3. Restaking for security: SWELL can be restaked on platforms like EigenLayer for additional rewards.

The token has a maximum supply of 10 billion, allocated as follows:

• Community (35%)
• Team (25%)
• Fundraising (25%)
• Foundation (15%)

What is Swell L2?

Swell L2 is a restaked rollup built on Ethereum using the Proof of Restake (PoR) mechanism:

1. PoR enables staked assets to secure Ethereum and validate additional decentralized services.
2. Actively Validated Services (AVSs) are supported, fostering innovation in the DeFi space.
3. Enhanced rewards and liquidity are achieved through restaking without sacrificing asset accessibility.

Recent developments include the launch of the Swell L2 Devnet and the growth of projects building on Swell L2.

The final word

Swell represents a significant advancement in the integration of staking and DeFi. By simplifying Ethereum staking, enabling Bitcoin participation in DeFi, and introducing innovative solutions like Swell L2, the project has been guiding more users into interacting with DeFi protocols while contributing to the security and scalability of the Ethereum network. As the DeFi landscape continues to evolve, Swell's approach to liquid staking and restaking has been playing a crucial role in shaping the future of decentralized finance.

FAQ

What does its swell mean?

Swell refers to the project's aim to expand and improve the Ethereum network, enhancing its scalability and efficiency.