Overlay Protocol: Redefining the Peerless Trading Market

10/29/2025, 8:11:22 AM
Overlay Protocol is an innovative decentralized trading platform that offers users a completely new trading experience through its unique counterparty-free trading model and dynamic mint-and-burn mechanism. Users can establish positions on this platform based on various manipulable and unpredictable data sources and gamble against the entire protocol and all OVL token holders. This model not only addresses the issues of traditional liquidity pools but also expands market coverage, encompassing a variety of fields from the crypto market to non-crypto markets.

Innovative trading model

Overlay Protocol (hereinafter referred to as Overlay) is a decentralized platform that allows users to trade without traditional counterparties. Users can establish positions based on various non-manipulable and unpredictable data sources and form betting relationships with the entire protocol and all OVL token holders. This unique trading model enables the Overlay market to have deep trading capabilities even without traditional liquidity pools.

Diversified market types

The market scope of Overlay is very broad, covering many areas that traditional finance cannot reach. These market types include non-traditional crypto markets (such as Bitcoin mining power, Gas fees, BTC difficulty, NFT floor prices, social tokens, yield rates, etc.) and non-crypto markets (such as esports and sports events, sneaker prices, political issue predictions, natural science data, etc.). As long as the data source meets the conditions of being non-manipulable and unpredictable, Overlay can almost transform it into a tradable market.

Operation model without a counterparty

In the trading logic of Overlay, the positions established by users are not aimed at a single trader but at the entire protocol and all OVL token holders. When one party profits, the protocol mints new OVL tokens as surplus distribution; when one party incurs a loss, the corresponding amount of OVL tokens is burned. The benefit of this model is that it does not rely on traditional LP or MM liquidity, which is naturally abundant, has a broader market coverage, and reduces slippage and high costs caused by insufficient liquidity.

Price and Trading Mechanism

The prices in the Overlay market are not instant matches in the traditional sense, but rely on data obtained periodically from oracles, adjusted by mechanisms built into the protocol. This approach avoids short-term price manipulation by a few participants while ensuring transparency and reliability in the market. Users need to lock OVL tokens as collateral in a smart contract; when profits are made, the protocol will mint OVL tokens equivalent to the profit margin and distribute them to users, and in case of losses, the protocol will burn an equivalent amount of OVL tokens, removing them from circulation.

Contract Features and Governance

The Overlay contract is similar to a perpetual contract, but there are some important differences, such as no expiration date, no actual delivery required, and the counterparty being the protocol and all holders. This design allows users to hold positions for a long time while enjoying a more flexible way to participate in the market. The Overlay Protocol is governed by the PlanckCat DAO, and in the future, OVL token holders will have voting rights. The governance weight is designed as 1 PCD NFT = 100,000 votes, 1 OVL token = 1 vote. The DAO will be responsible for deciding on core matters such as listing and delisting in the market, setting risk parameters, and more.

Tokenomics and Risk Warning

According to the agreement design, the total supply of OVL will change dynamically, but the initial supply is 88,888,888 tokens. Its token uses include trading and margin, DAO governance, and market participation. Although the Overlay Protocol has created a brand new counterparty-free market model, trading still carries risks, especially under leveraged conditions, which may lead to capital losses. Overlay remains an emerging technology; although safety measures have been implemented, it cannot completely guarantee zero risk for capital.

Summary

The innovation of the Overlay Protocol lies in its redefinition of the trading market structure, transforming counterparties from individual traders to the entire protocol and token holders, while ensuring the continuous operation of the market through a dynamic minting and burning mechanism. This model not only addresses liquidity bottlenecks but also opens up new possibilities for data-driven markets. As more non-traditional data sources are introduced, OVL has the potential to become a key infrastructure for decentralized markets, bringing more freedom and diversity to trading options in the crypto world.

* The information is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice or any other recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by Gate.