Binance has recently increased support for the Sonic chain significantly, launching three Sonic chain projects in one go on May 1, marking the first time these projects have been listed on the Sonic chain. It is well known that projects listed on Alpha are expected to be further listed on Binance contracts or spot trading, so the Sonic ecosystem, as a new force, is worth paying attention to. Shadow @ShadowOnSonic, as the native DEX platform launched alongside the @SonicLabs mainnet, has become the DeFi/DEX protocol with the highest fee income on Sonic, with a TVL of $80 million, attracting more ecosystem participants' attention due to its innovative x(3,3) mechanism and $x33 token. Here are some recent developments and participation opportunities.
$x33 product new interface upgrade: simpler and clearer
New x33 page - realize $x33 conversion, historical return rates, analytics, charts
Shadow recently launched the $x33 page (https://www.shadow.so/x33), presenting the automatic compound interest mechanism for $x33 in detail. $x33 is minted by xSHADOW. It is recommended to buy $X33 directly as it is cheaper than converting from xShadow. It appreciates weekly through protocol fees, voting rewards, and PvP rebalancing mechanisms. The $x33:xSHADOW ratio gradually tilts towards $x33 (e.g., increasing from 1:1 to 1:1.5551). The page provides real-time annualized yield (APR, typically 100%-200%), historical returns, and minting processes. Minting and compounding incur no additional fees, and the market price of $x33 is supported by the redemption value of xSHADOW. Even during recent market downturns, $x33 has maintained stable dividends, comparable to bank fixed-term deposits.
2. Binance Alpha SONIC chain trading competition: Share in $2.2 million rewards
From May 8 to May 23, Shadow and Binance Alpha held a $SHADOW trading competition with a reward pool of $2.2 million, including 22,100 $SHADOW and over $1 million in $S tokens (Sonic chain's native token). While everyone was eagerly accumulating Binance Alpha points for airdrops, the event directly pushed the $SHADOW trading volume to $34.43 million, and community discussion heated up.
3. Integration of $x33 in the Sonic ecosystem
$x33 is widely recognized in the Sonic ecosystem and has been integrated into protocols such as Silo Finance, NAVI, and Pendle.
Silo Finance: Use $x33 as collateral to borrow $USDC, maximizing capital utilization.
NAVI: Use $x33 for liquidity mining to earn additional rewards.
Pendle: You can trade $x33's fixed income (PT-x33) or speculative income (YT-x33).
Additionally, both $x33 and $SHADOW are on the Sonic airdrop whitelist, allowing holders to accumulate $S token points for future Sonic airdrops, along with extra point bonuses:
$Shadow: 2x passive points, 4x active points
$x33: 2x passive points, 4x active points
Using x33/$Shadow liquidity pool: 12x points!
Sonic chain TVL has increased 13 times to $357 million since early 2025, with Shadow accounting for over 50% of trading volume. The integration of $x33 further strengthens its core position in the ecosystem.
4. Weekly dividend rewards for holders and participation strategies
Shadow continues to distribute generous rewards to xSHADOW and $x33 holders. On May 7, the platform distributed $1.52 million, including $898,000 rebalancing rewards (APR 56.34%) and $622,000 voting rewards. On May 9, the rewards increased to $1.845 million, with some pools having APRs as high as 3997% (e.g., $S/$ETH). In the past 30 days, Shadow has allocated $2.41 million in fees to holders, ranking fourth in DEX.
The feeling of receiving money weekly is somewhat like getting paid, and $x33 can automatically compound interest, which is a blessing for the lazy as it saves time and effort.
Liquidity mining strategy review:
Shadow's Liquidity page offers various liquidity pools, including Stable, Airdrop, Legacy, and CL (concentrated liquidity) pools. Reward types cover trading fees and token emissions. Current popular pools include:
Stable Pool ($USDC/$USDT, approximately 21% APR): Low risk, suitable for beginners.
Stable Pool ($USDC/$EURC.e, approximately 735% APR): High yield, requires attention to liquidity.
CL Pool ($S/$USDC, approximately 100%-200% APR): High returns, requires management of price range.
Airdrop Pool ($x33/$USDC, approximately 50%-100% APR): Balances yield and Sonic airdrop points.
For detailed mining strategies, preparation steps, and risk management, please refer to the May 1 article (Sonic chain leader Shadow platform: $x33 mechanism and liquidity mining comprehensive guide) https://x.com/lianyanshe/status/1918498891387027692. Users can connect their wallets to the Sonic network and visit https://www.shadow.so/ to participate in mining. It is recommended to choose pools with higher TVL and reasonable APRs while being aware of relevant risks.
Summary:
The Sonic ecosystem is still in its early stages, and Shadow is a star project within the ecosystem. You can follow the official Twitter @ShadowOnSonic and @ShadowOnSonicCN for further updates.