1) What is Solayer & why is it different?

Solayer is a restaking/LRT protocol on Solana: users can stake SOL or LST (mSOL, stSOL, jitoSOL, bSOL…) to receive sSOL, then 'delegate' security/resources to multiple AVS (Actively Validated Services) and earn additional rewards. The difference is that Solayer targets two AVS streams:

• Endogenous AVS (endoAVS): dApps running directly on Solana, granted stake-weighted QoS (swQoS) – understood as 'priority tickets' for bandwidth/blockspace during network congestion.

• Exogenous AVS (exoAVS): PoS modules/chains alongside Solana, using restaked capital from sSOL to enhance security.

In addition to restaking, Solayer also builds an integrated product suite:

• sSOL (LRT) – an asset representing SOL that has been restaked, used to assign AVS and participate in DeFi.

• sUSD – interest-bearing stablecoin (4–5% per year) based on T-bill yields, issued by Solayer in partnership with OpenEden; can be minted/redeemed instantly on Solana.

• Emerald Card – spending card (Visa-compatible), deposit USDC/sUSD, integrates Apple Pay/Google Pay and ATM withdrawals; currently open for ~40k initial users.

• InfiniSVM – aiming for a 'hardware-accelerated SVM' (FPGA/smart-NIC, RDMA/SDN) to scale throughput extremely high; currently in the documentation/whitepaper phase.

2) How Solayer operates (user & dev flow)

User

1. Deposit SOL/LST → the protocol automatically transfers SOL → sSOL-raw (intermediate LST from stake-pool manager) → sSOL (via Restaking Pool Manager) in a single transaction.

2. Hold sSOL to enjoy base yield (staking + MEV) and choose AVS (endo/exo) to earn additional rewards/points, while providing QoS for dApps if it is endoAVS.

3. Can exchange part of capital for sUSD to receive T-bill interest and use the Emerald Card for real-world spending.

For dev/dApp

• DApp can create its own AVS-LST (Delegated AVS Token) – essentially sSOL delegated to that AVS; the stake below is allocated by Solayer to validators with optimal yields/MEV and can configure swQoS based on network load.

• Solayer operates Mega Validator with swQoS mechanism to ensure resources for dApps during congestion (prioritized by stake).

3) Products & progress

• sSOL: the central LRT of Solayer; stake, withdraw, track rewards via the dashboard; integrates DeFi.

• sUSD: interest-bearing stablecoin based on T-bills (token-2022 interest-bearing), targeting an interest rate of ~4–5% per year; launching in 10/2024; partner OpenEden.

• Emerald Card: live for 40k users; direct spending from USDC, can 'switch channels' to sUSD like an on-chain savings account.

• InfiniSVM: whitepaper announcing hardware acceleration architecture (RDMA/SDN/FPGA); this is a roadmap, not yet production throughput.

4) Token, market cap & investors

LAYER

• Role: governance/system coordination, rewards, and economic connection for product layers (restaking, InfiniSVM, sUSD/Card…).

• Maximum supply: 1 billion; initial circulating supply around 220 million; allocation leans towards Community & Ecosystem (>50%); a portion distributed through Genesis Airdrop and Emerald Card community sale. (Note: detailed figures are currently published through exchange channels/summary articles – may be updated – so please cross-reference when making decisions.)

• According to DeFiLlama, Solayer's TVL is currently around ~$150M (fluctuating with the market).

Investors & fundraising

• Seed $12M (8/2024) led by Polychain & Hack VC; participants include: Binance Labs, Maelstrom (Arthur Hayes), Race Capital, Big Brain…

5) Yield streams & user economics

• Base yield: rewards from staking SOL + MEV from optimized validators.

• AVS yield: rewards/points from endoAVS (exchanging for bandwidth, QoS) or exoAVS (securing other PoS module/chains).

• RWA yield: if holding sUSD, will receive T-bill interest on-chain (not locked, can mint/redeem instantly).

6) Comparison & context

• Compared to EigenLayer (Ethereum): same concept of restaking/AVS, but Solayer emphasizes endoAVS + swQoS (allocating bandwidth directly within Solana) – something Ethereum lacks in its current consensus layer.

• Competition on Solana: other restaking protocols like Jito Restaking; Solayer is grouped with 'restaking' in DeFiLlama's rankings.

7) Main risks to be aware of

• Contracts & deployment: smart contract errors, sSOL-raw/sSOL conversion mechanisms, AVS interactions. (Check audits, 'emergency exit' policies.)

• Validator/MEV/QoS risks: depend on delegation configuration (including Mega Validator) and the MEV market; concentrated staking can distort allocation if governance is poor.

• RWA/sUSD: legal risks, T-bills custodial partners, peg & liquidity maintenance mechanisms; should monitor issuance/mint-redeem data.

• Exogenous AVS: cross-chain, dependent on module/bridge security; rewards are not guaranteed and can be highly volatile.

• Tokenomics/Unlock: unlock schedule & allocations can affect supply and demand; monitor specialized unlock/vesting pages.

8) Metrics/'checklist' monitoring

• TVL & supply of sSOL (how much is delegated to endoAVS vs exoAVS).

• Number of integrated AVS & swQoS usage levels (which dApps 'buy' bandwidth, how effective they are).

• sUSD data: total supply, mint/redeem, maintain peg, net yield after fees.

• InfiniSVM progress (from whitepaper → testnet → mainnet; experimental evidence of throughput/latency).

• LAYER: unlock schedule, execution allocation ratio, governance & incentive for AVS/developers.

9) Quick conclusions

Solayer does not just 'port' restaking to Solana; they aim to combine economic security + bandwidth governance (swQoS) for internal dApps, expanding to external AVS, while building a financial stack around sSOL/sUSD/Emerald Card and the ambition of InfiniSVM infrastructure. This is a bold and comprehensive direction; long-term value will depend on: (1) the extent to which dApps genuinely need/pay for QoS, (2) the execution quality of validators/MEV, (3) the safety & legality of sUSD, and (4) the ability to turn 'InfiniSVM whitepaper' into actual throughput.

@Solayer , #BuiltonSolayer and $LAYER