BeraPaw is a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol built on top of Berachain’s innovative Proof of Liquidity (PoL) consensus model. The primary focus of BeraPaw is to enhance the interactions between users, protocols, and validators within the Berachain ecosystem, bringing more liquidity, flexibility, and governance participation.
Key Concepts:
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Proof of Liquidity (PoL):
PoL is a consensus mechanism developed by Berachain that allows validators to secure the network by providing liquidity rather than traditional staking methods. However, this model faces challenges, such as the risk of centralizing validation power among early liquidity providers. BeraPaw addresses this by offering new tools and opportunities to democratize validation and ensure inclusivity. -
Tokenization of Governance and Staking:
BeraPaw introduces two main tokens to manage governance and liquidity:-
$LBGT (Liquid Bera Governance Token):
This token is a liquid representation of the underlying BGT (Bera Governance Token). It allows users to participate in governance, staking, and liquidity provision while benefiting from the flexibility of being able to trade $LBGT on exchanges. $LBGT holders receive all the rewards associated with BGT staking, including governance power, block rewards, and more. -
$PAW (BeraPaw Governance Token):
$PAW is the governance token of the BeraPaw protocol. Holders of $PAW can vote on key governance decisions, including validator delegation, protocol upgrades, and treasury management. By staking $PAW, users can delegate BGT to validators, influence protocol governance, and earn rewards from the protocol’s treasury.
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How It Works:
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Liquid Staking with $LBGT:
One of the most innovative aspects of BeraPaw is the liquid staking mechanism enabled by $LBGT. Traditional staking involves locking tokens, which limits liquidity. In contrast, BeraPaw allows the staking of BGT in exchange for $LBGT, which can then be traded, bought, sold, or even borrowed. This creates a flexible system where users can still participate in governance and staking while maintaining liquidity. -
Governance and Voting:
BeraPaw is structured as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), where $PAW holders have control over the protocol. Through a democratic voting system, users can create and vote on proposals that guide the future of the protocol. This could include decisions on upgrading the protocol, validator delegation structures, and treasury management. -
Treasury and Rewards:
The BeraPaw protocol holds a treasury that is managed by governance and used to provide liquidity for the $PAW token. All rewards generated by the treasury are distributed to $PAW stakers. The treasury also plays a role in further growing the protocol by enabling new initiatives, as long as they are approved by the community.
Economic Model:
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$LBGT and $PAW Interaction:
$LBGT is always backed 1:1 by BGT, which provides a floor price for $LBGT. This ensures that its value remains above 1 BERA (the base token of Berachain). The ability to convert BGT into $LBGT provides liquidity and allows users to easily exit and enter governance positions without losing the opportunity to earn rewards.On the other hand, $PAW has a fixed supply, which creates deflationary pressure over time. As more BGT is accumulated by the protocol, the intrinsic value of $PAW increases, benefiting its holders through governance rewards and protocol growth.
Use Cases:
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Users and Investors:
Users can stake their $LBGT, participate in governance, and earn block rewards. With the ability to trade $LBGT, they have greater flexibility compared to traditional staking models. Additionally, $PAW holders can influence the protocol and earn rewards from treasury operations. -
Protocols:
Other protocols can leverage BeraPaw by issuing $LBGT to users and benefiting from higher yields. They can also apply for whitelisting to receive BGT emissions, thus enhancing their protocol’s rewards. -
Validators:
Validators can stake $PAW tokens and delegate BGT to themselves. This provides them with more validation power and rewards, while ensuring a fairer distribution of network influence across the ecosystem.
Key Benefits:
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Increased Liquidity:
By tokenizing BGT into $LBGT, BeraPaw introduces liquid staking, making it easier for users to enter and exit positions while still benefiting from governance participation and block rewards. -
Democratized Validation:
BeraPaw’s approach to governance ensures that validation power is more evenly distributed, preventing large early adopters from centralizing control. -
Treasury-Driven Growth:
The protocol’s treasury, managed by the community, will provide liquidity for the $PAW token and generate rewards for stakers. This decentralized management ensures the protocol remains aligned with the community’s goals.
Conclusion:
BeraPaw aims to be a cornerstone of Berachain’s PoL consensus model by enhancing liquidity, decentralization, and governance within the ecosystem. Through the introduction of $LBGT and $PAW, it offers users, protocols, and validators a more flexible, democratic, and rewarding way to interact with the network. As the protocol evolves, it will continue to drive forward the principles of decentralization, security, and accessibility, making Berachain’s PoL model more inclusive for all participants.