DAI-issuer MakerDAO is considering adding $600 million DAI into Ethena’s yield-bearing USDe and sUSDe stablecoins via the Morpho lending protocol. It added an initial $100 million on March 29th, enhancing DAI yields with USDe’s funding rate arbitrage strategy. Some DAO members are hesitant to ramp up Maker’s exposure to the relatively new protocol so quickly, though the proposers maintain that the risk parameters are acceptably low.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024As part of its Endgame plan, Maker will rebrand, launch its own chain, and create SubDAO protocols to further innovation and capture market share.
Spark, the first SubDAO under MakerDAO, is set to launch along with its native token SPK, SparkLend, and Spark Cash & Savings as part of its suite of DeFi products. The initiative aims to decentralize banking-like features through the Dai Savings Rate. Users have a chance to pre-farm SPK tokens ahead of its launch. Spark's governance model and phased token distribution strategy encourages long-term stability and community engagement.
Stablecoin issuers and lending protocols have a symbiotic relationship that has been increasingly closer aligned. Stablecoin issuers like MakerDAO are lending protocols through their collateralization, and lending protocols like Aave are arguably a specific type of stablecoin issuer. The specialization of lending protocols has changed the market structure, and stablecoin lenders will become the primary users of lending platforms.
On August 9th, Bitgo announced it will transfer custody of WBTC to a joint venture with jurisdictions in Hong Kong and Singapore as part of a partnership with Justin Sun and the Tron ecosystem. In response, and due to previously-acquired Sun projects faltering, BA Labs has proposed removing WBTC as collateral on Maker and SparkLend. tBTC is being suggested as an alternative.
MakerDAO has rebranded to "Sky" and is set to launch a new stablecoin, USDS, and a governance token, SKY, on September 18, marking a large overhaul in its operations. The rebranding includes a new UI that aims to make the platform more approachable and expandable with a metaDAO ecosystem called "Sky Stars" for decentralized project governance. While the existing DAI and MKR tokens will remain, they can be voluntarily upgraded to the new tokens.