The Technology Catalyst
In January, Synapse launched RFQ, an intent-based system for bridging. Synapse RFQ shifted bridge volumes from traditional liquidity pools to a competition between relayers to provide liquidity. Since then, RFQ has been deployed on Ethereum, Optimism, Arbitrum, Linea, Scroll, Blast, BSC and Base. The results less than a year later:
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Median bridge time has dropped from 20 minutes to 3 seconds, a 99.75% reduction
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Synapse bridge quotes are on average 81% cheaper than our competitors
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Synapse RFQ makes up 90% of bridge volume
This week, Synapse Intents Network was deployed to mainnets, a full-chain abstraction solution. Synapse Intents Network represent more than just a technical upgrade—it's a complete reimagining of chain abstraction. SIN will continue driving faster, cheaper quotes for users without using emissions. Additionally, it allows:
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Off-chain auction for bridge quotes between relayers. CEX-like pricing with on-chain guarantees
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The first decentralized intent network with live fraud proofs, allowing SIN to onboard DeFi protocols, MEV bots, etc
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Relaying for ANY asset and ANY action. Imagine 1 transaction from ETH on Optimism to a Pendle pool on Ethereum.
Additionally, SIN allows $SYN staking and a feasible fee switch. Currently, fraud proofs are gated like the rollout of L2s, but the system allows fraud provers and relayer to stake $SYN to decentralize the network and receive fees.
Tokenomic Revolution
With these core innovations in motion, $SYN is going through a tokenomic shift. A quick look at what’s possible and DAO governance shows 3 large efforts:
Strategic Treasury Reallocation
The first force emerges from the community's forward-thinking treasury management. A proposed buyback program targeting 5M SYN tokens represents a strategic rebalancing that aligns treasury assets with the protocol's future direction, aligning the treasury toward proof-of-stake mechanics.
Emission Optimization
The second force comes from a dramatic reduction in emissions, made possible by technological efficiency gains. The proposal to reduce emissions by 65% will result in approximately 2.5M fewer SYN tokens entering circulation over the next 12 months. This isn't just about reducing supply—it's about optimizing capital efficiency while maintaining service quality across all supported chains.
The Staking Horizon
Perhaps the most intriguing development on the horizon is the introduction of staking through the Synapse Intent Network (SIN). This isn't just another staking implementation—it represents a fundamental shift in how the protocol handles security and value distribution. The introduction of proof-of-stake mechanics for relayers and guards opens new possibilities for revenue distribution while potentially creating another significant sink for SYN tokens.
In the short run, current proposals reduce SYN supply by close to 10M $SYN. In the long run, Synapse aims to own the whole user experience.
Looking Forward
Synapse will own the whole crypto experience. Chain abstraction means users don’t switch chain, don’t worry about having gas and can simply to from their prompt or intent to their desired end state.
This is why we’re building Cortex. All the complexity of crypto can be taken away by relayers for on-chain infrastructure and AI for user experience. Users only have to know their desired end state. One interface, no clicks, no submitting transactions, no gas, no looking for the right token or highest yield. The user tells Cortex what they want to achieve, and Cortex’s crypto-specific AI model prases the intent and passes it to SIN’s relayers for on-chain execution.
Cortex is the easiest way to use crypto. This creates a flywheel where the more users bridge and prompt, the more orderflow is sent to SIN, the better the prices and support for users, the more users bridge and prompt.Watch a demo of what this looks like in real life -