Pendle Dismantles the 'Walls': From 'Locking' to 'Retaining' Users
Pendle, a leading DeFi protocol in the interest rate derivatives sector, has announced a major shift away from its long-standing veTokenomics model, transitioning to a more liquid sPENDLE system. This move sparked debate, with critics like Curve’s Michael Egorov calling it a mistake, while the token price rose 11% following the news.
The vePENDLE model, which required long-term locking for governance and rewards, was deemed inefficient—concentrating power and yields among a small group of sophisticated users and creating imbalanced incentives across liquidity pools. Over 60% of pools were unprofitable, relying on a few high-performing ones like Ethena for subsidies.
The new sPENDLE model introduces a 14-day unstaking period (with a 5% fee for instant exit), replacing indefinite locks. It also adopts algorithmic reward distribution—cutting emissions by ~30%—and directs 80% of protocol revenue to buy back and distribute PENDLE to stakers. Existing vePENDLE holders will receive up to 4x sPENDLE bonuses based on remaining lock-up time at the snapshot on January 29.
This shift reflects a broader DeFi trend away from forced loyalty via locking and toward attracting users through real yields and flexibility, as seen in updates by PancakeSwap, Balancer, and Ethena. The industry is increasingly prioritizing product appeal and capital efficiency over locked value.
比推01/22 00:32
