Securely Scaling Ion Protocol: Mainnet Whitelisting

Introduction: A Revolution in the Making

We’re thrilled to report that over the past week, our testnet has seen a surge in activity, with a remarkable number of unique users joining us. Your enthusiastic participation and insightful feedback are shaping the future of Ion Protocol. Now, we’re excited to introduce a pivotal step in our journey: the Mainnet Whitelist.

The whitelist is a carefully curated access list, allowing users to participate in Ion Protocol’s markets on mainnet. This is a temporary but essential measure to ensure the utmost security and stability of our newly launched markets.

Why a Whitelist?

In DeFi, security is paramount, and we believe in minimizing the risk to user funds as much as we can. Our decision to implement a whitelist comes from a deep understanding of the potential risks present in lending platforms—sudden defaults, leverage pitfalls, and external systemic risks. By controlling the initial influx of users, we aim to create a robust and resilient environment for all as we safely scale the protocol.

Your Path to the Whitelist

Earning your spot on the whitelist is straightforward:

1. Testnet Feedback: Dive into our testnet, engage actively, and give us valuable feedback. Exceptional contributions will be recognized.
2. Testnet Participation: Your wallet address could be entered in raffles based on smart contract interactions.
3. Audit Competition: Show off your skills by participating in our audit competition. All accepted submissions stand a chance to be whitelisted.
4. Be a Lender (to access certain borrow markets): Once we launch to mainnet, deposit as a lender. This allows you to strengthen your alignment with the protocol while strengthening Ion’s potential to scale.

Benefits for All

Qualifying for the whitelist brings exclusive early access to our mainnet markets, giving you a head start at compounding your staking yield or multiplying your points from restaking providers such as EigenLayer. As we release more markets in the future, whitelist users will also gain first access to these opportunities. With all of the excitement around the staking and restaking ecosystem, we can assure you that this is not an opportunity you should sleep on.

We can’t wait to have you.