Gate Live AMA Review - Obol

In today's world where the Web3 wave is sweeping globally, Obol Collective is reshaping the underlying logic of blockchain infrastructure with its revolutionary Distributed Validator Technology (DVT). As the most innovative decentralized operating network in the Ethereum ecosystem, Obol has gathered over 800 node operators worldwide, safeguarding more than $1 billion in mainnet asset security. We understand that true decentralization requires not only technological breakthroughs but also ecological co-construction. This in-depth dialogue with the Gate community will take you on a journey to explore how OBOL can become a key link connecting technological value and community consensus through governance, staking, and ecological incentives.

Project Introduction

Obol exists to distribute, decentralize, and democratize the future of digital infrastructure—starting with Ethereum and expanding to the entire Web3. As the foundation of a Layer 1 blockchain and decentralized infrastructure network, Obol Collective is home to the largest decentralized operating ecosystem in the world. Today, over 800 decentralized operators globally run Obol Distributed Validators (DVs) to safeguard over $1 billion in mainnet assets.

Vision

Obol helps to distribute, decentralize, and democratize the future of digital infrastructure. It starts with Obol's distributed validators, which enable staking protocols, institutions, and even household stakers to achieve better performance, reduced risk, and increased rewards. More is also brought through the Obol Stack.

Obol envisions a more decentralized world of finance, communication, and identity, where individuals have more power. This vision is primarily realized through the majority of Ethereum validators acting as Obol distributed validators, which will make Ethereum the global settlement layer and the world computer, helping to decentralize all other systems. Furthermore, we believe the Obol Stack will accelerate the development of these systems by simplifying the process of packaging, publishing, and running decentralized applications and infrastructure, empowering networks, builders, and operators to launch and develop decentralized systems without requiring permission from anyone.

Token Economics

The design of the OBOL token aims to maximize utility and return value to holders and the entire Obol Collective. Currently, four main use cases are built into the tokenomics:

1. Governance: Proposals are voted on by representatives who hold voting rights with OBOL tokens.
2. Traceability of funds: The project obtains OBOL according to the RAF rounds, promoting greater ecosystem growth, which in turn helps enhance the value of the entire Obol ecosystem.
3. Staking: You can stake your OBOL tokens and receive stOBOL, allowing you to earn staking rewards while still participating in governance.
4. Re-staking and DeFi: Obol has a large number of partners and occupies an important position in the industry. Over time, the OBOL token is designed to become the primary collateral asset within the partner ecosystem, further driving value accumulation and utility.

value

The value of Obol Collective and the OBOL token is reflected in multiple aspects:

• Ecosystem: Collaborating with dozens of protocols and institutions in the field.
• Community: There are nearly a thousand independent mainnet node operators globally, the largest decentralized operating ecosystem.
• Technology: Distributed validators have secured over $1 billion in ETH on the mainnet, and the Obol team's upcoming flagship product, Obol Stack, will revolutionize the industry.

2025 target

• Continuously adopt distributed validators, aiming to reach a total locked value of 10 billion USD by the end of the year.
• The rapid adoption of Obol Stack began with collaboration with several key partners, and then expanded to more networks, builders, and operators within the industry.

Community Q&A

• Looking to the future, how does the $OBOL Collective envision the development of its decentralized validator ecosystem in terms of cross-chain interoperability, and how will the OBOL token facilitate seamless interactions between multiple networks and protocols?

Answer: OBOL is the foundation of Layer 1 blockchains, helping them achieve decentralization through a diverse set of operators and distributed validators. Today, our total locked value is $1.5 billion, with a goal of reaching $10 billion by the end of the year. We do not necessarily focus on interoperability, but rather help all blockchains actively move along the decentralization curve to gain more rewards, performance, and resilience.

• How does OBOL's Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) specifically address the centralization risks in Ethereum staking compared to other DVT solutions like SSV Network, while providing unique advantages in terms of performance and adoption?

Answer: As a purely middleware solution, Obol distributed validators do not access private keys or directly operate any other networks. We can integrate with any staking stack while maintaining its existing security. We also operate DVs independently, making them faster and more efficient than SSV.

• Looking ahead, what exciting innovations can users expect on the $OBOL roadmap? How do these innovations align with your long-term vision for the platform?

Answer: Certainly! Increase the total locked value of Obol DVs to $10 billion to enhance the performance of Ethereum and other PoS, providing better rewards and a safer experience for stakers. Launch Obol Stack, a modular, plug-and-play decentralized application and infrastructure framework.

• As a DAO, how does OBOL empower token holders to develop and make decisions on projects? Can you explain the on-chain voting mechanism driven by OBOL tokens?

Answer: In Token House, OBOL token holders are responsible for submitting, reviewing, and voting on various Obol Collective governance proposals. Through our retroactive funding program (similar to Optimism), token holders can also reward public goods funding. Finally, $OBOL can be staked to earn more rewards from governance participation!

• What risks or trade-offs might exist in the systematic distribution of OBOL tokens through incentive programs?

Answer: We believe that the incentive program is a net gain because it benefits those who invest in stakers cooperating with us by earning OBOL tokens. If you stake on Obol DVs with Lido, Etherfi, Swell, etc., you will receive more rewards!

Obol Future Outlook

As Obol's decentralized validator moves towards a goal of $10 billion TVL, and as the Obol Stack begins to empower developers to build the next generation of decentralized applications, what we see is not just the growth of a technical protocol, but a social experiment about digital sovereignty. As emphasized by the Obol team during the AMA: decentralization is not the end point, but a process of continuous evolution.

Author: Gate Live *This article only represents the author's views and does not constitute any trading advice. Investment carries risks, and users should make decisions cautiously. *The content of this article is original and copyrighted by Gate. If reprinted, please indicate the author and source; otherwise, legal responsibility will be pursued.