Greetings community,
At Shade Protocol we build Unstoppable Finance — a world of DeFi that is globally accessible, censorship resistant, privacy-preserving, and easy to use. We believe that privacy is the key to unlocking the full value of a decentralized future. Without privacy, we fail to achieve what DeFi is fully capable of.
Your Money.
Your Data.
Your Decisions.
Shade Protocol has existed for 2+ years — collectively achieving over $350M+ of trading volume on ShadeSwap, 40M+ TVL (at peak), with thousand of daily smart contract interactions.
As referenced in The Preamble — Road to Easy Private DeFi we have set our eyes on making Shade Protocol the easiest to use private DeFi in all of Web3. Additionally, after much user feedback we have decided to begin bundling multiple features and utilities into single upgrades, empowering upgrade packages to be more meaningful and easier to explain to users.
The Upgrade
ALEXANDRIA Upgrade will be released June 18th, 2024 at 8:00 pm. GMT +0
- Analytics Tab - (TVL, Volume, # of trades, fees accrued, PoL, etc.)
- Prices Tab - (historical candlestick charts / line charts / etc.)
- dSHD - (private liquid staking for SHD)
- Silk Analytics V2 - (SILK peg performance, basket performance, etc.)
- New pools - (dSHD/USDC, dSHD/SHD, etc.)
- New SILK collaterals
- Shade Spartan NFTs
The next upgrade after Alexandria will be released September 18th, 2024. The name of the next upgrade bundle has yet to be revealed, nor has its features.
Analytics Overhaul
Early stages of Silk Analytics V2
Across the Shade Protocol suite there are countless pieces of protocol data forming a story that has been previously untold. Information such as Silk collateral backing, peg performance data, protocol wide TVL, volume, # of trades, historical staking APY, etc. The Alexandria Upgrade represents a massive leap forward in visual storytelling — representing half a year of infrastructure overhaul empowering in app story telling that will provide the information and data users need to make informed decisions.
One of the key principles that drive Shade Protocol design decisions is a simple modicum: “…don’t make the user leave the app…”
As we investigated where users are spending their time to make decisions, we realized that block explorers and Coingecko are the two destinations where many users camp out. With the release of the Shade Protocol transaction history, one of these problem was solved (block explorer).
This left us with the need to create an in-app Coingecko esque experience:
Early stage implementation…imagine mainnet / June 18th
You can expect with the release of Alexandria to have the ability to seamlessly scroll through price charts & price tables similar to Coingecko — empowering you to make decisions on the fly without needing to open another tab.
One could even imagine what an overhauled ShadeSwap experience could like in the future with these new features intertwined.
dSHD — Private $SHD Liquid Staking
One of the key decisions users have had to choose while interacting with Shade Protocol is between the choice to stake or become a liquidity provider with their SHD tokens. With the launch of dSHD, users will be able to enjoy yield from both liquidity providing & from staking — unlocking new DeFi strategies and flexibility previously impossible.
dSHD represents the first ever LST for a natively private token; yet another first for Shade Protocol. You can expect major pools to be spun up such as:
- dSHD / SHD
- dSHD/ USDC.noble
Additionally, Shade Protocol is looking to integrate dSHD into a variety of other DeFi protocols throughout the Cosmos — setting up SHD to become the apex private omnichain asset.
Ancient Greek Theme
The parallels between Greek society, the historical city of Alexandria, and the ethos of Shade Protocol are intriguing and rich with significance. Just as ancient Greece was a hub for innovation, philosophy, and intellectual exchange, Alexandria stood as a beacon of knowledge, blending cultures and fostering groundbreaking advancements in various fields. Similarly, Shade Protocol embodies a commitment to innovation and progress within the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, mirroring the spirit of exploration and discovery that defined ancient Alexandria.
The city of Alexandria served as a melting pot for ideas and culture. Similarly, Shade Protocol embraces the free market of ideas — aiming to build a global ecosystem where financial autonomy is not just a possibility, but a reality for all. Through its upcoming Alexandria bundle release and beyond, Shade Protocol continues to forge a path towards a more equitable and decentralized future, echoing the legacy of the great civilizations that came before it.
Shade Spartan “300” NFT Launch
Example NFT
The launch of the legendary 300 Spartans is set for May 2024 on Stashh — the whitelist (for a randomized chance to be part of the mint) has begun to be developed.
Curious on how to join the whitelist? Keep your eyes peeled for the following:
- Free badge mints
- Social media tasks
- Telegram & discord active user account selection
Are you an active community member? Your work shall be noticed, Spartan.
We believe in protecting “Your Money. Your Data. Your Decisions.”
Those who hold Shade Spartans are participants in the fight against centralization, censorship, and digital encroachment.
We are the tip of the spear.
We are the protectors of privacy.
We are Spartans.Don’t give them an inch.
Syracuse 0.1 — “The Floating City”
In addition to regularly scheduled bundle upgrades, Shade Protocol will now be releasing monthly Syracuse upgrades starting with 0.1— these are quality of life changes to the Shade Protocol app, smart contracts, & infrastructure that are outside of the scope of official upgrade bundles.
The first Syracuse release (0.1) is set for June 2nd, 2024.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the unveiling of Alexandria and the upcoming launch of Shade Spartan NFTs mark significant milestones in Shade Protocol’s journey towards revolutionizing decentralized finance. Inspired by the legacy of ancient Alexandria and the valor of the Spartans, Shade Protocol stands as a beacon of innovation and financial autonomy in the decentralized landscape.
With its commitment to privacy, ease of use, and continuous improvement through Syracuse upgrades, Shade Protocol is not only shaping the future of DeFi but also empowering individuals to reclaim control over their finances and data. As the community eagerly anticipates the release of Alexandria and beyond, Shade Protocol remains dedicated to its mission of building an unstoppable, decentralized financial ecosystem for all.