KernelDAO, a Binance Labs-backed restaking ecosystem, has announced that its highly anticipated $KERNEL token will launch on April 14. With over $2 billion in total value locked (TVL) across its three flagship products, — Kernel, Kelp, and Gain — KernelDAO continues to expand BNB Chain’s security layer and amplify the utility of $KERNEL across multiple networks.
BNB Chain Leadership and Accelerating Restaking
As perhaps the largest security layer on the BNB Chain, Kernel contains above $600 million in TVL and operates over 20 decentralized validation networks (DVNs) that use KernelDAO’s restaking infrastructure to augment security and scalability on the chain. With more than another 45 projects in the pipeline to join, restaking is maturing at a rapid pace and is confirming KernelDAO’s commitment to building solid, sustainable products for the top DeFi community.
KernelDAO has also become the fourth project on Binance Megadrop, with the campaign already kicking off on April 9.
Establishing the Foundation of BNB’s Restaking Economy
By bringing restaking innovation under one token, KernelDAO positions itself as the backbone for decentralized economic security on the BNB Chain. Kelp is already ranked as the second-largest Liquid Restaking Token (LRT) in Ethereum, whereas Gain bridges tokenized vaults across chains. The launch of $KERNEL signals a new era of on-chain security and composability.
The $KERNEL Token: Utility Beyond Governance
$KERNEL is integrated across the KernelDAO ecosystem, providing utility in several key ways:
- Shared Security: To give apps inside the Kernel ecosystem financial stability, users can stake $KERNEL.
- Slashing Insurance: Staked $KERNEL can be used as insurance against potential slashing events, with stakers earning a share of protocol rewards.
- Governance: Decisions pertaining to protocol updates, fee schedules, and network growth can be made by token holders in Kernel, Kelp, and Gain.
- Liquidity Provision: Users can provide liquidity on AMMs to earn additional rewards.
A strong value proposition for $KERNEL has already received the recognition of leading protocol partners. Mira (AI co-processor) and YieldNest (liquid restaking) have committed to granting 1-2% of their token supply directly to $KERNEL holders, which will undoubtedly set the tone for future integrations. KernelDAO is having upwards of 25 partners engaged in the building process, with an anticipation that some of them will follow on similar allocation strategies.
Strategic Backing and $40M Ecosystem Fund
In 2024, KernelDAO secured $10 million in funding across multiple rounds, orchestrated from esteemed investors such as Binance Labs, Laser Digital, SCB Limited and Hypersphere Ventures.
Building on that momentum, the $40 million strategic ecosystem fund —supported by Laser Digital, SCB Limited, Hypersphere Ventures, and Cypher Capital— will fuel innovation across more than 45 projects integrating Kernel’s restaking solutions. This investment expands the reach of $KERNEL while accelerating BNB Chain’s broader DeFi ecosystem.
Tokenomics and Distribution Strategy
The community-centered tokenomics of KernelDAO allocate 55% of the supply to the public, with 10% to be set aside for Season 1 airdrop, 5% for each of Seasons 2 and 3, and a subsequent 35% for community rewards. In order to align incentives for sustainable growth within KernelDAO’s long-term vision of decentralized governance, team allocation tokens are locked with a 30-month vesting time and zero at launch.
About KernelDAO
KernelDAO is a Binance Labs-backed restaking ecosystem dedicated to expanding the boundaries of Proof-of-Stake (PoS) security. With over $2 billion in TVL across its three flagship products —Kernel, Kelp, and Gain— KernelDAO enables shared security, additional reward generation, and greater capital efficiency for decentralized networks. The upcoming $KERNEL token will serve as the unified governance and utility token for the entire ecosystem.
Visit the official site at kerneldao.com.
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