The vote on the Ethena fee switch runs until September 2, 2026, and even a yes triggers not a single ENA buyback. The reason is a threshold of 7.5 billion USDe, and the protocol is currently around 3.4 billion short of it.
The Ethena Foundation has published a package of four changes aimed at two long-running questions around the project: monthly selling pressure from early backers, and who ultimately captures the economic value the protocol produces.
Ethena (ENA) is moving higher today. This on-chain scan outlines the key price catalysts, trading signals, whale activity, and risks traders should watch next.
Ethena is expanding USDe into equity perpetual-basis trades, targeting funding yields more than five times higher than Bitcoin's as the synthetic dollar looks to recover from its 2026 contraction. On Aug. 28, Ethena revealed plans to extend the basis strategy behind USDe into equity perpetual futures, where open interest has surged to about $6.
Ethena's new ecosystem developments hint at a grandiose buyback plan, removing early-seller friction.
Ethena's strategic shift to equities and commodities could significantly broaden USDe's market potential, enhancing its reserve diversification. Ethena adds equities to basis trade, shutters HIP-3 market on Hyperliquid.
Ethena (ENA), the crypto protocol behind the $4 billion synthetic dollar USDe, plans to expand its yield-generating strategy into equity perpetual futures as returns from traditional crypto derivatives weaken. Ethena said Friday that it intends to apply its basis-trading strategy to stock-linked perpetual futures, a rapidly growing market where open interest has surged to $6.2 billion from less than $1 billion in March.
Ethena's strategy could stabilize ENA's market by aligning token buybacks with USDe growth, but it risks revenue dependency on volatile yields. Ethena Foundation plans ENA buybacks contingent on USDe supply nearly doubling to $7.5 billion.
The issuer of the $4 billion USDe token said it expects real-world asset perpetuals to eclipse crypto derivatives in its backing within 12 to 24 months.
Ethena's strategic shift to equity perpetuals could redefine synthetic dollar backing, potentially stabilizing and diversifying yield sources. Ethena extends USDe backing to equity perpetuals with $6B open interest.
The Ethena Foundation proposed buying the token supply held by major early investors and revealed a fee switch to turn 95% of net protocol revenue into ENA buybacks.
ENA's extended rally may depend on revenue mechanics after the fee switch goes live.