Synthetix (SNX) Q3 2023 Report: "War Mode" Begins as the DAO Enters a New Era of Governance

Synthetix (SNX) is a decentralized synthetic asset issuance and liquidity protocol that allows users to trade synthetic assets (Synths).

Key Insights

Primer

Synthetix (SNX) is a decentralized synthetic asset issuance and liquidity protocol that enables users to trade synthetic assets (Synths). Synths track the price of external assets through oracles like Chainlink, Pyth, and Uniswap V3 TWAP. Users can trade in both spot and perpetual futures (perps) markets for synthetic assets. SNX is the native protocol token, used for governance and as collateral backing for the protocol's liquidity.

With the launch of Synthetix V3 on Base in Q2 2024, the protocol transitioned to a new architecture that supports multiple collateral types for minting the Synthetix stablecoin, sUSD. These collateral types now include SNX, ETH, USDC, and yield-generating assets like stataUSDC. Synthetix Perps is the protocol’s leading product. The DAO delegates governance to a seven-member council – the Spartan Council. Four of the seven members are elected by SNX holders, with the other three members hired on by the elected members.

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Key Metrics

Performance Analysis

Perpetual Futures

The adoption of Synthetix V3 perps increased QoQ since launching in Q2. V3 now represents 30% of all perps trading volume as opposed to 27% in Q2. Trading volume for perps dipped QoQ for both V2 and V3, decreasing by 24% and 13%, respectively. Overall, perps volume fell for the third straight quarter to $5.1 billion, down 21% QoQ. According to DefiLlama, onchain perps volume in aggregate fell 18% in Q3. Following the decrease in perps volume were perps trading fees, decreasing 24% QoQ from $2.6 million to $2.0 million.

On the other hand, Synthetix had 57 new perp markets come online, up 90% QoQ from Q2’s 30 new perp markets. All of the new perp markets on Synthetix V3 provide exposure to assets already listed on Synthetix V2. Rather than providing exposure to new assets, the new markets utilize V3’s revamped infrastructure. Moving forward, there will likely be new markets that provide exposure to new assets as a result of the SIP-387. The proposal clearly defines a path for listing new assets: the asset must have a Pyth oracle price feed and be listed on Binance Perps.

Total Value Locked

Synthetix experienced a 15% decrease in TVL QoQ, moving from $439.4 million to $374.9 million. Despite the total TVL downturn, Synthetix V3 increased TVL by 117% QoQ, rising from $42.9 million to $93.3 million. The TVL increase is due to Synthetix liquidity providers on Ethereum migrating their positions from V2 to V3, which became possible at the end of Q2.

Open Interest

Open interest (OI) represents the total value of active, unsettled derivatives contracts at a given time. For Synthetix, OI indicates the dollar amount of all currently open perp contracts. Higher OI reflects both increased risk, as more funds are tied up in funding active positions, and strong demand for Synthetix Perps, as it shows users are actively opening and maintaining perp positions on Synthetix.

Starting Q3 at $86.6 million, OI peaked at $287.7 million on July 21 — the highest level in the past year — before gradually decreasing through September. Part of the volatility came alongside the turmoil produced by the U.S. presidential election, with Joe Biden dropping out of the race on the same day that OI peaked on Synthetix. Toward the end of the quarter, OI began rising again, finishing at $170.8 million. Additionally, all of the OI was organic in nature as there were no additional incentives offered to traders.

Synthetix V3 Fees

Synthetix V3 on Base takes 40% of fees generated from perp trading and allocates them to buying back and burning bridged SNX. The full V3 perp trading fee structure is as follows:

In Q3, SNX burned rose by 31% QoQ, from 89,000 to 129,000 SNX. The SNX burned was valued at $200,000, bringing the lifetime total of SNX burned to $480,000.

SNX’s supply is now deflationary after the protocol stopped inflation in Q4 2023. This quarter marked the third straight quarter of a reduction in the SNX supply, decreasing 0.04% QoQ from 325.8 million to 325.7 million