What is Puffer (PUFFER)?

Deep Dive

1. Scaling Ethereum’s Foundation

Puffer tackles Ethereum’s scalability trilemma via two core innovations:
- Liquid Restaking (LRT): Lets users stake ETH to secure Ethereum while earning rewards through protocols like EigenLayer (docs).
- UniFi Rollups: “Based rollups” that inherit Ethereum’s security while processing transactions off-chain, reducing mainnet congestion.

This dual approach aims to preserve decentralization while increasing throughput for dApps and appchains.

2. Governance Reinvented

The PUFFER token governs all ecosystem components through vePUFFER – an ERC-721 NFT system where:
- Voting power grows over time (max 2x boost after 2 years)
- No fixed lockup periods – users unstake anytime but reset their voting multiplier
- Governs fee structures, operator selection, and treasury allocations (token docs)

This model incentivizes long-term alignment while avoiding rigid lockups common in veToken systems.

3. Open Participation Architecture

Unlike many staking protocols, Puffer emphasizes permissionless access:
- Node operators: Can join with as little as 1 ETH via “Validator Tickets”
- Rollup builders: Deploy appchains using UniFi’s modular stack without approval
- Restakers: Earn yield from multiple Ethereum services simultaneously

Conclusion

Puffer positions itself as Ethereum’s scalability workbench – merging restaking economics with rollup tech under community governance. Its success hinges on balancing open participation with robust security as Ethereum’s appchain ecosystem expands. Can it become the default launchpad for trust-minimized scaling solutions?