POL Value Accrual Post #2: Introducing the Agglayer Breakout Program

tl;dr:

• Agglayer Breakout Program projects airdrop a portion of native token supply to POL stakers
• The Program provides funding to help founders move fast and bootstrap network effects around Agglayer 
• Successful graduates, like Miden, Privado ID, [redacted] DeFi chain and others, airdrop a substantial percentage of total token supply to the POL stakers 
• Airdrops multiply POL utility with every newly launched chain—and Agglayer benefits from increased network effects

Today, we’re excited to announce the Agglayer Breakout Program, a program backed by Polygon Foundation (including Polygon Labs) to launch high-impact projects that drive significant activity to Agglayer and Polygon PoS.

Successful graduates airdrop from 5-15% of native token supply to POL stakers and connect to Agglayer.

The Agglayer Breakout Program is a combination of an incubator and community-funding for teams building on the Agglayer. It’s designed to help founders move fast, with hands-on support from the Polygon Labs team, access to resources, and connections across the ecosystem.

Polygon Foundation has developed the Agglayer Breakout Program model after refining a years-long approach of strategically incubating projects. The breakout program will help Agglayer execute its vision to unify web3 with a focus on launching high-value chains to meaningfully contribute to Agglayer’s network effects. Projects avoid the cold-start problem by tapping into the unified userbase and liquidity of Agglayer.

Agglayer Breakout Program completes the equation for POL value accrual to stakers = Agglayer + Polygon PoS + graduated projects.

Right now, a number of high-impact projects have graduated or are set to graduate imminently. 

Graduates include Miden (on the path to fully graduate), Privado ID (formally Polygon ID, fully graduated), and a forthcoming [redacted] DeFi chain that is in stealth mode. Other breakout projects include an ambitious DePIN project, a prover network, and a handful of high-impact chains that will make the Agglayer ecosystem even more attractive. 

Successfully graduated projects solve the flywheel and userbase conundrum by: 

• 5-15% of native tokens airdropped to POL stakers
• Agglayer connectivity

A new tab on the Polygon Staking app will provide a tool that calculates total amount staked, and total hours staked, in relation to all other stakers. It is provided as a public service for stakers and decentralized projects that may use this tool related to airdrops

Agglayer Breakout Program helps to incubate and launch high-value projects

The model follows a four-step process that leads to graduation: 

1. Incubation & development
   
   • Polygon Foundation identifies and nurtures high-potential projects for Aggayer Breakout Program that meaningfully contribute to Agglayer’s ecosystem. 
   • Projects receive strategic support, funding, and access to Polygon Foundation’s wealth of expertise, accelerating development and adoption.
2. Independence & growth
   
   • Projects mature and thrive independently.
   • Sovereignty is at the core of all Agglayer-related chains.
   • This structure enables the project to forge its own path while still benefiting from foundational ties to Polygon Foundation.
3. Value returns to POL stakers through airdrops
   
   • Projects allocate a meaningful portion of token supply to POL stakers, which POL staking in the future will help power core features of Agglayer, like fast interop.
   • Token airdrops allow POL stakers to further contribute to the project’s success through future staking.
   • Polygon Foundation may also receive an allocation of the project’s tokens, which can be used to grow the Polygon ecosystem through community growth initiatives, ecosystem incentives, or distributed via airdrops—aligning incentives between the new project and the existing community.
4. Building network effects
   
   • Projects will operate independently—but each will also connect to Agglayer when launching chains. 
   • Agglayer grows and increases the network effects with each unique chain and all new assets. More network effects = more revenue = more value for POL.
   • Agglayer Breakout Program projects contribute to the aggregated ecosystem.

The first cohort Breakout Airdrops

Recent graduate Privado ID (formerly Polygon ID) is now a fully independent project developing Billions, a ZK, non-biometric identity framework for humans and AI agents that will connect to Agglayer. Already tested by HSBC and Deutsche Bank, it was recently selected for the EU Blockchain Sandbox to explore regulatory applications. Built for Web3, AI, and privacy-first identity infra, Privado ID may airdrop around 5% of its token supply to POL stakers.

Miden is next up to graduate, and preparing to announce exciting news next week. An independent Miden may airdrop around 10% of native token supply to POL stakers, bringing direct benefits to the Polygon ecosystem and long-term benefits to Agglayer when Miden succeeds. Led by Bobbin Threadbare, a Facebook blockchain alum, Miden is a next-generation ZK-centric chain with a unique architecture that is positioned to compete against Solana, Aptos, and Sui. Expect more details soon.

Finally, a [redacted] DeFi chain plans may airdrop around 15% of its total token supply to POL stakers.

Each of these projects have begun to nurture developer outreach and grow network adoption—hallmarks of an independent project ready to graduate. Other Agglayer Breakout Program projects are brewing up, so stay tuned.

Launching the future

The Agglayer Breakout Program supports the future utility of POL:

• Support innovation through targeted incubation.
• Welcome airdrops by incubated projects seeking to solve the cold start problem, and adopt a loyal base of stakers. 
• Expand the utility of POL as a core asset across a growing ecosystem.
• Accelerate Web3 adoption by empowering independent teams to scale breakthrough ideas in Agglayer’s unified environment.

With Agglayer Breakout Program, we’re betting on the future of a unified crypto ecosystem, bringing new technology forward for net-positive benefits and fully realizing POL’s multidimensional utility.

The future of Web3 is aggregated.

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