Sui’s philosophy is that decentralization is all about permissionless participation. Sui operates with a Delegated Proof-of-Stake mechanism through which:
In addition to permissionless participation, what really matters for Sui decentralization is that SUI token holders always have enough candidates to delegate their stake to – and, specifically, that there are at least a handful aligned with each member of the Sui community.
There are many community members who are aligned with Sui, but may not have the capital or resources needed to bootstrap enough stake to begin operating. The Sui Foundation is adamant that up-front cost of pooling sufficient stake to become a Sui validator should not be a barrier to participating in Sui’s operations. This ensures the SUI token holders will have a wealth of good options to delegate to.
The Sui Foundation is thus announcing the intention of the SUI Delegation Program, which will enable community members seeking to run a validator to apply for delegated SUI tokens from the Sui Foundation to bootstrap their validator operations.
While the Foundation is still finalizing the details on this program – including the application process and requirements – we thought it was important to announce that it will exist, that the Sui Foundation is committed to decentralization, and that this will ensure Sui remains community-driven at its heart.
Sui is only as good as its community, and we hope this program is one more step towards a fair, open, and decentralized future.
Read here for more information on decentralization and delegation in Sui.
At the center of Sui’s ecosystem lies the SUI token, the key primitive permitting an on-chain global computer like Sui to operate sustainably in a distributed and decentralized fashion. Whether you’re a validator operating the network, a builder creating a cool Sui app, a user engaging with a decentralized service, or an enthusiast participating in Sui’s ecosystem – the SUI token is the glue binding the Sui community together.
To be successful, broad sets of Sui builders want and need to own the SUI token to be able to participate in on-chain activity at Mainnet launch and beyond.
The Sui Foundation is thus designing the Community Access Program to enable Sui community members to purchase SUI tokens in the early phases of the network's lifespan. This program will ensure a broad allocation of SUI tokens across Sui community members, hasten decentralization, and diversify participants.
The Sui Foundation will spend the coming weeks working together with the community to ensure this program delivers on the following goals:
In the meantime, drop a line on our Discord channels, apply for a developer grant, and keep learning about Sui. Riding solo gets lonely pretty quickly – we’re excited we get to do this journey together!
Read here for more information on community access to the SUI token.
Sui’s tokenomics have been designed to work hand-in-hand with Sui’s novel data model, object-centric architecture, and consensus algorithm. At the heart of Sui’s tokenomics lies the SUI token, which aligns incentives across all network participants including network operators, users, and owners. Whether SUI is used for staking, for paying gas fees, as a source of native on-chain liquidity, or as a claim on future governance, the SUI token enables a distributed and decentralized network like Sui to thrive at scale.
The Sui Foundation plays a pivotal role in spearheading decentralization efforts by spreading SUI tokens across the community towards their best uses. The Community Reserve, managed by the Sui Foundation, owns more than half of all SUI tokens and they will be used across a variety of community programs:
In addition to the Sui Foundation’s efforts, Sui community members will be able to purchase the SUI token in the early stages of Sui Mainnet. The Community Access Program will let Sui enthusiasts obtain SUI directly without having to participate in the Foundation’s programs. These tokens will also support community members who have interacted and tested Sui Apps to help improve Sui’s ecosystem during the devnet and testnet phases.
This pie chart contains an approximate description of the SUI token allocation at Mainnet launch. This distribution is a living being and one that will change radically over time as the network ripens into decentralization.
Importantly, the Sui Foundation will make the rewarding and distribution of SUI tokens to Sui’s early community members a topmost priority. For Sui friends who are already spreading knowledge about Sui, onboarding developers onto Sui, and testing and helping refine the product experience of Sui’s current applications, know that the Sui Foundation is here for you. The Foundation will make sure you are part of Sui’s token allocation once Mainnet is launched.
As for many, 2022 has been a year of both successes and hardships. There is much more to come and we are humbled and grateful to have you in the community. We are confident that 2023 will be the year of Sui, let’s do this!
Read here for more information on Sui’s Mainnet Token Allocation.
