Reserve Rights (RSR) ResearchThe Reserve protocol is an innovative platform on Ethereum that, for the first time, enables the creation of asset-backed and over-collateralized stablecoins without the need for permissions. Reserve's primary mission is to introduce scalable, decentralized forms of stable currency designed to reduce the volatility common to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Etherium.
The Reserve protocol empowers anyone to generate stablecoins, which are secured by collections of ERC-20 tokens across Ethereum, Base, and Arbitrum. These digital currencies, underpinned by stable assets within the Reserve framework, are dubbed "RTokens". After setting up an RToken, users can produce these tokens by contributing the full set of backing collateral tokens, and similarly, they can retrieve this entire set upon redemption. Consequently, the trading value of an RToken closely aligns with the aggregate market value of its backing basket, with discrepancies inviting arbitrage opportunities. RTokens boast an overcollateralization feature, ensuring that in the event of a collateral token failure, there's a reserve of value to offset the deficit. This extra security layer comes from holders of Reserve Rights (RSR), who have the option to stake their RSR on any RToken. Should a collateral token falter, the staked RSR can be automatically claimed through a system driven purely by blockchain-based price oracles, devoid of any need for governance decisions or human intervention.
Long-term goals of the project
Examining the lineage of currency shows us that as one dominant global empire cedes to another, the currency of the former inevitably declines. Historical examples include the Dutch Guilder and the British Pound, and now, according to Ray Dalio, the U.S. dollar might not retain its status as the global reserve currency forever.
Bloomberg has highlighted concerns, echoed by figures like Larry Fink of BlackRock, that burgeoning U.S. fiscal deficits might alienate significant foreign investors. This scenario could lead to a potential 30 percent drop in the dollar's value, as the Federal Reserve might find itself compelled to finance the national debt through monetization.
In response to this, the Reserve community is motivated to craft a stablecoin, known as an RToken, which aims to decouple from the U.S. Dollar's peg. The ultimate ambition for cryptocurrencies is not merely to mirror the stability of existing assets in the short term but to innovate a financial instrument that maintains stability in the immediate and exhibits superior stability over extended periods.
Investors
The RSR (Reserve Rights Token) project has attracted attention and investment from a number of prominent cryptocurrency and venture capital market participants.
Coinbase Ventures
GSR (MM)
Arrington Capital
Shima Capital
NGC Ventures
Fenbushi Capital
Digital Currency Group (DCG)
BlockTower Capital
Distributed Global
Chapter One
PreAngel (China)
Sam Altman
Peter Thiel
These investors are investing in RSR believing in the project's potential to improve the stability and availability of cryptocurrencies, especially in regions with unstable economies. The participation of such significant names indicates the high interest in the project in investment circles.
Staking
Reserve Rights (RSR) serves as an over-collateralization mechanism to protect RToken holders in the rare event of a collateral token default. To enable RSR holders to provide this over-collateralization, they have the option to stake their tokens on any single RToken or distribute their RSR across multiple RTokens. Additionally, RSR holders can choose not to stake their tokens at all.
In exchange for providing this over-collateralization, RSR stakers can expect to earn a share of the revenue from the specific RToken they stake on. Generally, the greater the market cap of the RToken they stake on, the more revenue RSR stakers will receive.
When RSR is staked on an RToken, the tokens are deposited into a staking contract specific to that RToken, and the staker receives a corresponding ERC-20 token, which represents their staked RSR position on that particular RToken. This token is transferable and fungible with other staked RSR for the same RToken, allowing you to send any portion of the staked position to someone else or trade it, and the new holder has the option to unstake it if they choose to.
Understanding RSR Staking Rewards and Mechanics:
Rewards Calculation: Your rewards from staking RSR tokens are influenced by how much revenue the RToken generates, the percentage of this revenue allocated to RSR stakers by governance, and your share of the total staked RSR. For example, if an RToken earns $100, 20% is set aside for stakers, and you've staked 10% of all RSR staked on this RToken, you'd receive $2 as your reward for that period.
Mechanism of Reward Distribution: Rewards are not directly paid out but are used to buy back RSR through market auctions, increasing the value of staked RSR relative to unstaked RSR over time.
Staking Risks and Unstaking Delays: When you stake RSR, your tokens are at risk of being used to cover losses if there's a default in the collateral tokens backing an RToken. Unstaking isn't immediate; there's a delay (typically set between 7 to 30 days by governance) to ensure enough RSR remains staked to cover potential defaults. During this unstaking period, you won't earn rewards, but you can cancel the unstaking process to continue staking.
Accessing Staking: The simplest method to stake RSR is through platforms like Reserve Register, which provide user interfaces to interact with the smart contracts of the Reserve Protocol.
This system not only incentivizes staking by offering rewards but also secures the protocol by using staked RSR as a first line of defense against collateral defaults, ensuring the stability and integrity of RTokens.
Tokenomics
The Reserve Rights (RSR) token has a capped supply at 100 billion. As of now, 50.6 billion RSR are circulating, with the remaining 49.4 billion held within the Slow and Slower Wallets.
Slow Wallet: This wallet, managed by the Reserve project team, is designated for funding initiatives that drive RToken adoption. Any withdrawal from this wallet requires a compulsory 4-week waiting period after the transaction is initiated on the blockchain.
Organizational Shift in 2024: The governance of the funding for the Reserve Ecosystem underwent changes, introducing Confusion Capital. This entity oversees financial support for projects within the ecosystem like Best Friend Finance and ABC Labs, which concentrates on the development of the core protocol.
Slower Wallet: Under the administration of Confusion Capital, this wallet inherits its funds from the Slow Wallet but introduces stricter withdrawal rules. Besides maintaining the initial 4-week delay, it limits withdrawals to no more than 1% of RSR's total supply over any 4-week period. This adjustment aims to minimize the level of trust required in Confusion Capital. Here’s how the withdrawal throttle works:
After a period of no activity, the withdrawal cap could reach its maximum of 1 billion RSR.
Upon initiating a withdrawal of 1 billion RSR, the cap drops to zero.
After 2 weeks, the cap replenishes to 500 million RSR, allowing for a new withdrawal of up to 250 million RSR, reducing the cap back to 250 million RSR.
One week later, the cap increases again to potentially 500 million RSR, depending on previous activities.
This structured approach ensures a gradual release of funds, reinforcing trust and stability within the ecosystem's financial operations.
Blockchain
GSR Marketmaker activity has been spotted and is beginning to gear up for the alt season and pump up the asset. Be ready for a rapid growth of RSR in the near future!
Below are a couple of wallets owned by investment funds. As you can see, they continue to hold RSR after unlocks, which indicates that there was no distribution and we should prepare for pumping, which will trigger liquidity. This way large investment funds will be able to start selling their assets due to “born liquidity”.
It is also worth noting that most of the issuance is in the hands of those who benefit from growth! It can be seen that SlowerWallet and team have >50% of all tokens, followed by exchanges. After exchanges, the obvious leader is investment funds, which I wrote about a bit above.
Conclusion
Reserve Rights and the RSR token are on the cusp of significant change, with the potential for exponential growth. Given its innovative approach to currency stabilization, growing community, expansion into new markets and positive technical analyses, the project is well positioned to strengthen its position in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The fundamental aspects of Reserve Rights offer an optimistic outlook on its future, making RSR interesting for long-term oriented investors.
Best wishes, Horban Brothers!