Building the Flagship Cross-Chain Retail Superapp -- A Glue x Stargate Partnership Proposal

[ogle]

Stargate Finance has established itself as a leading cross-chain infrastructure protocol, with over $20 billion in lifetime bridge volume to date. The team recently launched Stargate V2, vastly reducing the cost of bridging for users, accelerating chain expansion, and optimizing capital efficiency for the protocol. However, while the STG token has shown some positive movement in response to this new product launch recently, it is evident that relying solely on infrastructure developments is not yet materially shifting long-term value for STG holders. Stargate’s core technology is critical plumbing for omnichain DeFi, but to unlock the next level of growth and token value, a new approach is needed: building a retail-facing application on top of this infrastructure.

We believe that a retail-facing mobile app built for Apple and Android devices will help bring new users onto the Stargate protocol. It would provide an easy way to capture the attention of users and highlight the STG token as the critical infrastructure token of crypto - not dissimilar to how Nvidia is known as the hardware behind most of AI.

This proposal incorporates feedback gathered during discussions with members of the Stargate Foundation team, who recognize the strategic potential of a flagship retail application. For disclosure, the proposer (Ogle) is a large holder of both spot and staked STG (having been a supporter of Stargate for several years), is a co-founder of Glue, and will be voting affirmatively on the proposal.

The Opportunity: A Flagship Cross-Chain Retail App

Glue proposes to build Stargate and Glue’s joint flagship cross-chain retail application – a one-stop app where users can seamlessly swap assets across all networks Stargate supports, in one intuitive interface. Supported by Glue’s robust and secure L1 and L2s, this app would make complex omnichain transactions as simple as a single click, abstracting away the technical details of bridges, DEXes, and multiple wallets. The vision is to enable anyone to buy any token from any chain in one easy-to-use app, without ever knowing how things work under the hood. This is a massive opportunity to drive retail trading volume and fees through Stargate’s network, converting Stargate’s technical capabilities into a user-friendly product that can attract millions of new users.

Other protocols have demonstrated the impact of a strong flagship app. For example, the Jupiter DEX aggregator entered an already-crowded DEX ecosystem, but by focusing on a good app experience, was able to quickly gain market share. Solana’s users benefited from Jupiter’s easy token swaps without needing to understand the underlying mechanics. Jupiter now handles ~39% of all Solana DEX trades, and has become a centerpiece of that ecosystem. Notably, they also recently invested in and now own a majority share in Moonshot, a retail-focused token swap app with a slick experience. Moonshot’s has demonstrated how much value a retail app can create – for example, it has generated over $26m in fees in just the first four months of 2025. Capturing even a modest 5% of Moonshot’s fee volume could translate into over $102k in monthly STG buybacks and $29k distributed monthly to veSTG stakers.

Similarly, Stargate requires a friendly front-end that hides the complexity of omnichain transfers and highlights its benefits. A dedicated retail app can serve as a “face” of Stargate for users, increasing engagement and transactions through the network. Crucially, unlike Jupiter or Moonshot – which are mostly confined to Solana – this flagship app would be inherently omnichain. It would span all chains Stargate supports, giving it a huge competitive advantage and addressable market far beyond any single-chain app. This breadth is something no existing retail DeFi app offers, and Stargate is uniquely positioned to deliver it. In short, this app could become the cross-chain “Uniswap/Jupiter” for the entire omnichain world, funneling massive volume into Stargate’s protocol.

By supporting this proposal, Stargate can accelerate adoption dramatically. This user-centric approach is key to lowering the barrier for retail adoption and maximizing the reach of Stargate’s underlying technology.

To Build Alone, or to Partner?

Stargate’s core team has proven to be world-class at building deep infrastructure: cross-chain messaging, unified liquidity pools, the Hydra network, and other low-level innovations have been game-changing. Their focus is (and should remain) on strengthening the protocol’s foundations: security, new chain integrations, and scaling the network’s capacity. Building and maintaining a popular retail-facing application is a very different endeavor, one that requires a dedicated focus on user experience, front-end design, user support, and rapid feature iterations. It wouldn’t be the best use of Stargate core devs to pivot into consumer app development. If the team were to be distracted by app development, it might compromise the core thesis of Stargate. With this proposal, the risk is only the funds invested while the team stays focused on building Stargate core.

Moreover, history shows that infrastructure teams often struggle with retail product execution, not due to lack of talent, but due to different priorities and expertise. Stargate’s value comes from being the backbone of omnichain liquidity; asking the same team to also deliver a flashy mobile app or web interface could dilute their attention and slow down core protocol progress. By contrast, letting a specialized team build the app in parallel means both layers – infrastructure and application – can advance quickly without one distracting from the other.

Why Glue is the Perfect Partner to Build This App

Glue’s team and platform are uniquely positioned to deliver this flagship application quickly and successfully. Glue is not a new project starting from zero; we are an established omnichain ecosystem that has been building in parallel with Stargate for three years. Here’s why Glue is the ideal partner:

• Stargate Saves Time and Money: Glue brings a mature, purpose-built omnichain ecosystem to this partnership. We operate a live Layer 1 and Layer 2 network architecture designed for cross-chain interoperability, with deep, existing integrations of both Stargate and LayerZero technologies. Stargate’s bridge is already the default for assets entering Glue, and Stargate has already integrated the Glue chain, creating immediate technical synergy. Critically, Glue has already developed and battle-tested core components essential for the proposed app, including a functional cross-chain DEX aggregator that handles complex routing, asset conversions, and liquidity management using Stargate infrastructure. This existing, robust technology stack dramatically accelerates development timelines and de-risks the execution of the app, allowing us to leverage years of dedicated work rather than starting from scratch. This existing foundation translates directly into a faster, lower-cost, and significantly de-risked development process for Stargate.
• Experienced Team with User Acquisition Expertise: Glue’s core team isn’t just a group of blockchain engineers – we are growth hackers and product experts who have a strong track record in acquiring users for consumer applications. Our team’s background includes successful Web2 and Web3 products, mostly focused on product development and user acquisition, with millions of users and hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. We understand how to design intuitive interfaces, run effective marketing campaigns, and provide customer support for retail users. This is fundamentally different from building low-level protocol code. Glue’s team is obsessed with user experience and adoption, which is exactly the mindset needed to make the app a success. We will not simply build the app and hope users come – we will actively drive user growth through targeted marketing, partnerships, and incentive programs (more on this below). Leveraging our experienced team avoids the overhead and uncertainty associated with Stargate potentially building and managing a dedicated internal app development division.
• Aligned and Trustworthy Partner: Glue and Stargate aren’t strangers – our teams have worked together and maintain a close relationship. We’ve collaborated on integrating technologies and shared feedback on product ideas. Some of Glue’s team members have been part of the Stargate community since the very beginning (even before the current Stargate Foundation team joined), and are long-time STG holders and believers. We’re deeply invested in Stargate’s success – philosophically and literally – and this proposal is born from that shared vision. We approach this partnership with utmost respect for Stargate’s community and team. You’ll find us to be responsive, transparent, and collaborative every step of the way. By partnering with Glue, Stargate gains a dedicated “strike team” that’s already up to speed, rather than trying to hire a new internal department for app development.

Proposal Overview

Glue is proposing a comprehensive partnership plan to build, launch, and scale the cross-chain retail app built on top of Glue Network and Stargate. The major components of this plan are outlined below:

• Development of the Cross-Chain Retail App: Glue will design and develop the full-stack application that lets users perform cross-chain swaps using Stargate easily. Development is accelerated by Glue’s existing codebase, but we will polish the user interface, add any new features needed, and rigorously test the system before launching the app on iPhone and Android. Our goal is a smooth, retail-friendly app (think along the lines of a Coinbase or Robinhood simplicity, but entirely non-custodial and DeFi). The development plan includes provisions for releasing the core application code under a suitable open-source license following the initial launch phases and stabilization period, allowing the wider community to eventually build upon and verify the platform, once strategically appropriate. Furthermore, prior to public launch, the app’s smart contracts and critical back-end components will undergo rigorous independent security audits, funded within the development budget, with summary reports made available to the community.
• Marketing & User Acquisition Campaigns: To drive rapid adoption, we will execute aggressive marketing and growth initiatives. This includes educational content to introduce the app to users across various chains, social media campaigns highlighting its one-stop-shop convenience, and collaborations to promote the app. We will position it as the easiest way to trade any asset, anywhere – powered by Stargate. Glue’s marketing team will use their experience and analytics-driven approach to optimize user onboarding funnels and retention. The goal is to get a wide swath of retail users trying the app soon after launch. A co-branding strategy featuring both Stargate and Glue is proposed for the application, with the specific visual identity and naming conventions to be finalized collaboratively to maximize market impact.
• Incentive Programs to Bootstrap Usage: To kickstart network effects, we plan to use targeted incentives. For example, we might have a trading rewards program or fee rebates for early users (similar to how exchanges bootstrap volume), liquidity mining incentives for any additional liquidity needed, or referral bonuses to encourage word-of-mouth growth. All incentives will be designed to transition to organic usage – i.e., attract users to try the app and discover its convenience, so they continue using it even after rewards taper off. By allocating a portion of funding to incentives, we greatly increase the probability of achieving substantial volume (and thus fee revenue) early in the product’s life.
• Stargate – Glue Treasury Swap (Alignment of Incentives): A key part of our proposal is a treasury token swap between Stargate DAO and Glue. This means Stargate would allocate a small portion of its treasury (in STG tokens) to Glue, and Glue would allocate a corresponding amount of its native GLUE tokens to Stargate’s treasury. Both teams would then stake the tokens for a minimum of 3 years. This swap cements a long-term alignment where each ecosystem has financial interest in the other’s success. For Stargate, holding GLUE tokens means potential upside from Glue’s growth (including the success of this app and Glue’s entire platform). For Glue, holding STG means we are incentivized to drive value to STG (we benefit directly from STG price appreciation). The Stargate team and Glue have discussed this structure prior to this proposal submission.

Fee Distribution Breakdown (Benefits for STG and veSTG holders)

Revenue will be generated on the app via swap fees applied to user transactions, benchmarked against comparable applications like Moonshot. We propose the following breakdown for the distribution of net fees, executed not less than once per month:

• 35% used to buy back STG on the open market.
• 35% used to buy back GLUE on the open market.
• 10% distributed directly to veSTG stakers.
• 10% distributed directly to GLUE stakers on the Glue platform.
• 10% retained by the app treasury for protocol-owned liquidity, operational reserves, or future growth initiatives.

Projection Example: Based on publicly cited Moonshot fee generation ($26M over 4 months = ~$6.5M/month average), if this app captured a conservative 5% of that fee volume, it would generate approximately $325,000 in monthly gross fees. Assuming estimated direct costs of ~10% ($32,500), this yields net fees of ~$292,500 per month. Applying the distribution model, this would result in ~$102,375/month for STG buybacks, and ~$29,250/month distributed to veSTG stakers.

The Numbers

This proposal requests a strategic allocation from the Stargate treasury, structured entirely to ensure the successful development, launch, and growth of the flagship app, delivering maximum value back to the Stargate ecosystem:

1. $1 Million USDC Strategic Investment: Funds the design, development, security audits, and initial launch operations of the app, built upon the synergistic foundation of Glue’s L1/L2 and Stargate’s bridging technology. Our research has led to an estimation of cost breakdown as follows: $600k for engineering and product; $150k for infrastructure and scaling; $150k for security audits; $100k for operations.
2. Stargate as Exclusive Bridging Infrastructure: Guarantees that all native USDC and ETH bridging activities initiated within the app’s primary swap interface utilize Stargate, directly driving volume and fee revenue to the Stargate protocol.
3. $500,000 in STG for Paid User Acquisition: Funds a collaborative marketing campaign post-launch to acquire users for the app. This leverages Glue’s user acquisition expertise to onboard a significant retail user base. This would be released in tranches of $250k, then $250k more, only if the initial $250k of spend showed signs of success. Our estimated breakdown of costs would be $300k for user acquisition, $100k for brand building, $50k for App Store Optimization, and $50k for CAC Management & Analytics.
4. $500,000 worth of GLUE / $500,000 worth of STG Treasury Swap: Creates long-term alignment via a mutual token swap. Both treasuries commit to holding and staking their received tokens for not less than 3 years (barring necessary exigent circumstances).
5. $500,000 in STG Funding for Future App Incentives: Earmarked specifically for user incentives within the Glue & Stargate app (e.g., trading rewards, referral programs). This allocation will be used to drive user engagement, reward activity, and bootstrap network effects, directly benefiting app users and Stargate.

Crucially, this entire strategic initiative represents an investment of less than 2% of the current Stargate treasury, offering significant asymmetric upside potential.

Next Steps and Conclusion

We welcome feedback and discussion from the Stargate community on this proposal. After incorporating any final suggestions, the proposal can move to an official Snapshot vote for approval of the partnership and funding. Once approved, we commit to working with the Stargate Foundation to execute the initial steps promptly. The necessary treasury transactions shall be executed within 3 business days of the proposal passing.

Glue will provide transparent monthly progress reports to the Stargate community throughout the development and launch phases, covering development milestones, user acquisition metrics, and financial performance. We envision a collaborative ongoing relationship, potentially through regular check-ins with DAO representatives or a designated oversight committee.

Stargate has already built the highways that connect blockchains; now it’s time to build the thriving omnichain marketplace on those highways. Glue is eager to spearhead this effort on behalf of the Stargate DAO, with passion and dedication to making it a resounding success. We have immense respect for Stargate’s team and community, and we see this partnership as a way to bring even more glory to the Stargate ecosystem without detracting from its core mission. Together, we can create an application that not only showcases Stargate’s power to the wider world, but also drives real value back to the STG token and community.

[Chewbacca]

Thanks for bringing this exciting opportunity to the Stargate DAO. What is the estimated timeframe for the project?

[ogle]

Hey Chewbacca! We estimate an initial go-live for the core superapp features within approximately 6 months, sooner if possible of course but audits and development do take some time.

Months 1-4: Finalizing core architecture on the existing infra, developing the key superapp functionalities (cross-chain swaps via Stargate as the MVP, but much more could be done of course), and beginning internal/closed alpha testing
Months 4-8: beta testing with the community, incorporating feedback, final security audits, performance optimization, and preparing for the public launch

[SendokGarpu]

Very interesting proposal, and overall, I think it’s quite reasonable. My main concern is that competition in this space will be tough.

That said, if we can build a loyal user base, we won’t need to compete on razor-thin margins. It would be similar to existing wallet apps, which successfully charge higher fees for convenience and user trust.

@ogle

$500,000 in STG for Paid User Acquisition

Just to clarify, will Glue also be contributing funds toward paid user acquisition and incentive programs?

[ogle]

That said, if we can build a loyal user base, we won’t need to compete on razor-thin margins. It would be similar to existing wallet apps, which successfully charge higher fees for convenience and user trust.

Exactly - and if you think about actual transaction volume that’s done for bridging, vs transaction volume done if there were trading being done (using bridging as the way to do the connections to do the swaps), it’s orders of magnitude of increased usage of Stargate.

Just to clarify, will Glue also be contributing funds toward paid user acquisition and incentive programs?

We will do all of the labor in managing the project on it for free (it’ll be a couple thousand hours of work, not taking a fee on this at all, which will let the money go a lot further than if an agency were managing it), and yes we will also be very heavily contributing to incentive programs.

Also, for clarity, neither myself nor my co-founder have taken a penny of salary or in any way profited personally from building Glue the past almost 4 years. We won’t be taking any cut here either of course. We generally believe founding teams should be paid in tokens only (for alignment) if at all possible, not cash / salary, and we’ve stuck to this for the whole history of Glue and will in the future as well.

[Dan]

That’s a very exciting idea, and if there’s a way to further drive the transfer volume and usage of Stargate, then we as a community should definitely be very interested in it! However, there are a few questions that come to mind which I think should be clarified:

How many users does Glue currently have, and how much swap volume is being generated? Why is the comparison to Moonshot being made? How does Glue differ from the competition, and why should I, as a user, choose Glue for trading?

2.5 Million Dollar (USDC + STG) is a lot of money and imho there should be growth and traction (meaning users and swap volume) before we should think about such investments and corporations!

[Blacko]

As someone who personally uses mobile apps more, being able to use a nice a cross chain swapping app would be a game changer for me! Really excited by this proposal

[Belle]

@ogle

This means Stargate would allocate a small portion of its treasury (in STG tokens) to Glue, and Glue would allocate a corresponding amount of its native GLUE tokens to Stargate’s treasury. Both teams would then stake the tokens for a minimum of 3 years. This swap cements a long-term alignment where each ecosystem has financial interest in the other’s success.

Glue feels like a natural fit to build this. They have already been working with Stargate tech for a long time and clearly understand the challenges of making cross-chain actually usable. I also think the treasury swap and the long-term staking commitment is a smart move. It ties both sides together without taking the core Stargate team away from what they do best. Curious to see how the community responds but overall it seems like a step in the right direction

[Cryptojeremy01]

Interesting proposal. The idea of letting Stargate focus on its core infrastructure strengths while a dedicated partner like Glue handles the retail app development seems strategically sound. Building and marketing a consumer app requires a different skillset, so this division of labor could be beneficial for both sides

[Exahash]

The budget ask for marketing is bigger than what we approved for Stargate itself!

You are going to need to sharpen your pencil on the budget ask in a few areas or fund it through Glue.

[ogle]

@Dan

That’s a very exciting idea, and if there’s a way to further drive the transfer volume and usage of Stargate, then we as a community should definitely be very interested in it! However, there are a few questions that come to mind which I think should be clarified:

How many users does Glue currently have, and how much swap volume is being generated? Why is the comparison to Moonshot being made? How does Glue differ from the competition, and why should I, as a user, choose Glue for trading?

2.5 Million Dollar (USDC + STG) is a lot of money and imho there should be growth and traction (meaning users and swap volume) before we should think about such investments and corporations!

Hey Dan, glad to hear you like the idea! Sorry for the slow reply btw, I got sick while at token2049 and was out of commission the past 24h or so.

To clarify, Glue is providing the cross chain trading infrastructure, the L1 and L2 settlement layer as well as the on and off boarding. The goal is to build an app using that infrastructure and then acquire retail users for it that will drive usage and therefore fees. The app will have a substantial competitive advantage given that Stargate + Glue infrastructure will provide much better cross chain trading ability than other apps which are just focused on Solana. A significant part of the budget is reserved for user acquisition activities, which is something Glue’s founders (including myself) specialize in and have for 15+ years.

Also, the system says you’ve only ever read 3 minutes worth of things in Discourse here, and the proposal above is quite long, so unless you’re a super fast reader my guess is some of the details are lost if you only gave it 3 mins haha - just do another read-through and hopefully it’ll clarify why there is a comparison to Moonshot, among your other questions.

I hope this clarified the proposal a bit as it sounds like it may not have been very clear from your response. Please let me know if there’s anything more I can answer!

[ogle]

@Exahash

The budget ask for marketing is bigger than what we approved for Stargate itself!

You are going to need to sharpen your pencil on the budget ask in a few areas or fund it through Glue.

Yeah - I think if anything that is more a comment on how little the vast resources are being utilized to directly promote Stargate (as voiced by almost every reply to the budget proposal you mention) than it is on how outsize the proposal above is, frankly. Even so, significantly more (many millions of dollars) have been spent on incentives and other activities which are arguably “marketing” too, so if you look at it from an apples-to-apples comparison pov, this proposal in its entirety is only a fraction of what has been “spent” in that sense on other endeavors. To be clear, marketing is distinct from advertising, by the way: “If marketing communicates the ‘bigger picture’ of the brand’s identity and message, advertising is the tool to actually get it in front of customers.”

User acquisition (advertising) is what my partner and I are experts at though - we have both built $100m+ businesses that focus on digital advertising, won awards like Forbes 30 Under 30 for the marketing&advertising category, and won awards for most effective funnel creation, among many others. In fact, Snapshot (my partner) has a business that still exists today in the advertising technology world which has tens of millions of dollars a year of profitable revenue and has had for over a decade (he doesn’t actively run it anymore really as he’s full-time Glue, but this should be illustrative). I myself have owned a couple of advertising agencies that represented and worked with some of the biggest names in the world, all very profitably. While I don’t want to “dox” us each as individuals, you can verify these claims with executives of LayerZero whom I have known for many years and am fully undoxed to.

So if there’s one place where I am very confident we can make something happen, it’s on getting users to check out the app. And when we implement proper tracking metrics, we’ll be able to see what is working on a ROI basis, where we’re wasting our money, etc. This unfortunately does take some money to find out - that’s how performance advertising works usually, you “buy knowledge” via various different approaches at once - and then when we find something that is ROI+, we can scale up on it. At that point my hope is it creates a flywheel such that we know that spending $1 begets $2-3 or $10, and we can use the earnings to spend more and get more returns, ad infinitum. This is as compared to how money is typically spent on marketing in crypto, where money is mostly simply thrown at events and one hopes it brings new users, but there’s essentially no proof it does. This is called “brand advertising,” and while there’s a place for it in the world for sure, it is very hard to track whether it is actually a good use of budget. With the approach we take, you can see dollar for dollar whether there is a positive return on investment, down to the campaign level. It’s the best possible way to make sure the pencil is, in fact, sharp.

[GHblue]

My take is that a lot of crypto projects don’t take marketing seriously enough, but it’s what actually attracts users. It’s good to see this proposal place real emphasis on user acquisition rather than assuming people will show up. It’s refreshing to see a team focused on actual user growth instead of the usual “KOL campaigns” that rarely move the needle in terms of volume or long-term impact

[Bigave]

The 35% buyback on both tokens is aggressive, and if volume hits the projections, it could actually have a nice impact. STG distributions have historically not always occurred on time, so wondering if there’s a way to ensure that the buybacks are automated vs manual

[Dan]

Hi ogle, i was reading the post while not beeing logged in, so thats why it seems like i only read it for 3 minutes.

As already said i really like the idea/concept and its always a good idea to widen our usecases especially when we think abt a possible oft dominated future where real liquidity bridges might not be that important anymore.

As already stated i would love to see some real numbers/usage on your side before using that amount of money. Its very difficult to attract users in crypto and i see many projects trying to position as the next binance (e.g. infinex, hyperliquid and many many others) and only very few gain significant marketshare. Mobile approach is very important obviously, but i would like to know who your first 100 power users are or might be and why would they use the glue hub instead of countless other options?!

[DepthOfYield]

Definitely like it! Given the token has been down only for so long and there doesn’t seem to be any plan to reverse that, definitely happy to support something with a big vision!

[ogle]

@Dan

Hi ogle, i was reading the post while not beeing logged in, so thats why it seems like i only read it for 3 minutes.

As already said i really like the idea/concept and its always a good idea to widen our usecases especially when we think abt a possible oft dominated future where real liquidity bridges might not be that important anymore.

As already stated i would love to see some real numbers/usage on your side before using that amount of money. Its very difficult to attract users in crypto and i see many projects trying to position as the next binance (e.g. infinex, hyperliquid and many many others) and only very few gain significant marketshare. Mobile approach is very important obviously, but i would like to know who your first 100 power users are or might be and why would they use the glue hub instead of countless other options?!

Hi Dan,

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I completely agree that with the OFT standard, liquidity bridges and native liquidity on chains will potentially become far less important. So far, I haven’t seen any protocols really take advantage of this, but a cross-chain mobile app which taps directly into this unique opportunity (without needing to be burdened by liquidity constraints which a centralized exchange would be) could really be a game-changer for retail users.

Regarding metrics and usage numbers, Glue currently has an active and engaged community, with approximately 35,000 followers on X and 25,000 members on Telegram. We also have a dedicated group of beta testers actively providing feedback and using the product. Due to delays with Stargate’s deployment on Glue, we’ve only recently been able to integrate OFTs on Glue (the first will be in a few days). This means we’ll be gathering critical volume and usage data in the coming 2-3 weeks, alongside enhancements to our analytics tooling to offer transparent, actionable insights.

To your question about the Glue Hub vs other options, we see this app as being distinctly separate to the Glue Hub. Think of the Glue Hub more like your Bank of America experience (comprehensive, targeting both retail and institutions, generally older users) versus this cross-chain app that would be more specific and focused on cross-chain swaps (targeting a younger audience, hungry to get a new hot memecoin early).

And as for why someone would be using this app - there is currently no easy-to-use mobile cross chain app that I’m aware of with a lot of volume. And the benefit of using our app versus a CEX would be: faster “listings”, potentially cheaper fees (from being able to tap into liquidity across all LZ chains), and deeper liquidity for larger buys. Our goal isn’t to become the next binance of hyperliquid (they both have their own niches), but rather to carve out a niche for Stargate and Glue that is currently totally untapped.

Really though, I wanna be very clear that this proposal has nothing to do with the Glue Hub whatsoever - this is for an entirely separate endeavor, with separate people overseeing production. The only thing that touches “Glue” is that onboarding would be on the Glue chain (which would not be visible to the user - they should not have to understand or know what a chain is to begin with imo). Other than that, anything related to Glue metrics or other info should be considered totally irrelevant tbh.

[ogle]

@DepthOfYield

Definitely like it! Given the token has been down only for so long and there doesn’t seem to be any plan to reverse that, definitely happy to support something with a big vision!

Hi Bigave, thank you for your question! We certainly can look at making an automated process to buy back the STG. Ideally, how something like this would work is a user buys X token cross chain > fees are generated on the app > 35% of the fees are immediately used to buy STG, creating steady buy pressure that can’t be timed or dumped upon by VCs. As someone who is a large STG and veSTG holder myself, I can definitely appreciate the need for prompt and timely distributions, and will be doing everything I can to make sure this is the case with this app! Automation would be key here.

[titoreis6]

STG is a great project!

[ogle]

After extensive feedback from the Foundation and community, please see the final (?) version or the proposal below, which will go on to Snapshot soon:

Stargate Finance has established itself as a leading cross-chain infrastructure protocol, with over $20 billion in lifetime bridge volume to date. The team recently launched Stargate V2, vastly reducing the cost of bridging for users, accelerating chain expansion, and optimizing capital efficiency for the protocol. However, while the STG token has shown some positive movement in response to this new product launch recently, it is evident that relying solely on infrastructure developments is not yet materially shifting long-term value for STG holders. Stargate’s core technology is critical plumbing for omnichain DeFi, but to unlock the next level of growth and token value, a new approach is needed: building a retail-facing application on top of this infrastructure.

We believe that a retail-facing mobile app built for Apple and Android devices will help bring new users onto the Stargate protocol. It will provide an easy way to capture the attention of users and highlight the STG token as the critical infrastructure token of crypto - not dissimilar to how Nvidia is known as the hardware behind most of AI.

This proposal is the result of extensive feedback gathered from members of the Stargate Foundation team and large ecosystem stakeholders, who recognize the strategic potential of a flagship retail application. For disclosure, the proposer (Ogle) is a relatively large holder of both spot and staked STG (having been a supporter of Stargate for several years), is a co-founder of Glue, and will be voting affirmatively on the proposal.

The Opportunity: A Flagship Cross-Chain Retail App

Glue proposes to build Stargate and Glue’s joint flagship cross-chain retail mobile application. Users will be able to seamlessly swap assets across all networks Stargate supports in one intuitive interface. Supported by Glue’s robust and secure chain, this app will make complex omnichain transactions as simple as a single click, abstracting away the technical details of bridges, DEXes, and multiple wallets. The vision is to enable anyone to buy any token from any chain in one easy-to-use app, without ever knowing how things work under the hood. This is a massive opportunity to drive retail trading volume and fees through Stargate’s network, converting Stargate’s technical capabilities into a user-friendly product that can attract millions of new users.

Other protocols have demonstrated the impact of a strong flagship app. For example, the Jupiter DEX aggregator entered an already-crowded DEX ecosystem, but by focusing on a good app experience, was able to quickly gain market share. Solana’s users benefited from Jupiter’s easy token swaps without needing to understand the underlying mechanics. Jupiter now handles ~39% of all Solana DEX trades, and has become a centerpiece of that ecosystem. Notably, they also recently invested in and now own a majority share in Moonshot, a retail-focused token swap mobile app with a slick experience. Moonshot’s has demonstrated how much value a retail app can create – for example, it has generated over $26m in fees in just the first four months of 2025. Capturing even a modest 5% of Moonshot’s fee volume could translate into over $102k in monthly STG buybacks and $29k distributed monthly to veSTG stakers.

Similarly, Stargate requires a friendly front-end that hides the complexity of omnichain transfers and highlights its benefits. A dedicated retail app can serve as a “face” of Stargate for users, increasing engagement and transactions through the network. Crucially, unlike Jupiter or Moonshot, which are mostly confined to Solana, this flagship app will be inherently omnichain. It will span all chains Stargate supports, giving it a huge competitive advantage and addressable market far beyond any single-chain app. This breadth is something no existing retail DeFi app offers, and Stargate is uniquely positioned to deliver it. In short, this app could become the cross-chain “Uniswap/Jupiter” for the entire omnichain world, funneling massive volume into Stargate’s protocol.

By supporting this proposal, Stargate can accelerate adoption dramatically. This user-centric approach is key to lowering the barrier for retail adoption and maximizing the reach of Stargate’s underlying technology.

To Build Alone, or to Partner?

Stargate’s core team has proven to be world-class at building deep infrastructure: cross-chain messaging, unified liquidity pools, the Hydra network, and other low-level innovations have been game-changing. Their focus is (and should remain) on strengthening the protocol’s foundations: security, new chain integrations, and scaling the network’s capacity. Building and maintaining a popular retail-facing application is a very different endeavor, one that requires a dedicated focus on user experience, front-end design, user support, and rapid feature iterations. It wouldn’t be the best use of Stargate core devs to pivot into consumer app development. If the team were to be distracted by app development, it might compromise the core thesis of Stargate. With this proposal, the risk is only the funds invested while the team stays focused on building Stargate core.

Moreover, history shows that infrastructure teams often struggle with retail product execution, not due to lack of talent, but due to different priorities and expertise. Stargate’s value comes from being the backbone of omnichain liquidity; asking the same team to also deliver a flashy mobile app or web interface could dilute their attention and slow down core protocol progress. By contrast, letting a specialized team build the app in parallel means both layers (infrastructure and application) can advance quickly without one distracting from the other.

Why Glue is the Perfect Partner to Build This App

Glue’s team and platform are uniquely positioned to deliver this flagship application quickly and successfully. Glue is not a new project starting from zero; we are an established omnichain ecosystem that has been building in parallel with Stargate for three years. Here’s why Glue is the ideal partner:

• Stargate Saves Time and Money: Glue brings a mature, purpose-built omnichain ecosystem to this partnership. We operate a live Layer 1 and Layer 2 network architecture designed for cross-chain interoperability, with deep, existing integrations of both Stargate and LayerZero technologies. Stargate’s bridge is already the default for assets entering Glue, and Stargate has already integrated the Glue chain, creating immediate technical synergy. Critically, Glue has already developed and battle-tested core components essential for the proposed app, including a functional cross-chain DEX aggregator that handles complex routing, asset conversions, and liquidity management using Stargate infrastructure. This existing, robust technology stack dramatically accelerates development timelines and de-risks the execution of the app, allowing us to leverage years of dedicated work rather than starting from scratch. This existing foundation translates directly into a faster, lower-cost, and significantly de-risked development process for Stargate.
• Experienced Team with User Acquisition Expertise: Glue’s core team isn’t just a group of blockchain engineers – we are growth hackers and product experts who have a strong track record in acquiring users for consumer applications. Our team’s background includes successful Web2 and Web3 products, mostly focused on product development and user acquisition, with millions of users and hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. We understand how to design intuitive interfaces, run effective marketing campaigns, and provide customer support for retail users. This is fundamentally different from building low-level protocol code. Glue’s team is obsessed with user experience and adoption, which is exactly the mindset needed to make the app a success. We will not simply build the app and hope users come – we will actively drive user growth through targeted marketing, partnerships, and incentive programs (more on this below). Leveraging our experienced team avoids the overhead and uncertainty associated with Stargate potentially building and managing a dedicated internal app development division.
• Aligned and Trustworthy Partner: Glue and Stargate aren’t strangers – our teams have worked together and maintain a close relationship. We’ve collaborated on integrating technologies and shared feedback on product ideas. Some of Glue’s team members have been part of the Stargate community since the very beginning , and are long-time STG holders and believers. We’re deeply invested in Stargate’s success – philosophically and literally – and this proposal is born from that shared vision. We approach this partnership with utmost respect for Stargate’s community and team. You’ll find us to be responsive, transparent, and collaborative every step of the way. By partnering with Glue, Stargate gains a dedicated “strike team” that’s already up to speed, rather than trying to hire a new internal department for app development.

Proposal Overview

Glue is proposing a comprehensive partnership plan to build, launch, and scale the cross-chain retail app built on top of Glue Network and Stargate. The major components of this plan are outlined below:

• Development of the Cross-Chain Retail App: Glue will design and develop the full-stack application that lets users perform cross-chain swaps using Stargate easily. Development is accelerated by Glue’s existing codebase, but we will polish the user interface, add any new features needed, and rigorously test the system before launching the app on iPhone and Android. Our goal is a smooth, retail-friendly app (think along the lines of a Coinbase or Robinhood simplicity, but entirely non-custodial and DeFi). The development plan includes provisions for releasing the core application code under a suitable open-source license following the initial launch phases and stabilization period, allowing the wider community to eventually build upon and verify the platform, once strategically appropriate. Furthermore, prior to public launch, the app’s smart contracts and critical back-end components will undergo rigorous independent security audits, funded within the development budget, with summary reports made available to the community.
• Marketing & User Acquisition Campaigns: To drive rapid adoption, we will execute aggressive marketing and growth initiatives. This includes educational content to introduce the app to users across various chains, social media campaigns highlighting its one-stop-shop convenience, and collaborations to promote the app. We will position it as the easiest way to trade any asset, anywhere – powered by Stargate. Glue’s marketing team will use their experience and analytics-driven approach to optimize user onboarding funnels and retention. The goal is to get a wide swath of retail users trying the app soon after launch. A co-branding strategy featuring both Stargate and Glue is proposed for the application, with the specific visual identity and naming conventions to be finalized collaboratively to maximize market impact.
• Incentive Programs to Bootstrap Usage: To kickstart network effects, we plan to use targeted incentives. For example, we might have a trading rewards program or fee rebates for early users (similar to how exchanges bootstrap volume), liquidity mining incentives for any additional liquidity needed, or referral bonuses to encourage word-of-mouth growth. All incentives will be designed to transition to organic usage – i.e., attract users to try the app and discover its convenience, so they continue using it even after rewards taper off. By allocating a portion of funding to incentives, we greatly increase the probability of achieving substantial volume (and thus fee revenue) early in the product’s life.
• Stargate – Glue Treasury Swap (Alignment of Incentives): A key part of our proposal is a treasury token swap between Stargate DAO and Glue. This means Stargate will allocate a small portion of its treasury (in STG tokens) to Glue, and Glue will allocate a corresponding amount of its native GLUE tokens to Stargate’s treasury. Both teams will then stake the tokens for a minimum of 3 years. This swap cements a long-term alignment where each ecosystem has financial interest in the other’s success. For Stargate, holding GLUE tokens means potential upside from Glue’s growth (including the success of this app and Glue’s entire platform). For Glue, holding STG means we are incentivized to drive value to STG (we benefit directly from STG price appreciation). The Stargate team and Glue have discussed this structure prior to this proposal submission.

Fee Distribution Breakdown (Benefits for STG and veSTG holders)

Revenue will be generated on the app via swap fees applied to user transactions, benchmarked against comparable applications like Moonshot. We propose the following breakdown for the distribution of net fees, executed not less than once per month:

• 35% used to buy back STG on the open market.
• 35% used to buy back GLUE on the open market.
• 10% distributed directly to veSTG stakers.
• 10% distributed directly to GLUE stakers on the Glue platform.
• 10% retained by the app treasury for protocol-owned liquidity, operations, and/or future growth initiatives.

Projection Example: Based on publicly cited Moonshot fee generation ($26M over 4 months = ~$6.5M/month average), if this app captured a conservative 5% of that fee volume, it would generate approximately $325,000 in monthly gross fees. Assuming estimated direct costs of ~10% ($32,500), this yields net fees of ~$292,500 per month. Applying the distribution model, this would result in ~$102,375/month for STG buybacks, and ~$29,250/month distributed to veSTG stakers.

The Details

This proposal requests a strategic allocation from the Stargate treasury, structured entirely to ensure the successful development, launch, and growth of the flagship app, delivering maximum value back to the Stargate ecosystem. These are based on several iterations and discussions with the Stargate Foundation team members:

1. $1 Million USDC Strategic Grant: Funds the design, development, security audits, and initial launch operations of the app, built upon the foundation of Glue’s L1/L2s and Stargate’s bridging technology. Our research has led to an estimation of cost breakdown as follows: $600k for engineering and product; $150k for infrastructure and scaling; $150k for security audits; $100k for operations. $500,000 to be distributed upfront to the Glue team, with another $500,000 distributed once the final scope document, with details on design makeup, final user flow & experience is sent to the Stargate Foundation. If the project is terminated at any point, the balance of any remaining funds will be sent back to the Stargate Foundation.
2. Stargate as Exclusive Bridging Infrastructure: Guarantees that all native USDC and ETH bridging activities initiated within the app’s primary swap interface utilize Stargate when available, directly driving volume and fee revenue to the Stargate protocol.
3. $500,000 in STG for Paid User Acquisition: Funds a collaborative marketing campaign post-launch to acquire users for the app. This leverages Glue’s user acquisition expertise to onboard a significant retail user base. This would be released in tranches of $200k, then $200k more, then $100k more, once there are proven signs of success, where “success” is to be defined as the acquisition campaign generating more in economic returns than what is spent. Directional success will be calculated based upon the second $100k out of the first $200k. Glue and the Foundation can mutually agree to release future tranches even in the case of a lack of success as defined above. Our estimated breakdown of costs would be $300k for user acquisition, $100k for brand building, $50k for App Store Optimization, and $50k for CAC Management & Analytics.
4. $500,000 worth of GLUE / $500,000 worth of STG Treasury Swap: Creates long-term alignment via a mutual token swap. Both treasuries commit to holding and staking their received tokens for not less than 3 years (barring necessary exigent circumstances). The first $200,000 of tokens from each team will be distributed upon this proposal passing, with a further $300,000 distributed upon completion of the app.
5. $500,000 in STG Funding for Future App Incentives: Earmarked specifically for user incentives within the Glue & Stargate app (e.g., trading rewards, referral programs). This allocation will be used to drive user engagement, reward activity, and bootstrap network effects, directly benefiting app users and Stargate. This amount of allocated STG will only be released upon successful completion of the app.

Crucially, this entire strategic initiative represents an investment of less than 2% of the current Stargate treasury, offering significant asymmetric upside potential in the case of even minimal success.

Next Steps and Conclusion

We welcome feedback and discussion from the Stargate community on this proposal. After incorporating any final suggestions, the proposal can move to an official Snapshot vote for approval of the partnership and funding. Once approved, we commit to working with the Stargate Foundation to execute the initial steps promptly. The necessary treasury transactions shall be executed within 3 business days of the proposal passing.

Glue will provide transparent progress reports to the Stargate community throughout the development and launch phases, covering development milestones, user acquisition metrics, and financial performance. We envision a collaborative ongoing relationship, potentially through regular check-ins with DAO representatives or a designated oversight committee.

Stargate has already built the highways that connect blockchains; now it’s time to build the thriving omnichain marketplace on those highways. Glue is eager to spearhead this effort on behalf of the Stargate DAO, with passion and dedication to making it a resounding success. We have immense respect for Stargate’s team and community, and we see this partnership as a way to bring even more glory to the Stargate ecosystem without detracting from its core mission. Together, we can create an application that not only showcases Stargate’s power to the wider world, but also drives real value back to the STG token and community.