Synthetix (SNX) is a decentralized liquidity provisioning protocol built on Ethereum and Optimism, serving as a backend liquidity layer for some of the most innovative protocols in the DeFi ecosystem. SNX is the native token of the Synthetix Network and has two main functions: staking and governance.
Synthetix enables the creation and trading of synthetic assets backed by stakers using SNX tokens. The collateralized SNX tokens are locked in a staking contract; in return, stakers receive rewards and market returns.
The liquidity provided by stakers allows for trading synthetic assets and perpetual futures at oracle prices, eliminating the need for traditional order books and counterparties. As a result, Synthetix's liquidity is cross-market composability, and fungible, and traditional slippage is eliminated.
SNX stakers receive a proportional share of the debt relative to their SNX stake, and their voting weight is quadratically weighted for everyone except the Finance Council. Voting occurs through the Synthetix Governance module, which is fully installed on-chain, allowing SNX token holders to participate in decisions about protocol upgrades, fee changes, collateralization ratios, and other essential matters. This creates a decentralized governance system in which the community can help shape the direction and development of the Synthetix Network.
