Documentation

The Foundation & Contributors

The Aerodrome Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the growth, governance, and development of the Aero ecosystem. The Foundation maintains the protocol as public infrastructure, runs the programs that support its growth, and oversees governance parameters, but it does not own the network or its token.

Aero launched as a public good with no venture backing or token sales. The initial token supply was distributed to the existing community. The Foundation exists to preserve this model and to act in the protocol's long-term interest rather than any single party's benefit.

Why it exists

A protocol meant to be neutral market infrastructure needs a neutral steward.

The Foundation holds no special claim on protocol revenue beyond the programs it runs transparently, and the core contracts are immutable and governed. Its job is to serve the network and the participants who use it.

How it works

  • The Foundation operates the way any other participant does: through the protocol's own mechanisms, in public.
  • The Foundation holds sAERO and allocates it through the same system every Token Operator uses. It supports pools that are strategically important, an approach that has proven effective in bootstrapping new assets and accelerating network growth. See Predictive Allocation.
  • The Foundation's flagship program, The Momentum Fund, follows a rules-based approach to turn sAERO into an engine of growth and sustainability for the protocol. See Momentum Fund.
  • It executes protocol parameter adjustments, such as pool fee rates, gauge-cap bounds, and new deployments.
  • The Foundation coordinates protocol-level events. It coordinates launch preparation, security audits, and migration support. (See: Security)

What the Foundation does not do

The boundaries matter as much as the role.

  • It does not own or control the protocol. Core contracts are immutable and the protocol is governed. The Foundation administers parameters but does not dictate outcomes.
  • It does not custody user funds. Liquidity, sAERO stakes, and rewards stay in users' own control and in the protocol's contracts.
  • It does not gatekeep participation. Anyone can create a pool, provide liquidity, stake AERO, and earn without the Foundation's approval. Pool and gauge creation are permissionless (initiated by anyone).
  • It does not set token prices or guarantee returns. Price is discovered in the market. The Foundation's programs are rules-based and disclosed, not promises of yield.

Momentum Fund

The Momentum Fund is the Foundation's flagship program: a rules-based sAERO stake that uses protocol revenue to support strategic growth and to buyback-and-burn AERO.

Aero is built to grow revenue per token over time. The Momentum Fund provides a mechanism to reduce supply directly through real protocol revenue.

How it works

The Momentum Fund carries three core mandates.

  • Grow. Direct AERO rewards to deepen liquidity for core pools and help emerging tokens gain traction. Provide quality projects with a strong foundation across every network Aero operates on.
  • Stabilize. Share in the growth of pools the Fund supports. Direct 100% of that value back to the token through a rules-based approach. Build reserves during strong markets. Deploy them through buyback-and-burns timed to market conditions, reducing supply from circulation. The Fund can also acquire sAERO stakes, taking advantage of dislocations between AERO and sAERO markets.
  • Align. Expand Aero's contributor base by offering flexible participation to builders who deliver meaningful value. Through sAERO, the Fund rewards individuals or teams for contributions like new features, integrations, research, or protocol work. Rather than competing for talent, Aero internalizes it, strengthening the network from within.

Contributors

Aero is an open protocol built and maintained by a network of contributors rather than owned by any single company. Dromos Labs builds the technology, the Aero Foundation stewards the protocol, and an open ecosystem of partners, projects, and builders extends it.

No one party controls Aero. The protocol's contracts are immutable. The initial token supply went to the community at launch. Anyone can participate by trading, providing liquidity, staking AERO, or building on top of the system.

How they work

  • Dromos Labs together with other contributors build the technology. Dromos Labs created MetaDEX03, the operating system powering Aero. It is one of the core contributors to the protocol.
  • The Aero Foundation stewards the protocol. The Foundation maintains the network as public infrastructure, runs growth programs like the Momentum Fund, and administers governance parameters.
  • Partners contribute standards and data. External partners help build Aero. Analytics partners contribute to the protocol's economic framework.
  • Builders extend the protocol. Aero is an operating system, not a single app. Anyone can build on its liquidity and routing: wallets, aggregators, launchpads, and autonomous agents all ship products on top of Aero.

Dromos Labs

Dromos Labs is the development team that created the MetaDEX model and built MetaDEX03, the operating system Aero is built on. The team is a core contributor to Aero, building and maintaining the technology. It does not own the protocol, control its governance, or hold a special claim on its revenue. The protocol belongs to its participants and is stewarded by the Foundation.

For more information: https://dromos.xyz/

Community and ecosystem contributors

Beyond the core team, Aero depends on the people who use and build around it. Liquidity providers and Token Operators supply and steer liquidity. Projects launch tokens and stream incentives. Developers integrate Aero into their own products.

Predictive Allocation is open to all these participants: individuals, funds, and autonomous agents. This ensures the people steering the protocol's rewards are the same people invested in its growth.

See also