Hey dYdX community,
Here is an update of our introduction as a validator. We are seeking delegation partnerships to become an active and sustainable validator in the dYdX validator set.
Experience
Stake Capital is an OG blockchain investment firm active since 2018. We focus on four main areas:
- Venture capital
- Incubation
- Acceleration
- Quantitative strategies
We have extensive experience and a diversified portfolio in the blockchain ecosystem. Our team is international.
Infrastructure
We support numerous leading blockchain infrastructure projects such as Avalanche, Ethereum, Polygon, Celo, Livepeer, Flare Network, Threshold, Ux Chain…etc
DeFi
Our activities include arbitrage, market voting via Stake DAO, and close collaboration with Curve Finance. We also manage asset administration, custody, and transfer, as well as issuance and initiation. Our activities cover clearing and settlement, margining and collateralization, and we are involved in derivatives, structuring, and securitization. We also offer integration, rebalancing, and distribution services.
Native Web3 Tools
We invest in native Web3 tools, including software engineering, human resources and operations, go-to-market strategies, and gaming stack, with projects such as Nansen and Agnostic.
Quantitative Strategies
We validate on mainnet for blue-chip projects and participate in testnets for promising emerging infrastructures.
Team
Our experienced team is renowned for its expertise and responsiveness. Attentive to the needs of our partners, we provide high-performance solutions. We support foundations and companies with long-term goals by leveraging our extensive network of influence.
With in-depth expertise in decentralized finance, we master the complex challenges of the market. Our team excels in maintaining and operating validators, ensuring the security and reliability of our services 24/7.
Located in Portugal, the United States, Switzerland, and France, our team is globally present and operational.
Infrastructure Location
Our infrastructure is strategically distributed worldwide, notably in the USA (Virginia and Ohio) and Germany (Frankfurt). We can also adapt to multiple other regions, as we have done by installing our dYdX validator in Japan, to maintain optimal performance and comply with the foundation’s criteria.
What kind of hardware do you run? Baremetal, cloud-based…? In what geographic regions?
Our cloud-based servers run exclusively on Amazon Web Services. These servers are dynamically allocated with multiple hardware configurations to meet the specifics of each blockchain. Our diverse and distributed infrastructure, managed with “infrastructure as code” via Terraform, allows us to mitigate risks and efficiently manage multi-account/multi-region workloads.
Our setup is robust and resilient. If a server has an issue, we quickly deploy a new one to avoid service interruptions. Everything is configured in code to prevent inconsistencies and secure automatic connections. Our validators maintain high performance, with uptime rates generally above 99%. We regularly update our infrastructure to add new environment variables, secrets, and keys, ensuring our systems are secure and up-to-date with the latest blockchain requirements.
For which other networks are you running validators?
• 
Polygon Validator
• Celo Validator
• Livepeer Validator
• Multiverse X Validator
• Avalanche Validator
• UX Chain Validator
• Threshold Validator
• Gnosis Validator
• Ethereum Validator
• Ronin Validator
• Flare Network Validator
Best Practices
Regular updating of node/validator software is essential to ensure network compatibility and defense against new threats. Implementing robust monitoring and alerting systems aids in early detection of issues and ensures smooth operation. Active participation in network governance and consensus protocols is essential for proper operation. Using testnets to understand the specific needs of the blockchain and to test our setups. Engaging with the blockchain community via Telegram and Discord has also provided invaluable insights, updates, and support. Lastly, having a comprehensive multi-region disaster recovery strategy, including regular backups (snapshots) and a quick restoration plan, is crucial to ensure resilience.
Do you have a validator voting framework and process?
We have a governance coordinator who actively oversees the voting process. Their key tasks include monitoring proposals across the protocols Stake Capital is active in, preparing synthetic reports on upcoming votes, coordinating our activity in protocol governance, and tracking advances in DAO governance.
Are you planning to play any additional roles in the dYdX ecosystem (e.g., market maker, trader, indexer, front-end, other)?
In addition to acting as a validator, Stake Capital proposes to support the Trading program by providing RPCs for market makers who need them.
Are there other products or services you want to highlight that could be relevant for dYdX?
Stake Capital is active in early-stage venture capital, incubation, acceleration, and quantitative strategies. These include validation, liquid staking, market making, and liquidation.
Notable Contributions in Other Ecosystems
For years, Stake Capital has been fostering innovation and supporting leading companies.
Key companies:
• Curve Finance: $2.2B TVL, largest spot market with the most significant ecosystem.
• Morpho: $1.8B TVL, optimizing yields on major platforms like Aave.
• Stake DAO: $64M TVL, driving significant liquidity inflow.
• Angle Finance: $42M TVL, capital-efficient stablecoin protocol, with substantial liquidity.
• Backed Finance: $52M in issuances, tokenization of real-world assets (RWA), large institutional investors.
• Spectra Finance: $27M TVL, advanced financial products and trading strategies.
Other Selected Companies:
• Layer 1 & 2: StarkWare, Offchain Labs, Polkadot, Avalanche, Cosmos, Solana.
• DeFi Platforms: Curve Finance, Lido Finance, Synthetix, Paraswap, 1inch, Morpho.
• Bridges: Li.Fi, Wormhole, deBridge, Connext Network.
• Data, Dev Tools: The Graph, Nansen, Bubblemaps, CrunchDAO, Node Guardians, Starton, Agnostic.
• Gaming, Metaverse, Privacy: Sorare, Cross The Ages, Illuvium, OpenSea, Sismo, Nefture, Shyft.
• RWA Tokenization, Compliance: Backed Finance, Centrifuge, Request Finance, Cryptio, Waltio.
Rekt News : The dark web of DeFi journalism . Link
Stable Summit : The global conference on stablecoins. Link
Announcement: RPC for Lease and Token Delegation Partnership for dYdX
Stake Capital announces the availability of RPCs for market makers wishing to join the dYdX trading platform or optimize their operations.
We offer robust and high-performance solutions. Our full nodes are designed to meet the demands of market makers. By choosing Stake Capital, you benefit from:
• Optimal Performance: Servers configured to ensure high availability and low latency.
• Reliability and Security: An infrastructure managed with “Infrastructure as Code” via Terraform, ensuring consistent configurations and secure connections.
• Flexibility: Our nodes can be quickly deployed and tailored to your specific needs, allowing you to launch new instances in just a few days.
Seeking Partners for dYdX Token Delegation
We are also looking to establish partnerships with actors in the dYdX ecosystem for token delegation on our validator. By delegating your dYdX tokens to Stake Capital, you benefit from:
• Top Expertise: An experienced and responsive team mastering the complex challenges of blockchain validation.
• Security and Reliability: An uptime rate above 99%, with regular updates to ensure compliance with the latest blockchain requirements.
• Transparency and Governance: Active participation in protocol governance, ensured by our dedicated coordinator.
For more information or to discuss a partnership, please contact us on telegram @lounesk or lounes@stake.capital
Stake Capital Team
