In today’s cryptocurrency market, users often face a dilemma: how to maintain liquidity while maximizing returns? Traditional staking services provide stable yields but lock assets for specific periods, severely limiting financial flexibility. MilkyWay, as the first “liquid staking and restaking” dual protocol in the modular ecosystem, cleverly solves this challenge, making staking and liquidity no longer mutually exclusive.
MilkyWay redefines crypto asset efficiency through its innovative liquid staking service and restaking protocol, allowing users to earn staking rewards without locking assets while deploying these assets in other DeFi protocols for additional returns. With the upcoming launch of the $MILK token, the MilkyWay ecosystem will experience a qualitative leap, creating a truly decentralized, self-sustaining liquidity cycle.
This article will analyze MilkyWay’s core technology, MILK’s tokenomics, and future development roadmap, providing a comprehensive understanding of this innovative platform that’s changing the modular blockchain world.
Key Takeaways:
- MilkyWay is the first “dual protocol” in the modular ecosystem, simultaneously offering liquid staking and restaking services, solving the contradiction between liquidity and returns in traditional staking.
- Users gain triple returns from a single capital investment: base staking rewards, DeFi participation yields, and additional rewards from restaking, significantly improving capital efficiency.
- The MILK token will launch in H1 2025, with holders receiving protocol revenue sharing, governance rights, and ecosystem incentives.
- Supports multiple assets, currently including TIA and related liquid staking tokens, with future expansion to INIT, stablecoins, and more mainstream crypto assets.
- Innovative programmable rules allow Active Validator Services (AVS) to customize their security models, enabling highly flexible security solutions.
- Already gained market recognition, with TVL exceeding $51 million in less than two months, becoming an important component of modular blockchain infrastructure.
Table of Contents
What is MilkyWay (MILK) Coin? A Complete Introduction
MilkyWay is the first and largest liquid staking and restaking protocol in the modular ecosystem, focused on providing innovative staking solutions for modular blockchains. As a firm believer in modular architecture, MilkyWay launched a liquid staking service tailored for the Celestia blockchain in December 2023, and quickly evolved into a comprehensive solution unifying liquidity and security.
$MILK will be the native token of the MilkyWay protocol. Although the team has not yet minted the MILK token, its core design has been determined: $MILK holders will receive a portion of the protocol’s revenue while also serving as a governance token, empowering holders to influence important decisions regarding new features, fee structures, and treasury management.
Through its advanced modular liquid staking and restaking services, MilkyWay allows users to stake tokens like TIA and INIT, receiving liquid tokens (such as milkTIA) that represent their staking positions while maintaining asset liquidity and earning staking rewards. More importantly, users can further apply their staked assets to multiple blockchain services through the restaking service, gaining additional returns and improving capital efficiency.
MilkyWay’s mission is to become the most recognized liquidity and security hub in the modular ecosystem, maximizing user opportunities, improving capital efficiency, and minimizing security bootstrapping overhead for blockchain developers.
MilkyWay Crypto vs MILK Token: Understanding the Difference
The relationship between MilkyWay and MILK coin can be simply understood as the relationship between a platform and its native token. MilkyWay is a comprehensive blockchain service platform, while MILK is the platform’s governance and utility token.
Key Problems MilkyWay Solves in the Crypto Ecosystem
1. The Contradiction Between Staking Lock-ups and Liquidity
In traditional Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks, users must wait through an unbonding period to retrieve their assets after staking, severely limiting financial liquidity. For example, Celestia’s unbonding period lasts 21 days. MilkyWay’s liquid staking service allows users to earn staking rewards without locking their assets, fundamentally resolving this contradiction.
2. Fragmentation of Decentralized Trust and Security
As blockchain ecosystems expand, security and validation resources become highly fragmented. Each independent network needs to bootstrap its own security mechanism from scratch, leading to resource waste and security vulnerabilities in smaller networks. MilkyWay’s restaking protocol allows reuse of already staked capital to provide security guarantees for multiple protocols, unifying fragmented security resources.
3. High Security Costs for Emerging Services
Decentralized services (such as oracles, data availability services, bridging solutions, etc.) often struggle to achieve security guarantees comparable to the base layer, limiting their development and adoption. By allowing these services to leverage existing staking pools, MilkyWay significantly reduces their security bootstrapping costs.
4. Low Capital Efficiency
In traditional staking models, users’ capital can only serve a single network, unable to realize its maximum utility. MilkyWay’s liquid staking + restaking combination allows the same capital to simultaneously serve multiple protocols and earn multiple returns, significantly improving capital efficiency.
5. Cross-chain Interoperability Barriers
As the blockchain ecosystem becomes increasingly diverse, users need to manage multiple wallets and assets across different chains, increasing usage complexity. MilkyWay is committed to providing chain abstraction and seamless user experience, simplifying cross-chain interactions.
MilkyWay Token: Origin Story and Development Milestones
December 2023: The Starting Point
The MilkyWay team, as firm believers in modular architecture, began their journey by launching an enhanced liquid staking solution for the Celestia blockchain. This was the project’s first phase, allowing TIA holders to stake without locking assets, instead receiving tokens representing their staking positions (i.e., liquid staking tokens or liquid staking derivatives).
Since its launch, MilkyWay’s liquid staking service has gained significant recognition from the community. milkTIA, as the receipt token for TIA, is now listed on numerous DeFi protocols. In less than two months, MilkyWay quickly surpassed $51 million in Total Value Locked (TVL), demonstrating the market’s demand and recognition for its service.
As the modular ecosystem rapidly develops, MilkyWay is expanding to its second phase: a platform for efficiently plugging in and out security for blockchain projects, powered by the restaking protocol for the modular ecosystem, aimed at solving trust fragmentation and cryptoeconomic security issues in blockchain networks.
Q4 2024: Restaking Deposits Go Live
In Q4 2024, MilkyWay launched its restaking deposit service, allowing users to stake their $TIA and TIA’s liquid staking tokens, including milkTIA, stTIA, and dTIA. This marked a critical step for MilkyWay toward becoming a comprehensive security and liquidity center.
Future Plans: MILK Token and Expanded Asset Support
MilkyWay plans to launch its native MILK token in the first half of 2025 and expand support to more assets, including INIT and its liquid staking tokens, stablecoins (such as USDC and USDT), and other major assets (such as BTC, ETH, etc.), further enhancing MilkyWay’s position as a liquidity and security center in the modular ecosystem.
MilkyWay’s development story demonstrates a clear vision: to create a unified liquidity and security center for the modular blockchain ecosystem through innovative staking solutions, maximizing user opportunities, improving capital efficiency, and minimizing security bootstrapping overhead for blockchain developers.
Core Features and Advantages of the MILK Crypto Protocol
1. Modular Liquid Staking Technology
MilkyWay provides specially designed liquid staking services for the modular ecosystem. Users immediately receive representative tokens (such as milkTIA or milkINIT) after staking assets like TIA or INIT. These tokens can be used in various DeFi protocols while the original stake continues to generate rewards.
Particularly innovative is MilkyWay’s unique “Authz delegated multisig” design for Celestia and its dedicated L2 application blockchain for Initia, ensuring the security and reliability of liquid staking services.
2. Automatic Compound Reward Mechanism
MilkyWay’s liquid staking tokens (such as milkTIA) automatically compound staking rewards without requiring manual user operations. This means that as time passes, users’ staking value naturally increases, maximizing investment returns.
3. Innovative Restaking Protocol
MilkyWay’s restaking protocol allows users to stake already staked assets (or liquid staking tokens) again, providing security guarantees for multiple services and earning additional returns. This greatly improves capital efficiency, allowing the same asset to simultaneously provide value to multiple protocols.
4. Programmable Rules
MilkyWay’s restaking layer offers highly customizable rules, including delegation rules and slashing rules. This allows Active Validator Services (AVS) to customize security models according to their needs, ensuring optimal decentralization and security guarantees.
5. Multi-asset Support
Unlike many competitors that only support a single asset, MilkyWay supports multiple assets, including TIA, INIT, and their liquid staking tokens. It will expand to stablecoins and other major crypto assets in the future, providing users with greater flexibility and portfolio diversification options.
6. Community-Driven Innovation
MilkyWay has cultivated a vibrant ecosystem spanning bridging solutions, DeFi protocols, Active Validator Services (AVS), node operators, and more. All participants benefit from the network effects of shared security and liquidity.
7. True Capital Efficiency
By combining liquid staking and restaking, MilkyWay enables users to simultaneously enjoy triple returns: base staking rewards, DeFi participation returns, and restaking rewards for providing security to additional services. This “three-dimensional” revenue model is extremely rare in the cryptocurrency field.
8. Proven Security Record
As an early pioneer in Celestia’s liquid staking, MilkyWay has established a robust security record with audited code and a satisfied user base, laying a reliable foundation for its new services and features.
Practical Applications of MilkyWay in DeFi and Modular Blockchains
1. For Celestia and Initia Stakers
MilkyWay provides an ideal choice for users who want to stake assets while maintaining liquidity. Users can stake TIA or INIT, immediately receive representative tokens (such as milkTIA or milkINIT), and continue to earn basic staking rewards. These tokens can be further deployed to various DeFi protocols, creating additional earning opportunities.
Application example: Xiao Ming holds 100 TIA tokens. After staking through MilkyWay, he immediately receives 100 milkTIA. He can use these milkTIA to participate in liquidity pools on DEXes like Osmosis, or as collateral to borrow other assets on lending platforms, while his original TIA continues to generate staking rewards.
2. For Service Developers (AVS Builders)
MilkyWay offers teams developing new services the opportunity to quickly integrate robust security layers without designing their own staking tokens, bootstrapping separate validator sets, or attracting stakers. Developers can define their security requirements, and users can opt in based on yield opportunities.
Application example: A new cross-chain bridge service needs cryptoeconomic security but lacks resources to establish its own validator network. They can utilize MilkyWay’s restaking protocol to leverage already staked TIA or its liquid staking tokens for security guarantees, while offering additional rewards to users providing security.
3. For Operators and Validators
MilkyWay allows validators and infrastructure providers to expand revenue streams by securing multiple AVS services. Operators can run MilkyWay nodes, choose to support various services, and earn fees from each service.
Application example: A Celestia validator can choose to become an operator on the MilkyWay network, providing validation for multiple services requiring additional security layers. This way, they not only earn basic validation rewards from Celestia but also receive commissions from each additional service they support.
4. For Yield Seekers (Restakers)
MilkyWay provides opportunities for users looking to maximize returns on their already staked assets. Users can restake their existing staked assets or liquid staking tokens to provide security guarantees for new projects and services, thereby earning additional rewards.
Application example: Zhang San has already staked TIA through MilkyWay and holds milkTIA. Through the restaking feature, he can stake these milkTIA again to provide security guarantees for selected AVSs, earning additional returns without locking up more capital.
5. For Investors and Liquidity Providers
MilkyWay offers users seeking portfolio diversification the opportunity to participate in the thriving ecosystem of modular chains, liquid staking derivatives, and restaking services.
Application example: Li Si is an investor interested in exposure to modular blockchain trends. Through MilkyWay, he can hold liquid staking versions of different modular chain assets (such as TIA and INIT), participate in multiple DeFi protocols, and earn additional returns through restaking, building a diversified and efficient crypto asset portfolio.
MilkyWay’s liquid staking tokens can also be used in the following specific DeFi applications:
- Providing liquidity pairs on DEXes like Osmosis
- Serving as collateral on lending platforms like Mars Protocol or Umee
- Creating leveraged positions or customized staked asset portfolios
- Providing liquidity for derivative protocols like Levana or Margined
Through these diverse application scenarios, MilkyWay is redefining capital efficiency and yield potential in modular blockchains, creating value for different types of users.
MILK Coin Price Factors: Tokenomics and Utility Functions
Although MilkyWay has not yet released detailed tokenomics for the MILK token, based on officially released information, we can understand some key economic features and value drivers of the MILK token:
1. Token Functions and Value Capture
The MILK token will serve as the native token of the MilkyWay ecosystem, with holders enjoying the following core benefits:
- Receiving a portion of the protocol’s revenue
- Participating in protocol governance, voting on important decisions
- Accessing additional incentives and rewards within the ecosystem
2. Issuance and Distribution Plan
Official information indicates that the MILK token is planned for release in the first half of 2025 through a “MassDrop” format, which will be the ultimate goal of the mPoints system. mPoints is MilkyWay’s internal reward points system, encouraging users to frequently participate in platform activities including bridging, staking, restaking, and referrals.
3. Relationship Between mPoints and MILK
MilkyWay’s current mPoints reward system is a prelude to the MILK token economy. Users earn mPoints through:
- Restaking TIA and TIA’s liquid staking tokens (earning 1 mPoint daily for each restaked milkTIA, 0.5 mPoints for stTIA)
- Providing liquidity on Osmosis (earning 0.75 mPoints daily for each milkTIA provided)
- Bringing new users through the referral program
These mPoints will translate into real value at the Token Generation Event (TGE) for MILK, encouraging early participation and long-term holding.
4. Token Value Drivers
The value of the MILK token will be driven by several key factors:
- Protocol revenue sharing: As MilkyWay’s managed assets increase, a portion of the protocol’s revenue will be distributed to MILK holders
- Governance rights: MILK holders will have voting rights in key decisions regarding new features, fee structures, and treasury management
- Ecosystem expansion: As the types of supported assets increase and more AVSs join the network, the utility of the MILK token will expand
- Demand growth: As user participation in staking and restaking increases, demand for the MILK token will grow accordingly
5. Referral Program and Community Growth
MilkyWay’s tokenomics also includes a powerful referral mechanism. Based on the size of the referee’s LP position, both referrers and referees receive tier-based additional mPoints rewards (ranging from 10% to 22.5%). This is designed to promote organic community growth and provide support for MILK token’s long-term value.
Although the complete tokenomics model has not yet been released, the MilkyWay team states they are carefully designing the MILK token to ensure its value grows sustainably and steadily. The team believes that while token issuance may seem simple, it requires meticulous planning to ensure sustainable value growth.
The Future Roadmap of MilkyWay Coin and Ecosystem Expansion
1. MILK Token Issuance and Governance Decentralization
MilkyWay plans to issue the MILK token in the first half of 2025 through a “MassDrop” format, which will be the ultimate goal of the mPoints system. With the issuance of the MILK token, MilkyWay will achieve decentralization of governance power, allowing community members to participate in important decisions, including validator selection, protocol upgrades, and treasury fund allocation.
2. Asset Support Expansion
MilkyWay is planning to expand its supported asset types:
- Recently supported TIA and TIA’s liquid staking tokens (such as milkTIA, stTIA, and dTIA)
- Upcoming support for INIT and its liquid staking tokens
- Planned support for mainstream stablecoins (such as USDC and USDT)
- Future incorporation of other major crypto assets (such as BTC, ETH, etc.)
3. AVS Ecosystem Expansion
MilkyWay already has multiple Active Validator Services (AVSs) prepared to join its restaking protocol. These AVSs span various ecosystems, including:
- Light nodes and RPC services
- Lending protocols
- Decentralized service platforms
- Cross-chain bridging solutions
- Data availability services
As more AVSs join the network, MilkyWay’s restaking service will create more earning opportunities for users while providing stronger security guarantees for the entire blockchain ecosystem.
4. Innovative Programmable Rules
MilkyWay plans to continuously expand its programmable rules capabilities, allowing AVS developers to more precisely customize security requirements. Currently, MilkyWay’s restaking layer already supports two types of programmable rules: delegation rules and slashing rules. In the future, it will add asset rules, allowing restaked assets to come from MilkyWay or other existing restaking providers (such as EigenLayer or Babylon).
5. Cross-chain and Interoperability Enhancement
MilkyWay is committed to improving cross-chain interoperability, allowing users to more seamlessly move and utilize assets across different blockchains. This includes:
- Improving bridging functionality for easier asset movement between chains
- Enhancing integration with other DeFi protocols
- Developing cross-chain governance functionality, enabling MILK holders to exercise governance rights across multiple ecosystems
6. Liquid Restaking Token (LRT) Development
MilkyWay’s restaking protocol is permissionless, allowing anyone to build their own liquid restaking service. Multiple teams, including the Inertia team, have expressed interest in building liquid restaking protocols. As the MilkyWay ecosystem develops, more Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRTs) are expected to emerge, further enhancing capital efficiency and user yield opportunities.
7. Enterprise and Institutional Partnerships
MilkyWay plans to establish strategic partnerships with enterprises and institutions, introducing its liquid staking and restaking solutions to a broader market. This will help MilkyWay expand its user base and create additional demand and utility for the MILK token.
8. Technological Innovation and R&D
MilkyWay will continue investing in cutting-edge research and development to maintain its technological advantage. The team is exploring various innovations, including:
- Improved distributed key management systems
- More efficient cross-chain messaging
- Enhanced security and privacy protection measures
- More advanced restaking reward distribution algorithms
MilkyWay vs Competitors: Unique Advantages in the Modular Ecosystem
In the thriving blockchain field, MilkyWay faces competition from multiple directions, but its unique positioning makes it stand out among numerous competitors. In the liquid staking domain, MilkyWay competes with service providers like Stride, Quicksilver, and StaFi; in the restaking domain, it competes with platforms like EigenLayer and Babylon.
However, MilkyWay has established its market position through several key advantages:
- As the only “dual protocol” in the modular ecosystem that simultaneously provides liquid staking and restaking, MilkyWay creates unprecedented capital efficiency, allowing users to earn triple returns through a single platform
- Its highly modular technical architecture provides programmable rules that meet the specific needs of different AVSs, far surpassing competitors’ standardized solutions
- MilkyWay supports multiple assets (TIA, milkTIA, stTIA, etc.), rather than being limited to a single token
- Its solutions tailored specifically for modular chains like Celestia and Initia better meet the special needs of these emerging networks compared to generic services
These advantages, along with first-mover market recognition (TVL exceeding $51 million in less than two months) and innovative security models, give MilkyWay a unique position in the competitive blockchain infrastructure field.
Where to Buy MILK Coin: Complete Guide for New Investors
MEXC is the preferred platform for purchasing MILK tokens. As one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC provides a user-friendly trading experience, particularly suitable for crypto newcomers and experienced traders looking to invest in MILK tokens.
Here’s a detailed guide to purchasing MILK tokens on MEXC:
- Register a MEXC Account：Visit the MEXC official website and complete the account register.
- Deposit Funds：Deposit USDT into your MEXC account.
- Find the MILK Trading Pair：Search for “MILK” and select the MILK/USDT trading pair.
- Place an Order：Determine the amount and price of MILK you want to purchase, then click “Buy MILK” to confirm the transaction.
MEXC’s Advantages
Choosing MEXC to purchase MILK tokens offers several advantages:
- High liquidity: MEXC provides sufficient trading depth, ensuring buy and sell orders can be quickly matched
- User-friendly interface: Intuitive trading interface suitable for all types of users from beginners to professional traders
- Diverse trading pairs: Support for multiple trading pairs, enabling flexible trading
- Security and reliability: MEXC adopts multi-layer security measures to protect user assets
- 24/7 customer support: Provides professional customer service to address issues during trading
- Low transaction fees: Offers more competitive fees compared to other platforms
Summary
As the first liquid staking and restaking dual protocol in the modular ecosystem, MilkyWay cleverly solves the contradiction between liquidity and yields in traditional staking. The liquid tokens users receive after staking TIA or INIT can both earn original staking rewards and be deployed in DeFi protocols for additional returns, and can further provide security guarantees for multiple blockchain services through restaking, achieving triple capital utilization.
MilkyWay’s core competitive advantage lies in its highly modular design, multi-asset support, and solutions tailored for the modular ecosystem. With the planned launch of the MILK token in the first half of 2025, holders will be able to participate in governance decisions and benefit from protocol revenue.
Looking ahead, as modular blockchain architecture gains widespread adoption, MilkyWay is poised to become key infrastructure connecting different blockchain networks, with the MILK token serving as the core fuel of this interconnected ecosystem, driving blockchain technology toward broader application.
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