and the distribution of digital products.
The Rise of KernelDAO
- The KernelDAO ecosystem consists of three core products—Kernel, Kelp, and Gain—each serving distinct roles in optimizing asset utilization and staking benefits. KernelDAO holds a combined TVL of over $2 billion, positioning it as the 19th largest DeFi protocol by TVL and has been steadily growing despite market conditions.
- KernelDAO has established a broad ecosystem of partnerships across its product suite. Kernel has integrated with 15 Distributed Validator Networks, over 10 liquid and restaking protocols, and multiple infrastructure projects. Kelp has secured partnerships with more than 40 DeFi protocols spanning various verticals and over 10 EVM chains.
- KernelDAO announced the successful close of its private sale round in 2024, raising $10 million. The funding was led by SCB Limited, Laser Digital, Binance Labs with participation from 17 capital funds, 10 angel investors, and community figures.
- The KERNEL token TGE is expected soon. KERNEL is the governance and utility token for the ecosystem It is used for securing the network, facilitating governance decisions, and incentivizing participation across KernelDAO’s ecosystem.
- Following a strong 2024, KernelDAO looks to continue building in 2025. Plans include onboarding DVNs, enhancing functionality and security, expanding to new chains, and Real world assets (RWA) space.
As the crypto ecosystem has developed, fundamental principles have remained constant – demand for high yields, capital efficiency, liquidity, and network security continues to drive innovation and investment. Restaking and Shared security protocols have emerged to address these demands. Five of the seven largest protocols by Total Value Locked (TVL) operate in this sector, demonstrating its significance.
Despite its growth, the restaking sector is still early in its development, creating opportunities for further innovation. KernelDAO has positioned itself within this space as a top restaking infrastructure protocol, with over $2 billion in TVL across more than 10 chains.
KernelDAO provides three core products:
- Kernel: A restaking protocol on BNB Chain with over $400 million in TVL that enables users to restake BNB, BTC, and yield-bearing assets.
- Kelp: A liquid restaking protocol on with $1.6 billion in TVL. Kelp facilitates liquidity via rsETH across multiple L2s and DeFi protocols.
- Gain: A system of actively managed vaults designed to maximize rewards with $140 million TVL. Products such as Airdrop Gain, High Gain, and Grizzly Gain allow users to access rewards and airdrops through structured vault strategies.
KernelDAO's token is launching soon. The KERNEL token will serve as the utility token across the three product offerings. With its token live and a roadmap of product expansions ahead, KernelDAO is reinforcing its role in the evolving DeFi landscape.
BackgroundTeam- Amitej Gajjala (Co-Founder) – Before KernelDAO, he co-founded Stader Labs, where he managed the stake of over $1 billion in assets. He previously held strategic roles at Swiggy and A.T. Kearney. Amitej holds an MBA from IIM Calcutta and a Bachelor's in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from IIT Madras.
- Dheeraj Borra (Co-Founder) – He also previously co-founded Stader Labs with Amitej. His background includes engineering roles at LinkedIn and Blend Labs, focusing on large-scale systems. Dheeraj holds a Bachelor's in Computer Science from IIT Kharagpur and a Master's from The University of Texas at Austin.
KernelDAO announced the successful close of its private sale round in 2024, raising $10 million. The round was led by SCB Limited, Laser Digital, Binance Labs, with participation from 17 capital funds, 10 angel investors, and community figures.
KernelDAO Product SuiteKernelDAO Overview
KernelDAO is a restaking infrastructure protocol aiming to enhance capital efficiency, network security, and yield generation. The ecosystem consists of three core products—Kernel, Kelp, and Gain—each serving distinct roles in optimizing asset utilization and staking benefits.
Together, these products create a unified system where users can stake assets, secure additional protocols, and access enhanced reward mechanisms, reinforcing KernelDAO’s role in the evolving DeFi landscape.
Kernel OverviewKernel is a restaking protocol on BNB Chain designed to provide shared security across multiple protocols while maximizing staking efficiency. It enables users to restake BNB, BTC, and yield-bearing assets to secure additional applications in the ecosystem, enhancing both network security and reward opportunities.
Key Features & Achievements:
- Over $425 million in TVL restaked for shared security since its mainnet launch two months ago.
- 25+ projects integrating with Kernel, including Mira Network, ElectronZK, Brevis, Aizel, 0xbridge, YieldNest, Bedrock, StakeEase, and AutoLayer.
- Optimized for Distributed Validator Networks (DVNs), Delegators, and Operators to access security at lower costs while increasing staking yields.
- Established a $40 million ecosystem fund aimed at expanding and supporting the BNB Chain's restaking infrastructure.
Kelp introduces rsETH, a liquid restaking token designed for the Ethereum ecosystem. It provides enhanced liquidity, streamlined access to restaking rewards, and capital efficiency.
Key Features & Achievements:
- $1.6 billion TVL.
- 300,000+ unique restakers actively participating in the network.
- 50+ DeFi integrations, including Aave, Compound, Morpho, Fluid, and Balancer.
- Benefits restakers with immediate liquidity and enhanced rewards while enabling Operators and AVS’s to streamline security access and optimize staking returns.
Gain offers automated, non-custodial reward vaults that optimize rewards across DeFi, CeDeFi, and RWAs. It simplifies reward strategies while providing additional yield opportunities.
Key Features & Achievements:
- Airdrop Gain Vault (agETH): $150 million+ TVL, optimizing rewards from L2 airdrops alongside staking and restaking returns.
- High Gain Vault (hgETH): $40 million+ TVL, delivering risk-adjusted rewards through professional management.
- Automated deployment for simplified yield management.
- Composability with liquid vault tokens to maximize capital efficiency and integration across DeFi.
KernelDAO has established a broad ecosystem of partnerships across its product suite. Kernel has partnered with 15 Distributed Validator Networks (DVNs), over 10 liquid and restaking protocols, and multiple infrastructure projects. Kelp has secured partnerships with more than 40 DeFi protocols spanning various verticals and over 10 EVM-compatible chains. Collectively, KernelDAO has built an extensive network of collaborations with leading teams and protocols across the crypto landscape.
TVL
KernelDAO holds a combined TVL of $2.17 billion, positioning it as the 19th largest DeFi protocol by TVL, a unique product suite innovating in the yield space. Of the total TVL, $1.59 billion is attributed to Kelp, $410 million to Kernel, and $137.98 million to Gain. Kernel, which launched in mid-December, has seen its TVL grow from zero to over $410million in just two months.
KERNEL TokenKERNEL OverviewKERNEL is the governance and utility token for the Kernel, Kelp, and Gain protocols. It is used for securing the network, facilitating governance decisions, and incentivizing participation across KernelDAO’s ecosystem.
KERNEL Supply and Distribution
The total supply of KERNEL is capped at 1 billion tokens. The allocation is as follows:
- 55% Community Rewards & Airdrops
- 20% allocated for multi-season airdrops - 10% via Airdrop Season 1, 5% unlock in Season 2, 5% unlock for Season 3 and beyond.
- 5% Ecosystem & Partners (gradually unlocked to developers and partners)
- 20% Private Sale
- 20% Team & Advisors (subject to a 24-month vesting period after a six-month lock-up post-TGE)
KERNEL is integrated across the KernelDAO ecosystem, providing utility in several key ways:
- Shared Security: Users can stake KERNEL to provide economic security for applications within the Kernel ecosystem.
- Slashing Insurance: Staked KERNEL can be used as insurance against potential slashing events, with stakers earning a share of protocol rewards.
- Governance: Token holders can participate in governance decisions across Kernel, Kelp, and Gain, including protocol upgrades, fee structures, and network expansion.
- Liquidity Provision: Users can provide liquidity on AMMs to earn additional rewards.
Following a strong 2024, KernelDAO looks to continue building in 2025 by expanding its middleware ecosystem (DVNs), DeFi utility, and foraying into RWAs and CeDeFi with Gain vaults. The 2025 strategy is structured around three core pillars aimed at capturing opportunities in RWAs, CeDeFi, and restaking.
- Q1 2025: KernelDAO will focus on rsETH DeFi expansion, onboarding DVNs and operators on the testnet, and launching new deposit vaults.
- Q2 2025: The focus will shift to rsETH growth through centralized exchange integrations, expanding DVNs and operator participation, and launching a new product—Sustainable Yield on BTC.
- Q3 2025: KernelDAO will drive ecosystem growth by introducing a slashing mechanism for enhanced security and launching an RWA product.
- Q4 2025: KernelDAO will expand to additional networks and scale RWA assets.
KernelDAO is building a decentralized financial ecosystem that integrates restaking infrastructure, liquid restaking tokens, and tokenized yield strategies. With over $2 billion in TVL across its three core products—Kernel, Kelp, and Gain—the protocol has established itself as a leader in the restaking sector. By securing partnerships with more than 50 DeFi projects and 15 Distributed Validator Networks, KernelDAO has expanded its presence across multiple chains and DeFi verticals.
The KERNEL token, launching soon, will be used for staking, liquidity provisioning, and participation in governance. KernelDAO’s funding, led by SCB Limited, Laser Digital, and Binance Labs, has positioned it for sustained growth and product expansion. The roadmap for 2025 includes onboarding additional DVNs, expanding into Real World Assets, and launching new yield strategies, reinforcing KernelDAO’s role in shaping the next generation of DeFi infrastructure.