Layer-2 (L2) options for the Ethereum (ETH) community have grown in prominence during the last 12 months due to the necessity for scalable networks that provide low-fee transactions and led to quite a few tasks that constructed cross-chain bridges with competing blockchain networks. 

One venture that has benefitted from the expansion of the L2 scaling options is Synthetix (SNX), a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol that allows the creation of artificial property and presents publicity to derivatives and futures buying and selling on the blockchain.

Information from Cointelegraph Markets Professional and TradingView exhibits that since hitting a low of $4.44 on April 11, the worth of SNX rallied 52.6% to hit a every day excessive at $6.78 on April 26 earlier than a widespread market downturn dropped it again all the way down to $5.90.

SNX/USDT 1-day chart. Supply: TradingView

Whereas nearly all of the market is down, there are potential catalysts for SNX value to see additional appreciation.

Launch on Optimism

One of many greatest developments for the Synthetix protocol was its launch on Optimism, an L2 community that’s making waves this week, because of an airdrop announcement. SNX staking started on Jan. 16 and because the community grows, speculators are giddy on the prospect of future airdrops and staking incentives.

Most not too long ago, Synthetix used its launch on Optimism to get extra concerned within the “Curve Wars” and presently, it’s providing the best bribe to get veCRV voters to incentivize voting for the sUSD Curve pool.

Synthetix has additionally partnered with Lyra Finance (LYRA) to supply 12,000 SNX and 50,000 LYRA per week as an added incentive for veCRV voters.

L2 airdrop season may very well be a catalyst for SNX

A second purpose the worth of SNX has the potential to see additional appreciation is merchants’ expectation that an airdrop season for L2 protocols might happen.

There was a major quantity of hypothesis that Optimism and Arbitrum, two of the most well-liked L2 networks within the crypto ecosystem, would finally airdrop their protocol tokens to early adopters of the networks.

This hypothesis grew to become actuality after Optimism launched the preliminary particulars of the Optimism Collective, a “large-scale experiment in digital democratic governance” that’s “constructed to drive fast and sustainable development of a decentralized ecosystem.”

Together with the launch of the Optimism Collective comes the launch of the OP governance token, of which 5% of the preliminary provide might be airdropped to early adopters. For individuals who didn’t qualify for the primary airdrop spherical, there may be nonetheless an opportunity to qualify for future airdrops by being energetic on the community utilizing protocols like Synthetix.

With Synthetix providing futures buying and selling on Optimism, the protocol may benefit from customers looking for methods to be energetic on the community and this might enhance demand for SNX.

On prime of the potential to obtain an OP airdrop, SNX holers have additionally been lured to Optimism by the 81% staking rewards presently being provided by the protocol.

Associated: Optimism-based tasks spike on rumors of token airdrop

Climbing consumer base and quantity transacted

Additional proof of the rising recognition of Synthetix might be discovered within the platform’s metrics on Optimism, which have been steadily growing for the previous month, based on information from Dune Analytics.

Synthetix protocol metrics. Supply: Dune Analytics

As proven within the graphic above, the variety of distinctive merchants on the protocol has been climbing since launching futures buying and selling in mid-March and the protocol has dealt with almost $1.59 billion in whole quantity.

VORTECS™ information from Cointelegraph Markets Professional started to detect a bullish outlook for SNX on April 23, previous to the current value rise.

The VORTECS™ Rating, unique to Cointelegraph, is an algorithmic comparability of historic and present market circumstances derived from a mixture of information factors together with market sentiment, buying and selling quantity, current value actions and Twitter exercise.

VORTECS™ Rating (inexperienced) vs. SNX value. Supply: Cointelegraph Markets Professional

As seen within the chart above, the VORTECS™ Rating for SNX climbed into the inexperienced zone and hit a excessive of 77 on April 23, round 39 hours earlier than the worth spiked 28% over the following day.

The views and opinions expressed listed below are solely these of the creator and don’t essentially mirror the views of Cointelegraph.com. Each funding and buying and selling transfer entails threat, it is best to conduct your personal analysis when making a call.