Kairos Research: Risk Committee Election Application (Re-Election)
Kairos Research is running for re-election to keep Ethena’s risk posture strong as the protocol enters its next growth phase which we believe will be driven by HyENA and Ethena’s Stablecoin-as-a-Service offering. We bring a native understanding of derivatives markets, a mechanics-first risk mindset, and a track record of communicating risks clearly and succinctly to the community. In a three member committee, we aim to be the decisive seat through fast analysis, clear thinking, and actionable recommendations. We also plan to ensure protocol value is adequately captured and returned to ENA holders via the right mechanisms.
Who we are
We launched Kairos Research in January 2024 after working on the Growth & Listings team at Binance US, where we evaluated protocol mechanics that map directly to the core risks Ethena seeks to understand and properly navigate: liquidity, integration, legal, technical, and operational risks.
Kairos Research is dedicated to publishing comprehensive, data-driven analysis on the major risk areas within the DeFi landscape. Our research spans critical sectors, including lending markets, liquid staking, restaking protocols, and stablecoin design. Beyond research, we are actively involved in governance, serving as a top delegate for ether.fi and playing a significant role in Jito’s governance workstreams related to tokenomics and incentives. Our collaboration with FirstSet on operating validators for Solana, Fogo, Monad, Celestia, and Babylon provides us with valuable, real-world experience that significantly enhances our understanding of operational risk.
Team Leads:
Ian: Co-Founder of Kairos Research.former Protocol Specialist at Binance US; key Jito governance delegate focused on cryptoeconomic design and sustainable value-capture mechanisms.
Teddy: Co-Founder of Kairos Research; investment associate (Chicago family office); BBA Finance (Ross); CAIA Level I; former research analyst at Binance US.
Why Kairos fits a 3-member Risk Committee
A smaller committee only works if each member has a distinct edge. Ours is simple:
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Growth-Centric Approach: We recognize that risk is an inherent and necessary component of growth, not an isolated factor. Whether pursuing new product lines, adding an additional venue, or approving new backing assets, growth fundamentally requires the willingness to take risks.
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Robust Mechanisms and Incentives: Our approach is mechanics-first, emphasizing risk mitigation through the design of robust incentives and mechanisms.
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Clarity Under Pressure: We turn risk decisions into plain-English reasoning the community can easily understand.
Helping Ethena through the next wave of growth: HyENA + Stablecoin-as-a-Service
HyENA and Stablecoin-as-a-Service expand Ethena’s distribution, and thus expand the risk surface area. We’ll help Ethena scale safely by focusing on:
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Ensuring USDe’s stability to allow for the most capital efficient margin collateral and help foster the internet trading engine.
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Ensuring SCaaS partners can grow confidently and capture more value via yield to their respective ecosystems through USDtb and USDe backed stablecoins.
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Frictionless governance comms: Clear monthly reporting on what’s changing across partners/integrations and what it means for protocol resilience.
Closing
As Ethena enters a rapid scaling phase, its distribution growth could outpace the adaptability of conventional risk frameworks. Kairos Research is seeking re-election to the Risk Committee to actively support Ethena’s expansion through HyENA and Ethena’s Stablecoin-as-a-Service offering. Our goal is to appropriately navigate this next chapter of growth while making sure long-term protocol sustainability remains top of mind, and ensure value is captured and directed back to ENA for tokenholders.