Community Steps Up to Lead as STON.fi Unveils TON’s Inaugural DAO

STON.fi Unveils Its First Fully Decentralized DAO on TON

STON.fi, a prominent DeFi protocol operating on The Open Network (TON), has introduced its inaugural fully decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). This milestone marks a significant move toward transparent governance and community-led development within the TON ecosystem. The DAO empowers more than 5.6 million users to stake their STON tokens, earning ARKENSTON—non-transferable voting tokens that reflect both the amount staked and the duration of commitment. This design ensures that those most invested in the platform have the greatest influence, aligning the interests of liquidity providers, developers, and users for the long term.

This development highlights STON.fi’s dedication to decentralization, a principle at the heart of its mission since launch. By shifting from a developer-centric governance model to one led by its community, STON.fi aims to set a new standard for responsible and sustainable growth in TON’s DeFi sector. CEO Slavik Baranov noted that the DAO turns collaborative ideals into practical action, granting users a direct role in shaping the protocol’s future. During a four-week trial period, the community submitted 115 proposals, covering everything from user experience enhancements to strategic innovations—demonstrating both technical readiness and strong user engagement.

Operating within a rapidly growing ecosystem, STON.fi has already processed nearly 30 million transactions and facilitated over $6.6 billion in swap volume, accounting for the majority of DeFi activity on TON. As the first protocol on TON to launch a comprehensive DAO, STON.fi positions itself as a key infrastructure provider—serving as a guiding force for the network’s DeFi landscape. The DAO model is integrated with existing tools like Omniston, a decentralized liquidity aggregator, creating a unified system where governance, ownership, and responsibility are distributed among participants.

The launch of STON.fi’s DAO reflects a broader movement in blockchain governance, where active user participation is increasingly shaping the direction of projects. By focusing on security, scalability, and accessibility, STON.fi’s approach aligns with TON’s vision for open and inclusive financial infrastructure. The project has attracted support from investors such as CoinFund and Delphi Ventures, who share its goal of democratizing DeFi and extending that ethos to governance. While challenges like voter disengagement and governance vulnerabilities persist in the DAO model, STON.fi’s emphasis on long-term staking incentives is designed to keep decision-makers aligned with the protocol’s ongoing success and resilience.