Deep Dive
1. Staking Rewards Activation (29 May 2025)
Overview: This update activated the Sky Staking Engine, allowing users who stake their SKY tokens to earn USDS stablecoin rewards. It fundamentally changed the reward model from static emissions to one tied directly to the protocol's financial performance.
The change was executed via a governance "spell" (a smart contract package) published on May 29, 2025. It enabled the distribution of a portion of the protocol's surplus revenue to stakers in real-time, creating a direct incentive alignment between token holders and the health of the ecosystem. This marked the completion of Phase 7 in the official upgrade timeline.
What this means: This is bullish for SKY because it creates a tangible, yield-generating use case for holding the token. Users can now earn a variable return simply by staking, which encourages long-term holding and participation in governance. It makes SKY more attractive as a productive asset within DeFi.
(Sky Protocol Docs)
2. Delayed Upgrade Penalty Initiation (18 September 2025)
Overview: This governance-enforced update introduced a time-based penalty for legacy MKR token holders who delay upgrading to SKY. It is designed to complete the transition to a single governance token and simplify the protocol's structure.
The penalty started at 1% on September 18, 2025, meaning conversions after that date received 1% fewer SKY tokens per MKR. The penalty is programmed to increase by 1 percentage point every three months, creating a strong economic incentive for holders to migrate promptly. This is Phase 8 of the upgrade plan.
What this means: This is neutral for SKY's long-term health but urgent for remaining MKR holders. It pressures the old token system to wind down, which reduces technical complexity and potential security risks. For the ecosystem, it streamlines governance and clarifies value accrual to the new SKY token.
(Sky Protocol Docs)
Conclusion
Sky's codebase updates are systematically executing a long-term vision to refine governance and align stakeholder incentives, with the recent activation of performance-based staking being a key milestone. How will the completion of the token migration impact the protocol's capital efficiency and developer focus?