Deep Dive
1. Full Fee Redirection & Token Burn (21 November 2025)
Overview: The Tensor Foundation now directs 100% of marketplace fees to the TNSR treasury (previously 50%), while burning 21.6% of unvested tokens.
This update consolidates protocol revenue under TNSR governance, reducing supply inflation risks. The burn removes ~166M TNSR tokens from circulation, tightening supply dynamics.
What this means: This is bullish for TNSR because it strengthens treasury reserves for future development and reduces sell pressure from unlocked tokens. However, the burn’s impact depends on sustained marketplace activity, which remains low at ~$20K daily volume (Source).
2. Protocol Open-Sourcing (21 November 2025)
Overview: Tensor’s core protocols are now fully open-source, enabling community audits and contributions.
The move decentralizes control, aligning with Solana’s ethos of permissionless innovation. Developers can now build atop Tensor’s infrastructure without relying on centralized gatekeepers.
What this means: This is neutral for TNSR because while transparency boosts trust, it also exposes the code to forks. Success hinges on whether the community drives meaningful upgrades or fragments into competing implementations (Source).
3. Founder Token Relock (21 November 2025)
Overview: Founders Richard Wu and Ilja Moisejevs relocked vested TNSR tokens for three additional years.
This extends their financial alignment with the protocol’s success, reducing near-term liquidation risks. The relock follows their transition to Coinbase’s onchain strategy team.
What this means: This is bullish for TNSR because it signals founder commitment despite the Vector acquisition. However, the token remains disconnected from Vector’s growth, which now benefits Coinbase exclusively (Source).
Conclusion
Tensor’s updates prioritize supply discipline and decentralization but face execution risks amid low platform usage. Will open-source governance attract builders or dilute focus as NFT volumes stagnate? Monitor treasury allocation votes and developer activity metrics.