ODX Fee Model
Overview
ODX operates the primary market for wrapped assets on Sonic. The primary market is always liquid, always available, and always priced from external reference venues (oracles, CEXs, deep DEXs).
This means ODX is not competing with secondary markets — it is anchoring them.
Secondary markets (DEX pools, order books, LP vaults, etc.) naturally form around ODX assets. Arbitrage between these markets and ODX keeps prices aligned.
Our fee model is designed to:
- Preserve arbitrage profitability
- Keep secondary markets tightly synced
- Encourage liquidity formation
- Generate sustainable protocol revenue from both primary issuance and lending
- Adapt to market volatility
TLDR;
ODX is the price anchor.
It must be:
- Cheap
- Predictable
- Liquid
- Always available
Dynamic fees allow ODX to:
- Preserve arbitrage
- Stabilize secondary markets
- Generate sustainable revenue
- Scale safely
xLend adds compounding revenue through interest spreads and liquidation fees — creating a powerful flywheel with primary market activity.
Why Dynamic Fees
Static fees fail during volatility.
If fees are too high:
- Arbitrage dries up
- Secondary markets desync
- Liquidity fragments
- Wrapped assets lose credibility
If fees are too low:
- Protocol becomes unsustainable
- Adverse selection increases
- Risk is underpriced
ODX uses a dynamic fee model that adjusts based on market conditions.
Core Fee Formula
fee = base_fee + volatility_multiplierWith global bounds:
min_fee = 2 bps
max_fee = 15 bpsFee Regimes
| Market Condition | Fee |
|---|---|
| Low volatility | 3 bps |
| Normal markets | 5 bps |
| High volatility | 10–15 bps |
The protocol automatically adjusts between these ranges.
What Fees Apply To
ODX charges fees on:
- Minting (wrapping)
- Redeeming (unwrapping)
No AMM-style LP fees apply at the primary layer.
Primary markets must be:
- Cheap
- Predictable
- Deep
- Neutral
Why Arbitrage Must Remain Profitable
Arbitrage must satisfy:
DEX price deviation > primary fee + gas + slippage + risk premiumTypical breakdown:
| Component | Typical |
|---|---|
| Primary fee | 3–10 bps |
| Gas | 1–5 bps |
| Slippage | 2–15 bps |
| Risk buffer | 5–10 bps |
This means secondary markets can deviate by 15–40 bps and still be arbitraged back to ODX.
This keeps markets tight.
Revenue Model
Revenue comes from two complementary sources:
- Primary Market — linear with mint/redeem volume
revenue = volume × fee- xLend (Lending Protocol) — scales with TVL, utilization, and volatility
- Reserve factor on borrow interest (~15–25% protocol cut)
- Liquidation penalties (5–10% of collateral value)
- Optional origination/flash loan fees
The lending flywheel amplifies primary revenue: more borrowing demand → higher xAsset collateral usage → increased mint volume.
Revenue Scenarios
| Scenario | Fee |
|---|---|
| Base (low vol) | 3 bps |
| Average | 5 bps |
| High volatility | 12 bps |
- xLend contribution grows non-linearly with TVL and utilization.
Revenue Table
| Daily Volume | Base (3bps) | Avg (5bps) | High-Vol (12bps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100k | $30 | $50 | $120 |
| $250k | $75 | $125 | $300 |
| $500k | $150 | $250 | $600 |
| $1M | $300 | $500 | $1,200 |
| $2.5M | $750 | $1,250 | $3,000 |
| $5M | $1,500 | $2,500 | $6,000 |
| $10M | $3,000 | $5,000 | $12,000 |
Note: At scale, xLend revenue can match or exceed primary revenue as TVL compounds (e.g., $50M+ supplied USDC at 5% avg net APY → $250k–$625k+ annual protocol take).
Visualization
The following chart visualizes protocol revenue as a function of daily volume under different volatility regimes.
Actual total revenue higher with xLend contributions.
Why ODX Does Not Use AMM-Style Fees
AMM fees (e.g., 0.3%) are designed for risk-bearing LPs.
ODX is a primary issuance and redemption venue.
Primary markets must:
- Never run out of liquidity
- Always track reference prices
- Enable instant arbitrage
- Be mechanically predictable
AMM-style fees would break this.
FAQ
Why not 0 fees?
Zero fees cause:
- Toxic flow
- Infinite churn
- No sustainability
- No risk pricing
Primary markets must charge something.
Why not fixed fees?
Fixed fees fail under volatility.
Dynamic fees allow:
- Better risk pricing
- More stable markets
- Higher capital efficiency
Who captures arbitrage profit?
Arbitrageurs.
This is intentional.
They perform the service of:
- Keeping markets aligned
- Providing real-time liquidity
- Absorbing volatility
- Providing secure access to cross-chain assets not traditionally available
Can fees change?
Yes.
Fee parameters may be governed and updated based on:
- Market behavior
- Volatility
- Liquidity depth
- Risk conditions
How does xLend fit into the fee model?
xLend is a separate but synergistic layer. It generates revenue through:
- Protocol reserve factor on borrow interest
- Liquidation fees (enhanced by primary market efficiency) This creates a dual-revenue engine: volume-driven primary fees + TVL/utilization-driven lending revenue.