At mainnet launch, activity is always quiet before the real action starts — and Autonomys is being honest about that. With low early transaction volume, staking rewards based purely on fees would naturally be smaller, which isn’t great for security or decentralization from day one. That’s exactly where the Guardians of Growth Staking Bootstrap Program comes in.

Instead of changing tokenomics or inventing artificial rewards, the Subspace Foundation is doing something refreshingly clean: using real on-chain transactions with tips to temporarily support operators and nominators. These tips are distributed exactly like normal network fees, meaning rewards flow through the protocol itself, not through manual decisions or off-chain logic.

For stakers, this means an incentive to start early, learn how staking works, and actively support network security without giving up custody of their tokens. For operators, it ensures predictable rewards while organic usage on Auto-EVM and future domains ramps up. And for developers, it creates a more stable base layer to build on from day one.

Most importantly, this program is time-bound and transparent. It’s designed to run for around 12 months, funded by a small portion of the Foundation treasury, and every transaction can be verified on-chain. No shortcuts, no black boxes — just a thoughtful bootstrap that aligns everyone toward long-term growth.

Guardians of Growth isn’t about inflating numbers. It’s about making sure Autonomys launches strong, decentralized, and ready for what comes next 🚀