Comparison
Boost campaign vs incentive markets
An incentive market lets bidders discover the price of liquidity; a boost campaign fixes the budget and lets the formula set the APY. Markets suit you when you already have counterparties and want price discovery. A boost suits you when you need someone else to bring the depositors and you need the cost known before you commit.
Where they actually differ
| Dimension | Boost campaign | Incentive market |
|---|---|---|
| How the price is set | You fix the budget and window; the implied APY falls out of the formula | Bidding clears the rate — supply and demand set it |
| What you control | Capped budget, fixed window, optional TVL cap | The offer. The clearing price can land above plan and needs watching |
| Where demand comes from | Barker brings 30,000+ existing stablecoin users | You bring the LPs, or hope the venue's existing ones bid |
| Shape of the inflow | Concentrated in the window — can be trailed, announced, timed | Gradual, and only when there's a counterparty on the other side |
| After it ends | Campaign page stays public; retained TVL stays attributable | Commitments unlock on schedule, so exits tend to cluster |
When an incentive market fits better
You already have LP relationships or a few large counterparties, and you'd rather let the market discover the rate than pick one yourself. You want capital that has committed to a lock-up, which these venues can structure directly. Or you're large enough that paying a premium for price discovery is worth it — at size, guessing the rate wrong costs more than the spread.
When a boost fits better
You don't have LP relationships yet and need someone to bring the depositors — that's the part a marketplace cannot do for you. You need the cost fixed before you commit, because the budget comes out of a treasury with other claims on it. And your target is retail stablecoin holders rather than professional LPs, who behave differently and are reached differently.
What actually happened
Questions
Isn't a fixed budget just a worse price?
Sometimes. A market can clear below what you'd have budgeted, and then you overpaid; it can also clear above, in which case you'd have underfunded. The trade is variance for certainty. The calculator shows what a given budget implies before you commit, so the fixed price is at least one you chose with the arithmetic in front of you.
Can the boost APY be capped?
Yes. The budget is capped by construction, and a TVL cap can be set so rewards aren't spread thinner than intended as deposits arrive. Both are fixed before the campaign starts and stay visible on the campaign page while it runs.
Compare another path
Run your own campaign
Design a boost campaign or launchpool in minutes — self-serve — or talk to us about target TVL, timing, and chain.