TL;DR
- Idea: Monetizing open-source contributions via a novel OP-based Layer 2 network with Proof of Contribution algorithm
- Catalyst: Upcoming mainnet launch and token airdrop following incentivized testnets
- Risks: Execution and adoption risk in OSS ecosystem, regulatory uncertainty, limited liquidity pre-listing
- Score: 7.00/ 10
Coin
- Name/ Ticker: Tea Protocol (TEA)
- Segment: L2 Infrastructure
- Status: Testnet
Key Metrics
- FDV: $50 000 000
- Total Supply: 100 000 000 000
- Inflation: 2.00%
Sources
Technology
- USP: First blockchain to natively support GPG-signed commits via Ethereum precompiles
- Core Technology: Optimism OP Stack L2 with CHAI protocol for autonomous maintainer rewards and Proof of Contribution ranking
Roadmap
- 2024-02-21: Incentivized Testnet Launch
- 2025-03-31: Sepolia Testnet Phase 2 with KYC-verified participation
- 2025-10-02: Token Generation Event (TGE) on CoinList
- 2025-10-09: Public TEA token distribution
- 2025-10-25: Mainnet Launch
- 2026-01-15: teaDAO governance launch
- 2026-04-01: Ecosystem grant program rollout
Team & Investors
Team
- Founder — Max Howell: Creator of Homebrew and former Google engineer
- Development Lead — Mawadda Basir: Open-source software contributor and protocol architect
- Co-Founder & CTO — Howell: Web3 developer and Homebrew maintainer
Investors
- YZi Labs — Presale • 2025-10-02
- Lattice — Presale • 2025-10-02
- Woodstock Fund — Presale • 2025-10-02
- Binance Labs — Seed • 2025-02-27
- WAX — Seed • 2025-02-27
- StrongBlock — Seed • 2025-02-27
- Betaworks — Seed • 2025-02-27
Total funding: $16.90M
Tokenomics
- Utility: Staking, governance, network gas, developer rewards
- Vesting: 100% unlock at TGE for presale; team tokens vested over 12-month cliff
- Next Unlock: 2026-10-02 (0.00% of circulating)
Pros & Cons
Strengths
- Innovative Proof of Contribution algorithm
- Strong backing from reputable investors
- 100% token unlock at TGE for presale participants
- Capped annual inflation at 2%
- Seamless integration with major OSS package managers
- Cross-chain OP Stack scalability
- Deflationary burn mechanisms for unclaimed rewards
- Active incentivized testnet community growth
Weaknesses
- No on-exchange liquidity yet
- Execution risk in achieving OSS adoption
- Regulatory uncertainty for token rewards
- Governance centralization risk
- Dependence on Optimism ecosystem performance
- Potential inflation impact if underutilized
Market Signals (7d)
- TVL trend: increasing
- Active addresses trend: increasing
Price Scenarios (target: 2026-04-13)
- Bear: $0.000300 — Comparable valuation to emerging L2 protocols adjusted for governance token share
- Base: $0.001000 — Fundamental model based on token issuance cap, expected staking demand, and ecosystem growth
- Bull: $0.005000 — Assumes wide OSS adoption, strong governance participation, and deflationary pressure
How to Buy & Store
CEX
- CoinList
- Bitget
DEX
- Uniswap V3
- SushiSwap
Storage
- MetaMask
- CoinList Wallet
Verdict
Promising infrastructure play for open-source rewards with strong backing but limited near-term liquidity and execution risk
Official Links
Source: Coin Research (internal)
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