π Balancer Revives LBPs for Fair Token Launches
Balancer is bringing back **Liquidity Bootstrapping Pools (LBPs)**, the fair token launch mechanism that dominated 2020-2022, now on V3.
**Why LBPs matter:**
- Enable price discovery without sniper advantages or whale manipulation
- Require only 10-20% of capital needed for traditional launches
- No KYC, lotteries, or wallet caps needed
- Natural protection through weight shifts (95/5 to 50/50) that create downward price pressure
**The problem they solve:**
Points-based airdrops became exploitable - LayerZero caught 1.1-1.3M Sybil wallets, zkSync excluded 90% of addresses. Meanwhile, CEX launches cost $250K-$1M+ with 3-6 month timelines.
**What changed:**
Market conditions shifted and regulatory clarity emerged. Projects with real communities but moderate budgets need alternatives to expensive exchange fees or giving tokens away.
Hyperwave's October launch on HyperEVM demonstrates the mechanism's return to relevance.