Will APE become a Gas token? ApeChain's latest proposal draws attention
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Will APE become a Gas token? ApeChain's latest proposal draws attention
The yet-to-be-launched ApeChain has drawn a competition between Optimism and Arbitrum.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsBy: Sharon
On December 8, Nina Rong (@nina_rong), Head of Ecosystem Development at the Arbitrum Foundation, submitted a proposal titled "ApeChain to adopt Arbitrum technology with growth led by Horizen Labs" to the ApeCoin DAO community. The proposal is currently in its early discussion phase, but notably, Messari has labeled it as "High Importance".
$APE as Gas? Arbitrum Proposal Gains Support from ApeCoin DAO Community
The proposal was jointly put forward by key figures including Nina Rong from the Arbitrum Foundation, Robert Viglione (Co-Founder and CEO of Horizen Labs), Hervé Larren (Senior Advisor at Horizen Labs), Steven Goldfeder (Co-Founder and CEO of Offchain Labs), and A.J. Warner (Chief Strategy Officer at Offchain Labs). This means the proposal is spearheaded by Arbitrum, with participation from Horizen Labs and Offchain Labs—the core development team behind Arbitrum.
According to the proposal, Arbitrum “has the motivation to build ApeChain as an Arbitrum Orbit chain developed using AnyTrust technology.” Most notably, the proposal states that once launched, ApeChain would become an extension of the ApeCoin DAO community and quickly serve as a cornerstone for the Ape brand: “This implies that ApeChain should utilize $APE as its native gas token.”
The proposal also highlights several advantages if ApeCoin DAO chooses to develop ApeChain using Arbitrum technology: the ability for the DAO to introduce transaction (tx) fees to generate revenue; low operational costs; high customizability; and self-executing governance capabilities.
In the comment section of the proposal, Nina Rong added, “If Arbitrum technology is adopted, the Arbitrum Foundation would be happy to provide funding support.” Some members of the ApeCoin DAO community have expressed support for the proposal, viewing the use of $APE as gas as a smart and logical decision.
Who Is Horizen Labs?
Among the proposers, Horizen Labs stands out. Founded in 2019, Horizen Labs is primarily responsible for building the staking system for ApeCoin DAO. Prior to this, they helped launch several major initiatives within the ApeCoin ecosystem, including ApeCoin itself, Otherside, and ApeStake.
Additionally, Horizen Labs recently served as a technical service provider supporting Horizen DAO, establishing governance for the EVM-powered platform Horizen EON—further demonstrating their expertise in building new ecosystems.
Therefore, the proposal emphasizes Horizen Labs’ commitment to being a long-term holder and supporter of ApeCoin: “Horizen Labs will leverage its deep industry experience to advise and guide ApeCoin DAO and the community on the initial development of the ApeChain ecosystem.”
Specifically, the support provided by Horizen Labs includes: technical assistance for launching cross-chain $APE using the OFT (Omnichain Fungible Token) standard on the LayerZero protocol; facilitating connections between multiple foundations and other DAOs to continuously expand the ecosystem; and offering technical support to projects issuing tokens on ApeChain.
Arbitrum vs Optimism: Competing for ApeChain?
Before Nina Rong led the submission of the Arbitrum-based proposal, Lumberg, a founding member of MetaCartel Ventures, had already initiated a proposal on November 22 via the ApeCoin DAO website, suggesting that ApeChain be deployed on Optimism.
That proposal aims to integrate ApeChain into the Optimism Superchain ecosystem, positioning it as a core contributor to the Optimism Foundation. It also notes that “Optimism has committed up to 20 million OP tokens in milestone-based grants to support ApeChain.”
Meanwhile, the proposal mentions that costs related to the deployment, management, and operation of ApeChain could be covered either through the launch of an ApeChain (AC) token or via grant requests from ApeCoin. If the DAO decides to issue an ApeChain token, the ApeChain team would be responsible for fundraising to cover all operations, and the AC token would be distributed as a governance token to ApeCoin stakers.
Currently, even before its official launch, ApeChain has become a focal point of competition between Arbitrum and Optimism—highlighting both parties’ recognition of ApeChain’s potential. Which chain technology will ApeChain ultimately choose as its foundation? BlockBeats will continue to monitor developments.
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