Assessing the Investment Potential of Infrared (IR) as Bitget Adds It to the Innovation Zone

The DeFi landscape in 2025 is a tapestry of innovation, competition, and institutional-grade infrastructure. As the sector matures, the addition of a new protocol to a major exchange's Innovation Zone-such as Bitget's inclusion of Infrared (IR)-often signals a confluence of technological promise, market demand, and strategic positioning. Infrared, a liquid staking protocol built on Berachain, has emerged as a compelling case study in this evolving ecosystem. This analysis evaluates IR's investment potential by dissecting its technical architecture, the momentum of its Bitget listing, and the broader context of DeFi's institutional adoption.

Infrared's Technical Foundation: A DeFi Infrastructure Play

Infrared (IR) operates as a proof-of-liquidity (PoL) infrastructure protocol on Berachain, enabling users to stake native tokens (BGT and BERA) and convert them into liquid staking derivatives (iBGT and iBERA). These derivatives can be deployed across DeFi platforms while retaining staking rewards, effectively bridging the gap between staking and liquidity provision. This dual utility addresses a critical pain point in DeFi: the trade-off between capital efficiency and yield generation.

The protocol's automated PoL vaults and validator infrastructure further streamline participation, reducing barriers for both retail and institutional users. Backed by investors like Framework Ventures, Binance Labs, and Hack VC, Infrared's token (IR) serves as a governance and value-accrual asset, with plans for revenue sharing and protocol optimization. This design aligns with broader trends in DeFi, where protocols are increasingly prioritizing composability and cross-chain interoperability to capture a larger share of the $150 billion TVL market according to comprehensive analysis.

Bitget's Innovation Zone: A Launchpad for DeFi Momentum

Bitget's Innovation Zone has historically been a catalyst for token performance. For instance, SparkDEX on Flare saw a 500% TVL surge after integrating cross-chain stablecoins, while the AB token broke out of a multi-year accumulation phase to hit $0.017 in early 2025. These examples underscore the exchange's ability to amplify visibility and liquidity for emerging projects.

Infrared's December 2025 listing on Bitget was accompanied by a $18.75 million institutional backing and a point-based airdrop to incentivize early adoption. While specific post-listing TVL and price data for IR remain unavailable, Bitget's Q1 2025 performance-$2.08 trillion in total trading volume and 19.89 million new users-suggests a fertile environment for token growth. The exchange's Q3 2025 Transparency Report also highlighted $11.5 trillion in cumulative derivatives trades, reinforcing its role as a liquidity hub.

Comparative Analysis: IR's Position in the DeFi Ecosystem

To contextualize IR's potential, consider the performance of Bitget's past Innovation Zone projects. Spark Protocol and Sky Protocol, for example, achieved TVL growth of 100% and 55.59%, respectively, within months of listing. These metrics indicate that projects with strong technical fundamentals and institutional backing can rapidly scale in a high-liquidity environment.

Infrared's focus on liquid staking places it in direct competition with established protocols like Lido ($22.6 billion TVL) and Aave ($24.4 billion TVL) according to total value locked data. However, its integration with Berachain-a chain optimized for DeFi-offers a unique value proposition. Berachain's native token (BGT) has seen robust adoption, with 72.7% of decentralized perpetual futures trading volume flowing through its ecosystem. This synergy could position IR to capture a significant share of Berachain's growing user base.

Risks and Considerations

Despite its strengths, Infrared faces inherent risks. The DeFi market remains volatile, with TVL subject to rapid shifts based on yield opportunities and regulatory developments. For example, EigenLayer's TVL surged to $15 billion in 2025 but faced liquidity challenges during market downturns. Additionally, IR's price performance will depend on broader macroeconomic factors, such as Bitcoin ETF sentiment and AI-driven capital allocation trends.

Conclusion: A Strategic Bet on DeFi's Infrastructure Layer

Infrared's listing on Bitget's Innovation Zone represents more than a token launch-it's a strategic move to capitalize on DeFi's infrastructure renaissance. By combining liquid staking with institutional-grade security and cross-chain interoperability, IR addresses a critical gap in the market. While its post-listing metrics remain to be seen, the protocol's alignment with Bitget's growth trajectory and the broader $150 billion TVL ecosystem suggests strong upside potential. For investors, this is a case where technical innovation and exchange momentum converge, offering a compelling opportunity in a sector poised for long-term value creation.