Ethereum News Today: Puffer Finance Launches Campaigns to Boost Community Engagement Ahead of UniFi Rollup

Puffer Finance has emerged as a prominent decentralized liquid staking and restaking protocol built on EigenLayer, aiming to address key challenges in Ethereum’s Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system, such as high entry barriers and validator pool centralization. The protocol enables users to run Ethereum validators with as little as 1 ETH, significantly lowering the minimum requirement from the standard 32 ETH. This is achieved through a unique mechanism called "Validator Tickets," which are ERC20 tokens allowing users to operate a validator for a day. Node operators are incentivized to lock pufETH and deposit tickets in exchange for 32 ETH, enabling them to participate in securing the Ethereum network while earning full rewards [1].

Launched in February 2024, Puffer Finance achieved a TVL of $146 million within the first day of operation, demonstrating strong initial traction. Over the past two years, the project has raised $24.47 million in funding, with a recent $18 million Series A round led by Brevan Howard Digital and Electric Capital, and participation from Coinbase Ventures, Animoca Brands, and ConsenSys. Additionally, Binance Labs invested an undisclosed amount in January 2024, further solidifying Puffer’s backing from major players in the crypto ecosystem [1].

Looking ahead, Puffer is developing "UniFi," its flagship Based Rollup, intended to streamline Ethereum Layer 2 solutions by enhancing transaction speeds, security, and user experience. As part of the lead-up to the UniFi launch, Puffer is running campaigns through Galxe and its own "Crunchy Carrot Quest Chapter 4" to engage users and reward participation. These campaigns offer points that may be relevant in the context of a potential future token airdrop, though Puffer Finance has not officially confirmed any token launch or airdrop [1].

To earn points, users can participate in the Galxe quest by liking, retweeting, and following Puffer Finance on X (formerly Twitter), as well as completing a quiz covering key aspects of UniFi. The campaign provides 400 points upon completion, with a small gas fee required to claim them [1]. Additionally, users can earn points by staking ETH, stETH, or wstETH in Puffer to receive pufETH, which grants 30 points for every token held. Users can further boost their points by providing liquidity to DeFi protocols integrated with Puffer, though this step is optional [1].

Puffer also employs a "burst threshold" mechanism to ensure it does not exceed 22% of Ethereum’s validator set, aligning with its commitment to maintaining network stability and avoiding over-concentration. As the number of validators grows, this mechanism will limit the minting of new validator tickets, indirectly curbing demand from new stakers and preventing market saturation [1].

Given the project’s strong funding, strategic partnerships, and growing TVL, Puffer Finance is positioned as a key player in the liquid staking and restaking space. However, users are reminded that participation in these campaigns does not guarantee a future token airdrop, as Puffer has not officially announced one. Nonetheless, the campaigns serve as an effective way to engage the community and potentially position early adopters for future opportunities [1].

Source: [1] [What Is Puffer and the Potential Puffer Finance Airdrop](https://www.coingecko.com/learn/puffer-finance-airdrop)