What Ignition delivers
Ignition uses Aerodrome’s ve(3,3) emissions flywheel as the launch mechanism. The project deposits a portion of its token supply as voting incentives for an Aerodrome pool. veAERO holders vote for that pool to capture the incentives, directing AERO emissions to it. AERO emissions stream as liquidity rewards the following week, attracting LPs who deposit capital and deepen the market. Deeper liquidity reduces slippage and improves execution, attracting more onchain volume, which generates fee revenue that attracts additional veAERO votes in subsequent epochs. For the full Ignition mechanism, see Aerodrome’s documentation. Ignition runs on Aerodrome’s epoch cycle. Epochs run Wednesday to Wednesday and define the two key phases of a launch:| Phase | What happens | What matters for liquidity |
|---|---|---|
| Epoch 1 (Bootstrap) | Project deposits POL; LPs farm initial AERO emissions; price discovery plays out | Build quote-side reserves before bribe-driven competition intensifies |
| Epoch 2 (Distribution) | veAERO voters claim bribes; mercenary LPs farm and rotate out | Maintain depth and absorb sell pressure through the rotation cycle |
Why Week 2 determines launch outcomes
Three dynamics emerge as Ignition’s launch sequence plays out. Each is fixed by deploying the position through Arrakis active management.Most teams enter TGE without enough quote-side reserves.
Building real depth on a DEX requires ETH or USDC, and most projects come to TGE with a surplus of their own token but limited quote-side capital. The realistic alternatives are to drain treasury, OTC the gap, or accept thin liquidity. With Arrakis, the Bootstrap Strategy deploys liquidity in asymmetric ranges weighted toward the project token and accumulates ETH or USDC as buyers enter the pool through Epoch 1. By the time Epoch 2 starts, inventory has progressively rebalanced toward a healthier quote-side ratio without treasury deployment.
Mercenary LPs exit at epoch close, draining depth.
Incentive-driven LPs deposit capital to farm AERO emissions and rotate out the moment rewards are claimed. The buy-LP-farm-sell cycle repeats every epoch and is structurally unreliable during sell-offs. Projects entering Epoch 2 with thin reserves watch slippage spike as those LPs exit. With Arrakis, the Flagship Strategy keeps concentrated depth at the trading price through the mercenary rotation cycle and absorbs the sell pressure that thin liquidity amplifies.
Static POL underperforms by 4x.
Most projects historically deployed protocol-owned liquidity as full-range positions: the simplest setup, but capital-inefficient. The majority of the capital sits far from the trading price where it produces no fees and no depth. With Arrakis, concentrated active management has historically delivered approximately 4x greater depth per dollar deployed than full-range positions while generating more fees per dollar, accelerating the pool’s transition from emissions-dependent to fee-sustainable.
Launch flow with Arrakis
The Arrakis flow for an Ignition launch is pre-launch configuration, followed by an automatic two-strategy handoff once trading begins.Pre-launch configuration
The team and Arrakis confirm vault parameters: pool type (typically CL100 for volatile pairs), tick spacing, Bootstrap Strategy schedule (target inventory ratio, range distribution, conversion timeline), and oracle source (Chainlink, Redstone, or fallback TWAP). The Aerodrome pool is created or confirmed, the token is whitelisted in the Aerodrome Voter contract, and the pool Gauge is created so the pool receives AERO emissions.
Vault deployment
The Arrakis Aerodrome vault is deployed on Base. The team’s POL is deposited into the vault, which deploys the configured Bootstrap position into the Aerodrome pool. LP positions auto-stake to receive AERO emissions. Vault ownership transfers to the team’s multisig.
Epoch 1 (Bootstrap)
Trading goes live. The Bootstrap Strategy holds liquidity in asymmetric ranges weighted toward the project token. As buyers enter the pool, the position captures quote assets and rebalances around the new spot. AERO emissions accrue continuously.
Auto-transition
Once inventory reaches the configured target ratio (typically 50/50), the vault auto-transitions to the Flagship Strategy. No manual handoff is required.
Epoch 2 (Flagship) and beyond
The Flagship Strategy concentrates around the trading price in calm markets and widens during sell-offs. The position maintains depth through the mercenary LP rotation cycle and continues to capture fees as the pool transitions from emissions-driven to fee-driven sustainability.
Arrakis benefits
After deployment, the vault is actively managed by Arrakis Pro’s strategy infrastructure. Liquidity stays on Aerodrome throughout. The team keeps self-custody through the vault NFT.| Static POL (full-range) | Arrakis-managed POL | |
|---|---|---|
| Capital at trading price | Small fraction | Majority |
| Quote-side inventory at launch | Depends on market buying | Accumulates organically via Bootstrap |
| Epoch 2 depth | Drains as mercenary LPs exit | Maintained by Flagship |
| AERO emissions | Manual stake | Auto-staked to gauge |
| Rebalancing | None | Continuous, automated |
| Operations | Self-managed | Managed by Arrakis |
| Custody | Self-custodial (LP NFT) | Self-custodial (Arrakis vault NFT) |
Engaging before launch
Bootstrap accumulates quote assets from the first trade onward. That only works if the vault is deployed and configured before the pool goes live. Aerodrome’s epoch cycle runs Wednesday to Wednesday on a fixed schedule. Teams that enter Epoch 2 with thin reserves do not get a second attempt at Epoch 1. Pre-launch coordination covers:- Pool selection (typically CL100 for volatile launches, with tick spacing matched to expected volatility)
- Bootstrap Strategy parameters: target inventory ratio, range distribution, conversion schedule
- Oracle setup: Chainlink, Redstone, or fallback TWAP
- Token whitelisting in the Aerodrome Voter contract
- Pool Gauge creation so the pool is eligible for AERO emissions
- Vault ownership transfer to the team’s multisig
Supported deployments
The Arrakis Aerodrome module is deployed on Base, where Aerodrome operates.Integrate Arrakis
Talk to Arrakis before your Ignition launch.
FAQ
How does the Bootstrap → Flagship handoff work?
How does the Bootstrap → Flagship handoff work?
The Bootstrap Strategy tracks the vault’s inventory ratio against the configured target. When the ratio reaches the target (typically 50/50), the vault auto-transitions to the Flagship Strategy. No manual handoff is required and there is no withdrawal step. Flagship takes over ongoing management with volatility-adaptive concentration around spot.
What if our pool does not see enough buy pressure during Epoch 1 to accumulate quote reserves?
What if our pool does not see enough buy pressure during Epoch 1 to accumulate quote reserves?
The Bootstrap Strategy is bounded by organic trading volume. In a low-volume Epoch 1, conversion runs slower and inventory may still be skewed entering Epoch 2. Aggressive Bootstrap configurations convert faster at progressively higher prices as the position is consumed. Teams that expect thin buy pressure can also seed additional quote-side capital into the vault to shorten the bootstrap window. The strategy is configurable per launch profile.
Can we change strategy parameters after launch?
Can we change strategy parameters after launch?
Yes. Tick range, fee tier, Bootstrap target ratio, schedule, and the active strategy are all reconfigurable. Reconfiguration runs as an authenticated call from the vault NFT holder.
What pool type should we use for an Ignition launch?
What pool type should we use for an Ignition launch?
CL100 (1% tick spacing) is the typical default for volatile Ignition launches. Tighter tick spacing (CL50 or CL10) suits less volatile pairs; wider tick spacing (CL200, CL2000) suits highly volatile or emerging assets. Pool selection is part of pre-launch configuration and is coordinated with Arrakis based on expected volatility and the asset class.