Synthetix to Acquire Derive in $27M Token Swap Using Newly Minted SNX

Synthetix proposed acquiring Derive, a crypto options platform formerly called Lyra, through a $27 million token swap. The plan, announced on May 14, 2025, falls under Synthetix Improvement Proposal 415 (SIP-415) and is pending a community vote next week. The deal values Derive at $27 million with a swap ratio of 1 SNX to 27 DRV tokens. To fund it, Synthetix will mint up to 29.3 million SNX tokens. These tokens will be locked for three months, followed by a nine-month linear vesting schedule. At announcement, SNX traded at $0.89, up 11.5% on the day, according to CoinGecko. However, the token remains far below its February 2021 peak of $28.53. Synthetix founder Kain Warwick said, Derive to Reinforce Crypto Derivatives Offering If approved, Derive’s front-end and options trading tools will be integrated into the Synthetix ecosystem. These will join existing products like perpetuals and app-specific chains, all linked to SNX. Derive originally launched as a spin-off from Synthetix. This acquisition would reverse that separation and bring its functionality back under Synthetix governance. The deal follows earlier acquisitions by Synthetix, including Kwenta and TLX. The team has signaled this as part of a broader effort to consolidate control over key components of its ecosystem. Synthetix stated on X that the acquisition helps strengthen its position against competitors such as Binance, dYdX, Hyperliquid, and Deribit, recently acquired by Coinbase . SIP-415 Vote to Decide SNX–DRV Swap The proposed SNX–DRV token swap will proceed only if the community votes in favor. Both Synthetix and Derive token holders are required to approve SIP-415. Under the plan, DRV holders will receive newly minted SNX tokens at the set exchange rate. The tokens will follow a lockup and vesting schedule to manage market impact. No additional details were given on how the tokens will be distributed. However, the proposal confirms that the goal is to unify governance and product oversight within the ecosystem. Warwick framed the plan as a way to restore internal coordination lost during Derive’s spin-out, aiming for smoother protocol development. sUSD Peg Plan Under SIP-420 Still Ongoing Synthetix is also trying to stabilize its stablecoin, sUSD, which recently dropped to $0.68 but has since recovered to $0.77. The effort is part of SIP-420. In April, Warwick launched the sUSD 420 Pool to encourage staking. The pool offers 5 million SNX tokens to users who lock sUSD for 12 months. The aim is to reduce circulating supply and restore the $1 peg. Warwick said the process is currently “very manual” and lacks a user interface. A UI is in development. He noted that if staking remains low after the UI launches, additional action could be considered. SIP-420 also shifts the debt risk from stakers to the protocol, changing how exposure is managed within the Synthetix ecosystem. Warwick said the SNX community holds enough resources to resolve the peg issue through participation in the pool.