This is part of a multi-part series reporting on the latest actions, accomplishments and achievements made by the DAO. Note that this is essentially a snapshot of where we were in late Q4, and things have already moved further along since then.
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Foundation Updates
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Rebrand Initiative
During Q4, our team identified a critical need for a comprehensive rebrand of the TrueFi project to address persistent reputational challenges stemming from legacy issues between 2020 and 2023, including governance disputes, contributor turnover, and unresolved loan matters that no longer align with the current team’s direction or technology. Despite significant internal advancements such as streamlining governance, consolidating technical assets, integrating Cyan for NFT-backed lending, developing a stablecoin and CDP architecture, and enhancing financial discipline, the TrueFi brand has become a substantial barrier to growth. This has manifested in stalled business development conversations, negative social media associations, community confusion, and repeated external questions about outdated events.
This recognition emerged from ongoing community feedback in Telegram discussions, where members repeatedly advocated for a rebrand to eliminate these distractions and allow the protocol to present its cohesive technology stack under a fresh identity. A clean slate will create a clearer narrative, enhance credibility for partnerships and hiring, and position the project for renewed expansion by focusing on modern credit primitives, NFT-backed lending, stablecoin/CDP infrastructure, and a unified system rather than legacy baggage.
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Top-Level Management: Shipping Product, Engineering Focus, & Operational Execution
For Q4, the Foundation aligned top-level management priorities around a single unifying objective: delivering production-ready software. Building on the cost discipline and preparatory work completed in prior quarters, resources and internal bandwidth were deliberately reallocated toward engineering, testing, and release readiness. The primary measures of progress this quarter centered on accelerating development timelines, completing user acceptance testing, and resolving remaining UI/UX and functional issues required to move products toward completion.
Engineering efforts entered the final stages of validation, with comprehensive testing cycles underway to ensure stability, usability, and deployment readiness. Management prioritized clearing blockers, tightening feedback loops between product and engineering, and ensuring that review and decision-making processes remained efficient. This approach enabled the team to move decisively from iteration toward execution, positioning TrueFi for formal approvals and subsequent external-facing releases.
In parallel, operational efforts continued to support execution at scale. Wallet and multisig management remained a focus area as development neared completion, including signer rotations, permission updates, and ongoing governance hygiene. These actions ensured that infrastructure, security, and operational processes were aligned with an increased pace of engineering output and ecosystem expansion.
Overall, Q4 marked a deliberate transition from preparation to delivery, with management decisions consistently oriented around accelerating engineering output, maintaining operational readiness, and positioning products for external release under stable and well-defined operational conditions.
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Product Development and Ecosystem expansion
- Cyan Acquisition Update (TFIP-29)
During Q4, work continued smoothly on Cyan, and BNPL was successfully launched on HyperEVM, marking the expansion to a new chain as fully complete. With the technical integration finalized, focus shifted toward preparing Cyan for its next phase of growth through targeted user acquisition and engagement initiatives.
The next step for Cyan is the rollout of an extensive marketing campaign designed to increase awareness and drive sustained usage of the platform. A core component of this effort is an incentive program focused on rewarding Cyan’s most loyal users, reinforcing long-term engagement while supporting broader user growth across the protocol.
Cyan was already generating consistent revenue at the time of acquisition, and these initiatives are intended to build on that foundation by expanding adoption in a measured and sustainable manner. By prioritizing retention and user alignment, the Foundation aims to strengthen Cyan’s role as a durable, revenue-generating asset within the TrueFi ecosystem.
- Elara Codebase Completion & Readiness
As stated in TFIP-35, the Elara product pivoted from its original compliant Treasury-backed stablecoin design, where the smart contracts and web application were fully completed with high test coverage, internal security review, and audit quotes secured, to a more market-aligned CDP (Collateralized Debt Position) model focused on capital-efficient sUSDe looping. This adaptation addresses the impracticality of the initial concept in the current environment without requiring substantial venture funding, while retaining full DAO ownership of the IP. The CDP architecture is now nearly complete, positioning Elara as a yield-generating protocol that leverages modest liquidity to produce meaningful returns through efficient looping strategies.
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Engineering Efforts
With the UI/UX reskin now complete, the Foundation has shifted engineering focus toward advancing Elara’s development. Elara v1 is nearing finalization, requiring only minor adjustments before being submitted for audit. Simultaneously, work on the CDP version of Elara continues, with a planned release in the coming months as a second product under the Elara brand.
On the Cyan front, engineering efforts successfully delivered the backend infrastructure necessary to support the upcoming incentive program. These developments enable the protocol to reward loyal users and support the broader marketing campaign, ensuring Cyan is prepared for sustained user engagement and growth across the ecosystem.
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Operations
In Q4 2025, the DAO maintained its lean and high-efficiency operational structure, ensuring resources remain strategically allocated while delivering consistent value across all functional areas. The focus on agility, cross-functional collaboration, and disciplined budgeting continued to guide operational decisions.
The team composition remains the same as in the previous quarter:
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Head of Operations (1)
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Head of Strategy (1)
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Product Manager (1)
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Business Development Lead (1)
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Full Stack Engineers (2)
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Developer (1)
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Marketing Lead (1)
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Finance CFOs (2) – Increased involvement since December 2024, providing enhanced financial reporting, cost control, and budgeting.
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Community Moderator (1)
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