Introduction

SUI is a utility token that powers the Sui Network, a Layer 1 blockchain designed to facilitate decentralized applications (dApps) with a focus on high throughput and low latency. The Sui Network employs a novel consensus mechanism known as “Narwhal and Tusk,” which allows it to process transactions quickly and efficiently without compromising on security. SUI tokens are used within the network to pay for transaction fees, participate in governance, and incentivize validators who maintain the network’s integrity.

Components of the Ecosystem

ComponentToken 1Token 2Token 3
WalletSUI (Sui Wallet – native)MYST (Mysten Labs)SUI (Sui Wallet integration)
DEXCETUS (Cetus DEX)TURBO (TurboDEX)SUI (Sui native DEX integration)
Lending and Borrowing PlatformsCETUS (Cetus – emerging lending features)SUI (upcoming lending protocols)TURBO (TurboDEX with lending features)
OraclePyth Network (integration in progress)Band Protocol (future integration)SUI (potential oracles on the network)
BridgesWormhole (integration expected)SUI (native bridge solutions)Allbridge (potential integration)
StablecoinsUSDC (expected integration)USDT (potential integration)SUI (native stablecoin initiatives)
Decentralized Identity (DID) SolutionsCivic (Civic – cross-chain potential)SUI (native DID initiatives)Mysten Labs (future identity projects)
DAOsSUI (native DAO governance)CETUS (emerging DAO features)TURBO (governance in development)
Data Storage SolutionsSUI (native data storage initiatives)Arweave (potential cross-chain integration)Filecoin (future storage solutions)
NFT MarketplacesSUI (native NFT marketplace)BlueMove (emerging NFT marketplace on Sui)Keepsake (upcoming Sui-based marketplace)
Layer 2 SolutionsSUI (native scaling solutions)SUI Subnets (future Layer 2 concept)Mysten Labs (potential Layer 2 projects)
ExplorersSUI Explorer (native block explorer)Suiview (community explorer)SUIscan (emerging explorer)

Properties compared to Competitors

ParameterSUIEthereumSolanaAvalanche
Consensus MechanismNarwhal and TuskProof of Stake (PoS)Proof of History + PoSAvalanche Consensus
Transaction Speed~100,000 TPS~30 TPS~65,000 TPS~4,500 TPS
Finality Time<1 second~6 minutes~2 seconds<2 seconds
Language SupportMove (Rust-based)Solidity (EVM)Rust, C, C++Solidity (EVM), Rust
Ecosystem MaturityEmergingEstablishedGrowingGrowing
Energy Efficiency~0.001 kWh/tx~0.03 kWh/tx~0.00051 kWh/tx~0.0005 kWh/tx

Performance Compared to Competitors

MetricSUISolanaEthereumAvalanche
Transaction Fees ($/Tx)$0.0001$0.00025$0.5 – $50$0.02
Total Value Locked (TVL)$250 million$1.5 billion$20 billion$3.5 billion
Transaction Volume30 million Tx/day40 billion Tx/month1.2 million Tx/day2 million Tx/day
Active Addresses500,000+2 million+500,000+300,000+
Number of Smart Contracts Deployed20,000+100,000+3.5 million+60,000+
Hash RateN/A (PoS)N/A (PoS)1,000,000 GH/sN/A (PoS)
Staking Participation60% of SUI supply70% of SOL supply10% of ETH supply60% of AVAX supply

Tokenomics

Total Supply: 10,000,000,000 SUI tokens

Current Circulating Supply: 528,273,717 SUI tokens

Emission Rate: SUI has a dynamic emission rate, where new tokens are minted and distributed primarily as staking rewards. The emission rate is designed to decrease over time, with the initial high rewards incentivizing early network participation.

Token Utility:

  1. Gas Fees: SUI tokens are used as gas to execute smart contracts and perform other operations on the blockchain.

2. Transaction Fees: SUI tokens are used to pay for transaction fees on the SUI network.

3. Staking and Security: SUI tokens can be staked by validators and delegators to secure the network, and in return, they earn staking rewards.

4. Governance: SUI token holders can participate in on-chain governance, voting on proposals that affect the future direction and policies of the network.

Main Investors

InvestorToken HoldingsPercentage of Total Supply
a16z (Andreessen Horowitz)200,000,000 SUI2.00%
FTX Ventures150,000,000 SUI1.50%
Coinbase Ventures100,000,000 SUI1.00%
Binance Labs80,000,000 SUI0.80%
Lightspeed Venture Partners70,000,000 SUI0.70%

Founders and History

The SUI token and its underlying blockchain were developed by Mysten Labs, a blockchain technology company founded by former Facebook engineers. Mysten Labs was formed in 2021 with the goal of creating a next-generation blockchain infrastructure that addresses the scalability and usability challenges faced by existing networks. The Sui Network, along with the SUI token, was officially launched in 2022, following several rounds of private funding and a successful public testnet phase. Since its launch, SUI has rapidly grown in popularity, driven by its innovative technology and the strong backing of its community and investors.