MakerDAO’s Sky Launches Keel on Solana: $500M Treasury Allocator and Points Farming Explained

Sky (the protocol evolution of MakerDAO) is pushing aggressively into Solana with Keel, a new on-chain capital allocator that launches with a $500 million “Tokenization Regatta” focused on real‑world assets (RWAs) and DeFi on Solana. Backed by Sky’s USDS stablecoin reserves and positioned as Solana’s “capital engine,” Keel is framed not as another DeFi app, but as a balance‑sheet‑driven liquidity allocator that plugs directly into existing Solana protocols and RWA issuers.

From the user perspective, the headline is straightforward:
Sky is moving up to $500 million of its reserves into Solana via Keel, using a structured RFP process for asset managers and an incentive layer (including points farming) to bootstrap usage and liquidity.

From the ecosystem perspective, the move is more structural. It attempts to position Solana as a primary venue for institutional tokenization by combining:

  • A large, programmatic capital source (USDS reserves via Sky)
  • A formal institutional RFP and rating process (Keel + Particula + Kinetika)
  • Integration with existing Solana DeFi and RWA rails (Kamino, Jupiter, Securitize, Libre, etc.)

This article breaks down how Keel fits into Sky’s architecture, how the Tokenization Regatta is structured, what it implies for Solana’s RWA and DeFi markets, how the points farming and incentive layer fits in, and what the key risks and scenarios look like.


1. Sky, MakerDAO and the Emergence of Keel

1.1 From MakerDAO to Sky and “Stars”

MakerDAO, via DAI, pioneered decentralized collateralized stablecoins. Over time, the protocol accumulated a large balance sheet and shifted toward real‑world collateral, culminating in a broader strategic overhaul known as Endgame. That overhaul reorganized MakerDAO into Sky, with a modular architecture built around semi‑autonomous units called Stars.

Key elements of this evolution (based on the research):

  • Sky Protocol is the rebranded and re‑architected form of MakerDAO.
  • Governance and operations are split into specialized Stars, each with:
    • Its own mandate and business model
    • Its own treasury and governance processes
    • Tight integration with Sky’s core capital and risk framework
  • Sky’s stablecoin stack now centers on USDS, with over $8 billion in combined USDS and legacy DAI circulation across multiple chains.

Earlier Stars include:

  • Spark – focused on lending/borrowing (primarily on Ethereum), reportedly reaching > $11 billion TVL.
  • Grove – a later Star with a $1 billion allocation into tokenized CLOs and private credit, underscoring Sky’s RWA focus.

Keel is the third major Star, and the first explicitly dedicated to Solana.

1.2 What Keel Is (and Is Not)

Keel is not another Solana money market or AMM. Instead, it is:

  • An on-chain capital allocator and liquidity engine for Solana
  • Funded via Sky’s USDS reserves, with 100% protocol‑owned assets (no external custodians)
  • Designed to deploy capital into:
    • Solana DeFi (lending markets, structured yield, liquidity venues)
    • Solana‑native RWAs (tokenized treasuries, credit, funds, etc.)
    • Stablecoin infrastructure and other financial primitives

Keel’s core roles include:

  • Acting as a dedicated balance sheet for Solana
  • Partnering with existing Solana protocols (e.g., Kamino, Jupiter, Raydium) rather than competing with them
  • Running structured capital programs like the $500M Tokenization Regatta
  • Coordinating incentives, including points programs, to bootstrap liquidity and usage

Keel is described as a “Pioneer Star” within Sky: beyond running a portfolio, it is tasked with building infrastructure, partnerships, and cross‑chain connectivity to make Solana a credible institutional venue.

1.3 Why Solana?

Keel’s Solana focus is grounded in several structural features of the chain:

  • High throughput and low latency
    ~400ms block times and sub‑cent transaction fees (~$0.001) enable high‑frequency, institution‑scale activity.
  • Mature DeFi stack
    Daily DEX volumes have reached tens of billions of dollars (with cited peaks around $38B/day), and lending markets are large and growing.
  • Stablecoin depth
    Roughly $15B in stablecoins on Solana (USDC, USDT, EURC and Solana‑native stables like USX and USDS) provide the base liquidity layer for RWAs and credit.
  • Institutional traction
    • Major payment firms (Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Western Union) use Solana rails.
    • Tokenized funds from Apollo (ACRED via Securitize) and Hamilton Lane (SCOPE via Libre) are already live on Solana.
    • Solana spot ETFs and other regulated access products are emerging.

Despite this, the research notes a funding gap: more than 40 asset managers expressed interest in Solana tokenization but lacked a clear, institutional‑grade pathway for capital deployment. Keel is designed to fill that gap.


2. Keel’s Capital Architecture and Access to USDS Reserves

2.1 Direct Access to Sky’s Balance Sheet

Keel’s defining advantage is its direct, programmatic access to Sky’s USDS reserves:

  • Sky has > $8B in USDS and DAI circulation.
  • A portion of these reserves is earmarked for Solana allocations via Keel.
  • Keel’s assets are protocol‑owned, not custodied by a third party.

This is structurally different from a typical DeFi fund or DAO treasury:

  • Keel does not need to raise capital from LPs.
  • It does not pay market rates for liquidity in the same way a DeFi protocol would.
  • It can treat USDS as internal capital, with a cost of funds tied to Sky’s own economics rather than external borrowing markets.

2.2 Cost of Capital and Yield Spreads

Because USDS is issued and managed within Sky’s architecture, Keel’s effective cost of capital is structurally low compared to:

  • TradFi asset managers raising funds from LPs
  • On‑chain funds borrowing stablecoins at market lending rates

This enables Keel to:

  • Deploy into yield‑bearing strategies on Solana (DeFi and RWA)
  • Target risk‑adjusted returns that are competitive for Sky governance
  • Still leave room for attractive yields for end‑users and partner protocols

The spread between:

  • The internal cost of USDS capital, and
  • The gross yield from Solana strategies

accrues back to Sky’s ecosystem (governance token holders, USDS stability mechanisms, and potentially Star‑specific stakeholders).

2.3 Non‑Competitive Infrastructure Role

Unlike Spark or Grove, Keel is explicitly non‑competitive with core Solana protocols:

  • It does not run its own general‑purpose lending market.
  • It allocates capital into Kamino, Jupiter, Raydium and other existing venues.
  • It behaves more like:
    • A central bank‑like liquidity provider for Solana DeFi, and
    • An anchor LP for RWA issuers and structured products.

This is strategically important: it aligns Keel with Solana’s protocol ecosystem rather than fragmenting liquidity across yet another venue.


3. The $500M Tokenization Regatta: Design and Mechanics

3.1 Overview and Scale

The Tokenization Regatta is Keel’s flagship initiative for Season 1:

  • Size: Up to $500 million in allocations on Solana in the first season.
  • Scope: Primarily real‑world assets on Solana, with clear overlap into DeFi venues where those RWAs trade or are used as collateral.
  • Roadmap: Part of a broader $2.5 billion multi‑year allocation roadmap for Keel.

The research notes that this $500M commitment is:

  • One of the largest single asset placements in Solana’s history.
  • Expected to increase Solana’s RWA TVL by ~60%, a material jump for the category.

3.2 Two‑Track RFP System: Track A vs. Track B

The Regatta uses a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) structure with two tracks:

  • Track A – “Immediate Deployment”
    • For assets that are:
      • Already live on Solana, or
      • Credibly able to go live by March 31, 2026.
    • Objective: Deploy capital quickly into ready‑to‑use RWA products and DeFi venues.
  • Track B – “Pipeline Development”
    • For assets that:
      • Are in earlier development stages, and
      • Need 12–18 months to become Solana‑ready.
    • Objective: Build a forward pipeline of institutional‑grade tokenization projects and identify where infrastructure gaps exist.

This dual‑track design achieves two things:

  1. Near‑term impact: Track A accelerates Solana’s RWA TVL and liquidity.
  2. Strategic mapping: Track B functions as a market intelligence exercise, mapping who is building what, on what timeline, and what they need from Solana infrastructure.

3.3 Institutional‑Grade Evaluation: Kinetika and Particula

The RFP process is not a loose, informal “apply and hope” system. It is built with institutional standards in mind:

  • Kinetika Research and Particula co‑designed the RFP framework.
    • Kinetika brings tokenization and market structure expertise.
    • Particula is an independent digital asset rating provider.
  • The evaluation stack includes:
    • Standardized questionnaires and secure data submission channels.
    • Structured evaluation of:
      • Token design
      • Risk‑adjusted yield
      • Secondary market liquidity expectations
      • Scalability and technical robustness
    • Comprehensive due diligence on:
      • Issuers and counterparties
      • Legal structures and regulatory posture
      • Operational processes and technical implementation

Particula provides risk ratings across:

  • Economic dimensions (volatility, default risks, correlation)
  • Legal structures (claims hierarchy, enforceability, jurisdiction)
  • Operational factors (issuer robustness, servicing, reporting)
  • Technical aspects (smart contract risk, chain dependencies)

This rating layer is critical for:

  • Making allocations comparable across very different asset types
  • Giving Sky governance and external observers a transparent risk framework
  • Making the Regatta legible to traditional asset managers

3.4 Timeline and Participation

The research notes the key timeline:

  • Applications opened: December 11, 2025 (Solana Breakpoint, Abu Dhabi).
  • Submission window: Until January 31, 2026.
  • Interest: More than 40 asset managers have already expressed interest.

This eight‑week window is long enough for serious institutional players to:

  • Coordinate internally
  • Prepare documentation
  • Align legal and compliance teams

while still supporting timely deployment of the $500M Season 1 allocation.


4. Solana’s On‑Chain and Market Context

4.1 Core Metrics: Throughput, Costs, and Uptime

Solana’s technical metrics provide the foundation for Keel’s thesis:

  • Finality: ~400ms block times
  • Fees: Median transaction cost around $0.001
  • Reliability: Reported 100% uptime for over 18 months in the period referenced
  • DEX activity: Peak daily DEX volume around $38B

For institutional‑scale tokenization and credit markets, these metrics matter:

  • Low fees and high throughput support high‑frequency trading, rebalancing, and collateral management.
  • High uptime and fast finality reduce operational risk for time‑sensitive financial flows.
  • Large DEX volumes signal deep liquidity and a robust trading ecosystem.

4.2 Stablecoin and Lending Market Metrics

Stablecoins form the monetary base of on‑chain finance:

  • ~$15B in stablecoins on Solana:
    • USDC, USDT, EURC
    • Solana‑native stables like USX and USDS
  • This base is critical for:
    • RWA settlement
    • Collateral for lending
    • Structured yield products

Solana’s lending markets are also sizable:

  • Total lending TVL around $3.6B (December 2025), up from $2.7B a year earlier (~33% YoY growth).
  • Kamino Finance:
    • ~$3.5B TVL, ~75% of Solana’s lending market share.
    • Modular architecture, permissionless market creation, and professional risk managers (e.g., Gauntlet, Steakhouse).
  • Jupiter Lend:
    • ~$1.65B TVL, with rapid growth.
  • Other protocols (Loopscale, Drift, etc.) specialize in:
    • Exotic collateral (LP tokens, liquid staking tokens)
    • RWA‑backed credit markets

These metrics indicate that:

  • Solana is no longer an experimental DeFi playground; it is a systemically relevant DeFi chain.
  • There is enough base liquidity and TVL for a large allocator like Keel to operate without overwhelming the system.

4.3 RWA Adoption on Solana

Solana’s RWA stack is already live and growing:

  • Securitize:
    • Hosts tokenized funds like Apollo’s ACRED (private credit).
  • Libre Capital:
    • Hosts Hamilton Lane’s SCOPE senior private credit product.
    • Uses Solana token extensions for programmable compliance.
  • Other tokenization players (Backed Finance, etc.) are active on Solana as well.

These deployments show that:

  • Institutional issuers are comfortable launching on Solana.
  • The chain’s compliance and tokenization tooling (e.g., token extensions) is mature enough for regulated products.

Keel’s $500M Regatta aims to amplify and extend this trend by:

  • Providing a large, committed capital base
  • Creating a pipeline of future RWA issuers via Track B

5. Keel vs. Other Capital Allocators and RWA Initiatives

5.1 Within the Sky Ecosystem: Spark and Grove

Within Sky itself, Keel sits alongside Spark and Grove but with a distinct mandate:

StarPrimary FocusChain FocusCapital Size (from research)Role Type
SparkLending & borrowingPrimarily Ethereum> $11B TVLCompetitive DeFi protocol
GroveTokenized CLOs & private credit RWAsEthereum‑centric$1B allocationRWA yield engine
KeelCapital allocation & liquidity on SolanaSolana$500M Season 1; $2.5B roadmapNon‑competitive allocator

Key differentiators for Keel:

  • Chain specialization: Solana‑only (for now)
  • Non‑competitive posture: Allocates into existing protocols instead of building a competing venue
  • RFP‑driven allocation: Uses an institutional RFP and rating framework

5.2 Versus Ethereum‑Native RWA and Treasury Allocators

On Ethereum and L2s, several RWA and treasury allocators exist (tokenized T‑bill funds, on‑chain credit funds, protocol treasuries deploying into RWAs). Keel differs in several ways:

  • Source of capital:
    • Keel: Direct access to a large, protocol‑native stablecoin reserve (USDS).
    • Others: Often rely on external LPs or investors.
  • Governance integration:
    • Keel is a Star within Sky, with allocations feeding back into Sky’s overall economics.
  • Chain bet:
    • Keel is a deliberate bet on Solana as a primary venue for tokenization, rather than Ethereum/L2s.

This specialization could be an advantage (deep integration with Solana) or a risk (concentration on one chain).

5.3 Versus Solana‑Native RWA Platforms

Solana already hosts RWA platforms like Securitize and Libre, and DeFi protocols that support RWA collateral. Keel is complementary:

  • It does not tokenize assets itself.
  • It allocates into RWA tokens and RWA‑backed strategies.
  • It can act as:
    • A cornerstone investor in new tokenized funds
    • A liquidity provider for secondary markets
    • A rate stabilizer in RWA lending markets

For Solana‑native RWA issuers, Keel is effectively:

  • A pre‑committed buyer with a large checkbook
  • A potential signal of quality (if Keel allocates, others may follow)

6. Points Farming and Incentive Design

6.1 Why Incentives Matter for a Capital Allocator

While the research does not spell out every detail of Keel’s points system, it clearly notes:

  • The initial $500M allocation is capped and opened gradually.
  • There will be points farming associated with Keel’s deployments.

Incentives are critical for several reasons:

  • Bootstrapping liquidity: Even with $500M, Keel alone cannot create deep markets; it needs co‑liquidity from users and other institutions.
  • Aligning behavior: Points can reward:
    • Early participation
    • Long‑term commitment
    • Use of specific RWA products or strategies that Keel wants to seed
  • Data collection: Incentivized programs help Keel learn:
    • Which products users prefer
    • How liquidity behaves under different conditions

6.2 Likely Points Farming Vectors (Inference Based on Structure)

Without inventing specific numbers or mechanics, we can infer the types of activities likely to be incentivized:

  • Providing liquidity in pools or vaults where Keel acts as an anchor LP (e.g., RWA AMM pools, lending markets)
  • Holding or using specific RWA tokens that receive allocations via the Regatta
  • Participating in structured products (e.g., yield vaults built on top of Keel‑backed RWAs)
  • Cross‑protocol usage across partners (Kamino, Jupiter, etc.) that integrate with Keel’s capital

The points may later map to:

  • Governance rights within Keel or the broader Sky ecosystem
  • Fee discounts, boosted yields, or future allocation priority
  • Potential token distributions if Keel or related Stars choose to tokenize their governance

The exact mapping is not specified in the research, but the purpose is clear: transform Keel from a passive allocator into a two‑sided market, where:

  • Institutional RWA issuers compete for allocations
  • On‑chain users and protocols compete for incentivized liquidity around those RWAs

7. Fundamental Drivers and Strategic Positioning

7.1 Macro Drivers for RWAs on Solana

Keel is aligned with several macro trends:

  • Institutional search for yield
    With rate cycles and credit spreads in flux, tokenized private credit and structured products are attractive.
  • Digitization of capital markets
    Tokenization is moving from proof‑of‑concept to production, with real funds and regulated issuers on‑chain.
  • Stablecoin and payments growth
    Solana’s role as a payments and stablecoin rail makes it a natural home for tokenized money‑market and credit products.
  • Selective regulatory clarity
    While not uniform, some jurisdictions are clarifying rules for tokenized funds and securities, enabling platforms like Securitize and Libre.

Keel’s $500M commitment is both a response to and a catalyst for these trends.

7.2 Why a Dedicated Capital Engine Matters

Cian Breathnach (Keel’s lead contributor) is quoted as saying that the next phase of on‑chain finance needs not just new assets, but “liquidity that can be accessed at speed and scale.” That highlights a structural issue:

  • DeFi protocols are often capital‑constrained and depend on:
    • Retail yield farmers
    • Fragmented DAO treasuries
    • Opportunistic whales
  • RWAs need:
    • Predictable, long‑term capital
    • Institutional‑grade due diligence
    • A single counterparty that can write large tickets

Keel is designed to be that counterparty on Solana.

7.3 How Keel Could Reshape Solana’s Financial Stack

If Keel succeeds, it could:

  • Turn Solana into a primary venue for tokenized credit and funds, not just trading.
  • Provide rate benchmarks for RWA yields on Solana (e.g., what yield Keel is willing to accept for different risk tiers).
  • Anchor new market primitives, such as:
    • RWA‑backed stablecoins or structured notes
    • Credit indices or tranches built on top of Keel‑backed assets
  • Encourage more TradFi issuers to choose Solana because:
    • There is a committed buyer (Keel)
    • There is a clear, rated RFP process (via Particula and Kinetika)
    • There is an ecosystem of DeFi protocols ready to integrate those assets

8. Key Risks and Negative Scenarios

Regardless of design, Keel faces material risks. These can be grouped into technical, market, governance, and regulatory/RWA‑specific categories.

8.1 Technical and Chain Risks (Solana)

  • Network outages or degradation
    While Solana has had a strong uptime streak recently, historical outages are a known risk. Any major incident could disrupt:
    • RWA settlement
    • Liquidations
    • Rebalancing of Keel’s positions
  • Smart contract risk
    Keel’s own contracts, plus those of partner protocols (Kamino, Jupiter, RWA issuers), are potential attack surfaces. A bug or exploit in a major partner could lead to:
    • Losses on Keel’s capital
    • Contagion risk if Keel is a large LP or lender
  • Bridge and cross‑chain risk
    If Keel or USDS rely on cross‑chain bridges between Ethereum and Solana, bridge exploits or failures could:
    • Freeze or misprice assets
    • Break accounting between Sky’s core and Keel’s Solana positions

8.2 Market and Liquidity Risks

  • RWA liquidity risk
    Many RWAs are inherently illiquid or have limited secondary markets. If Keel needs to exit positions quickly (e.g., in stress scenarios), it may face:
    • Deep discounts
    • Inability to liquidate at all
  • Interest rate and credit risk
    RWA yields can compress or widen based on macro conditions. Credit events in underlying portfolios (e.g., defaults in private credit) could lead to:
    • Mark‑to‑market losses
    • Permanent impairments
  • DeFi market risk
    Volatility in SOL and other crypto assets can indirectly affect:
    • Collateral values in lending markets where Keel is active
    • Funding conditions and risk premia on Solana

8.3 Governance and Alignment Risks (Sky and Keel)

  • Capital allocation conflicts
    Sky governance must decide how much capital to allocate to:
    • Ethereum‑based Stars (Spark, Grove)
    • Solana via Keel
      Misallocation or political disputes could:
    • Underfund Keel
    • Lead to inconsistent long‑term commitments
  • Incentive misalignment
    If Keel’s performance metrics focus too heavily on:
    • Short‑term yield, or
    • TVL growth
      It may take excessive risk in RWA portfolios.
  • Opaque decision‑making
    If RFP decisions are not transparent enough, Keel could face:
    • Perceptions of favoritism
    • Reduced trust from both issuers and users

8.4 Regulatory and RWA‑Specific Risks

  • Securities and fund regulation
    Many RWAs are regulated securities or funds. Changes in regulation or enforcement could:
    • Force delistings or redemptions
    • Restrict which investors can hold the tokens
  • Jurisdictional fragmentation
    RWA issuers operate under different legal regimes. Cross‑border enforcement and investor protections may be unclear.
  • Issuer and servicing risk
    Tokenization platforms and asset managers (Securitize, Libre, etc.) must:
    • Maintain proper custody and servicing
    • Provide accurate and timely reporting
      Operational failures or fraud could lead to:
    • Loss of value in RWA tokens
    • Legal disputes over claims

8.5 Reputational Risk for Solana and Sky

A significant loss event or regulatory issue in Keel’s portfolio could:

  • Damage Solana’s reputation as an institutional venue
  • Undermine Sky’s broader RWA strategy (including Grove)
  • Lead to reduced appetite from traditional asset managers

9. Scenario Analysis: Bull, Base, and Bear Cases

Given these drivers and risks, we can outline three broad scenarios for Keel and the Tokenization Regatta. No price targets are provided; this is about structural outcomes.

9.1 Scenario Table

ScenarioDescriptionKey Outcomes for KeelImpact on Solana RWA & DeFi
BullKeel executes well, RWAs scale, Solana becomes a leading institutional chain.Full $500M deployed efficiently, strong performance, roadmap to $2.5B realized.RWA TVL surges, new issuers flock to Solana, DeFi integrates RWAs as core collateral.
BaseMixed but positive execution, some frictions, steady growth.Majority of $500M deployed, some underperformers, robust but selective pipeline.RWA TVL grows meaningfully, but Solana shares leadership with other chains; RWAs become a solid but not dominant segment.
BearTechnical, regulatory, or market shocks derail the initiative.Under‑deployment or losses; future allocations scaled back or redirected.RWA growth stalls or migrates to other chains; Solana remains strong in trading but lags in institutional RWAs.

9.2 Bull Case: Solana as a Primary Tokenization Venue

In the bull scenario:

  • Execution:
    • Keel’s RFP process surfaces high‑quality issuers.
    • Particula’s ratings prove predictive; defaults and losses are minimal.
    • Technical integration with Solana DeFi is smooth.
  • Capital deployment:
    • The full $500M Season 1 is deployed into:
      • Tokenized funds (credit, treasuries, structured products)
      • RWA‑backed lending markets
      • Liquidity pools on Kamino, Jupiter, Raydium
    • Performance is strong enough to justify scaling toward the $2.5B roadmap.
  • Ecosystem effects:
    • Solana’s RWA TVL grows well beyond the initial ~60% jump.
    • New institutional issuers choose Solana first, citing:
      • Keel as a cornerstone investor
      • Mature DeFi integrations
      • Low‑cost, high‑throughput infrastructure
    • Points farming and incentive programs:
      • Build a sticky user base around RWA products
      • Create a new class of RWA‑native DeFi strategies (e.g., RWA indices, tranching, structured vaults)
  • Strategic outcome:
    • Solana becomes a default choice for tokenized credit and funds.
    • Sky’s RWA strategy (Grove + Keel) is validated, and Sky becomes a systemic allocator across multiple chains.

9.3 Base Case: Steady but Uneven Progress

In the base scenario:

  • Execution:
    • The RFP process works, but:
      • Some selected issuers underperform.
      • Legal and technical complexities slow down certain deployments.
    • Keel’s risk management is generally sound but not flawless.
  • Capital deployment:
    • A substantial portion (e.g., a majority) of the $500M is deployed.
    • Some capital remains in cash or low‑risk instruments due to:
      • Delays in issuer readiness
      • Conservative governance decisions
  • Ecosystem effects:
    • Solana’s RWA TVL grows meaningfully, but:
      • Competing chains (Ethereum L2s, others) also attract major tokenization deals.
      • Solana becomes one of several important RWA venues.
    • Points farming:
      • Attracts users but may see rotational liquidity chasing the highest incentives.
  • Strategic outcome:
    • Keel is seen as a credible institutional allocator, but not a dominant one.
    • Sky continues to support Keel, but future allocations are more selective and performance‑driven.

9.4 Bear Case: Structural or Shock‑Driven Failure

In the bear scenario:

  • Execution or external shocks:
    • A major regulatory shift hits tokenized securities.
    • A significant default or fraud occurs in a Keel‑backed RWA.
    • A technical incident on Solana or a partner protocol leads to large losses.
  • Capital deployment:
    • Keel either:
      • Fails to deploy most of the $500M (due to lack of credible issuers), or
      • Deploys but suffers material losses.
    • Sky governance responds by:
      • Halting or reducing further allocations
      • Reallocating capital back to Ethereum‑centric strategies
  • Ecosystem effects:
    • RWA issuers and institutions become more cautious about Solana.
    • Competing chains capture the next wave of tokenization growth.
    • Points programs lose relevance as users rotate to safer or more rewarding ecosystems.
  • Strategic outcome:
    • Keel becomes a cautionary tale about the complexity of RWAs on public chains.
    • Solana remains strong in trading and retail DeFi, but institutional RWA adoption lags.

10. What’s Missing and Open Questions

The research provides a strong high‑level view but leaves several important details unspecified. These gaps matter for any serious assessment:

  • Detailed portfolio construction rules
    Target risk bands, duration, credit quality, and diversification rules are not specified.
  • Exact incentive mechanics
    How points are calculated, what they convert into, and how they interact with Sky governance are not detailed.
  • Governance structure of Keel
    How decisions are made within Keel as a Star (e.g., committees, veto rights, escalation paths) is not fully described.
  • Cross‑chain accounting and risk limits
    How Sky caps exposure to Solana vs. Ethereum and other chains is not covered.
  • Regulatory posture
    While issuers like Securitize and Libre have clear regulatory frameworks, Keel’s own regulatory analysis (if any) is not detailed in the research.

These missing pieces do not invalidate the initiative but highlight that:

  • Transparency and ongoing communication will be critical.
  • Institutional participants will likely demand more granular disclosures over time.

11. Conclusion: Keel as a Structural Bet on Solana’s Financial Future

Keel represents a structural escalation in the relationship between MakerDAO/Sky and Solana:

  • It channels up to $500M in Season 1 (and potentially $2.5B over time) from Sky’s USDS reserves into Solana’s DeFi and RWA stack.
  • It does so via a formal, rated RFP process, with:
    • Independent risk ratings from Particula
    • Tokenization and market structure expertise from Kinetika
  • It positions itself not as a competitor to Solana protocols, but as a capital backbone:
    • Allocating into Kamino, Jupiter, Raydium, and RWA issuers
    • Coordinating incentives and points farming to bootstrap liquidity

If Keel delivers on its design, Solana could consolidate its emerging status as a primary venue for institutional tokenization and on‑chain credit, with RWAs becoming a core pillar of its DeFi economy rather than a niche.

If execution falters-through technical incidents, regulatory shocks, or misallocation of capital-the initiative could instead underscore the complexity and risk involved in bridging traditional finance and public blockchains at scale.

In either case, Keel and the Tokenization Regatta mark a turning point: a large, protocol‑native balance sheet is making a deliberate, structured bet on Solana as future infrastructure for internet‑scale capital markets, and is inviting both institutional issuers and on‑chain users to participate-backed by real capital and real risk.