LayerZero Receives 130K+ Appeals as Sybil Window Closes Soon

TL;DR

• Surge in Appeals: LayerZero Labs is experiencing a massive wave of over 130,000 appeals against Sybil accusations as the appeal window is about to close.
• Sybil Challenges: The initiative to eliminate Sybil actors has revealed the extent of the issue, with 16% of the initial addresses verified, highlighting the impact of airdrops like Starknet’s STRK on Sybil activity.
• New Phase Approaching: LayerZero’s CEO, Bryan Pellegrino, is navigating the community through this period, with plans to introduce a staking mechanism to combat Sybil claims and reward participants.
  

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As the clock ticks down, LayerZero Labs is witnessing a surge in appeals against Sybil accusations. The appeal window, which flung open on May 18, is set to snap shut within the next 24 hours.

This critical period has seen a staggering influx of over 130,000 appeals, a testament to the community’s engagement and the gravity of the situation.

A Snapshot of LayerZero Sybil Struggles

LayerZero’s initiative to weed out Sybil actors—individuals manipulating multiple wallets to unfairly reap airdrop rewards—has been met with an overwhelming response. The preliminary Sybil list, a ledger of suspected duplicity, has prompted wallet owners to step forward and validate their identities. 

With over 130,000 verified signatures to date, representing 16% of the initial 803,093 addresses, the scale of the challenge is clear. The issue of Sybil activity has been magnified following lucrative airdrops like Starknet’s STRK, with DeFi developer Banteg spotlighting over 1800 accounts erased post-snapshot and linking more than 700,000 addresses to repeated GitHub accounts.

The Countdown to a New Chapter

LayerZero’s co-founder and CEO, Bryan Pellegrino, has been at the helm of this tumultuous phase, steering the community through the chaos that erupted post-airdrop. The bounty for identifying unreported Sybils has sparked a frenzy, amassing over 3,000 bounty reports and 30,000 appeals in mere hours. 

In a bid to regain control, Pellegrino hit the pause button on the reporting process, with plans to reboot it on May 28 via the Commonwealth platform. This new phase will introduce a staking mechanism, requiring users to lock in 0.5 ETH to participate in the Sybil hunt. 

Appeals closing in 24 hours https://t.co/WBnt7TG5zN

— Bryan Pellegrino (臭企鹅) (@PrimordialAA) May 26, 2024

This stake not only deters frivolous claims but also rewards the vigilantes, offering them a 10% cut of the reclaimed tokens from fraudulent addresses.

As LayerZero stands on the cusp of closing its Sybil appeal window, the community braces for the next stage in this blockchain drama. With integrity and fairness at stake, the final hours are crucial for those seeking to clear their names and for the ecosystem striving to maintain its equitable ethos.