From 0 to R2 — Why We Built the Future of Yield
Dubai, UAE, 24th April 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, A Message from the Founding Team
Quick Highlights:
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60,000+ unique addresses joined our testnet in just a few days
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R2 currently powers over 50% of Sepolia’s transaction volume
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Discord community has surpassed 58,000 members
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Twitter followers have grown to over 45,000
We’re thrilled by the momentum and humbled by the support. These numbers are just the beginning.
Dear R2 Community,
Last Thursday marked a major milestone for us: R2 Protocol is now officially live on testnet.
For many, this might feel like just another product launch. But for our team, it means much more. It’s the first public step toward a vision we’ve been quietly building for months: a yield-powered stablecoin ecosystem that works, transparently, sustainably, and with real-world impact.
Why We Started
When we first started R2, we weren’t chasing hype. In fact, it would’ve been much easier to do something trendy, fast, and forgettable.
But we believed in something harder, that stablecoins could evolve, from passive dollar substitutes to real, yield-bearing financial infrastructure that works for both retail and institutions.
Back then, we didn’t know the exact shape it would take. We spent weeks debating mechanisms, rebuilding models, rejecting ideas we liked, and watching the market shift. It wasn’t always clear. But one thing always was: we wanted to build something that could last.
What We’ve Learned
Over the past few months, we’ve had the chance to sit down with pioneers across the U.S., from Ondo Finance, Superstate, Franklin Templeton, Securitize, DigiFT, Fasanara, and Centrifuge, to L1/L2 teams like Plume, Pharos, Arbitrum, and others, and even custodians like Copper.
The message was clear: RWA is real, and it’s coming faster than most expect. Those conversations didn’t just validate what we were building, they helped sharpen it.
What Makes R2 Different
We chose a harder but clearer path: real-world backed yield only.
R2USD is backed by tokenized U.S. Treasuries, MMFs, and other real-world yield flows, sourced through institutional-grade partners.
We’re currently LPs with Ondo Finance and Supestate, and are onboarding with Securitize, Fasanara, Centrifuge, Franklin Templeton, and DigiFT, helping us scale exposure to high-quality, compliant yield.
What We’ve Built So Far
We started with R2USD, a redeemable, yield-generating stablecoin. Then came sR2USD for staking, and now, R2BTC and R2ETH vaults, crypto-native vaults for real on-chain yield. These aren’t isolated products. They’re modules in a growing system that’s designed to be composable, transparent, and scalable.
Who’s Building It?
We’re a team of 13 across 7 countries, averaging 4+ years in crypto. All of us have shipped real products, and learned real lessons, sometimes the hard way.
Why This Testnet Matters
This testnet is where we prove our design, not just our code.
We created a dual-point system — Signals for product interactions, Pulses for social and ecosystem engagement. It rewards not just clicks, but conviction.
And to our early contributors, users, and supporters: you’re already part of this system. Your conviction is counted, and it matters.
What Comes Next
We’re just getting started.
More chains, more partners, more ways to get involved — for users, investors, and LPs alike.
This isn’t just a product launch. It’s a new foundation for how value moves onchain.
Thanks for being early. Let’s build forward.
— R2 Team.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Weekly Central USA journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.