When I hear "buybacks," I instantly think of $HYPE. But which others are worth paying attention to? 🧵

II. Buybacks are effective for mature protocols with steady revenue and growth plateaus. Great examples include @aave, @ethena_labs, and @0xfluid, which have built their foundations and are now able to return excess cash to holders.

III. However, when early-stage protocols focus on buybacks, it often signals misplaced priorities. Their treasury should prioritize funding development, partnerships, and ecosystem growth. Chasing price pumps instead of building products rarely ends well.

IV. Let's start with @HyperliquidX, which is generating more than $1.2B in net income, surpassing NASDAQ's 2024 net income of $1.13B. "Wo..." It achieves this with a workforce 832 times smaller, while directing 98% of revenue to $HYPE buybacks. :)

@asxn_r V. Currently, their assistance fund holds $1.62B, with a total of $561M spent on buybacks. "So, over $1 billion still left for buybacks?" Exactly.

VI. "Interesting..." Next up is @aave, whose DAO has recently proposed an annual buyback program with a budget of $50M. The weekly execution range is $250K to $1.75M in $AAVE buys.

VII. These buybacks will be facilitated by market makers, buying $AAVE on secondary markets, and then distributing it to the Aave Ecosystem Reserve. FYI: @aave already bought back around 0.5% of supply.

IX. Also, I believe it's worth paying attention to @0xfluid, @ethena_labs, @JupiterExchange, @ResolvLabs, and some protocols on @solana which Fabiano outlined below:

X. And I'm surely not paying attention to @GMX_IO, @movementlabsxyz, @Ronin_Network, @LayerZero_Core, @SkyEcosystem, @metaplex and @OfficialApeXdex.

Bois, what are your thoughts on buybacks? @splinter0n @0xDefiLeo @the_smart_ape @0xCheeezzyyyy @DOLAK1NG @YashasEdu @0xAndrewMoh @eli5_defi @_SmokinTed @RubiksWeb3hub @kenodnb @rektonomist_