SundaeSwap remains active on Cardano, with TVL around ~US$11–12 million and monthly volumes in the range of US$6–7 million, well below its peak — but with a relevant installed base and history to attempt a comeback. (DefiLlama)
In the same ecosystem, the volume leadership today belongs to Minswap, which moves tens of millions per month, showing that there is DEX demand in ADA — just captured by competitors. (DefiLlama)
In parallel, Cardano's DeFi has regained traction in 2024/25, with rising TVL and recovering DEX volumes, creating a tide that can help innovative projects. (DefiLlama, levex.com)
1) Relaunch product with a clear differential (UX + liquidity route + CLMM)
What to do:
Implement/optimize concentrated liquidity (CLMM), smart routing between pools, dynamic fees, and aggregation (to capture order flow from the entire ecosystem).
Reduce UX friction: faster swaps, predictable slippage, and simple wallet onboarding.
Why it might work:
Cases of 'rebirth' show that product evolution is a trigger for use. SushiSwap started to grow again after announcing a roadmap with concentrated liquidity, routing improvements, and product restructuring in 2023–2024. (sushi.com)
In other networks, DEXs that improved UI/routing/CLMM surfed the DeFi comeback (see Solana DeFi recovery in 2024). (solanafloor.com, Cryptonary)
Target metric: reduce the gap to Minswap by capturing 5–10% of Cardano's daily volume as a first step. Today, the 24h DEXs in ADA turn around ~US$5–6 million; capturing ~US$300–600k/d already puts the #SUNDAE on the radar. (DefiLlama)
2) Tokenomics 2.0 for SUNDAE (focused incentives + value to the holder)
What to do:
Rebalance liquidity incentives for strategic pools (ADA/SUNDAE, ADA/stables) and longer-term LPs (boost for lock).
Create value mechanism for the token: fee-share for stakers, conditional buyback/burn to volume targets, or 've-model' (voting that directs incentives to pools with higher demand).
Why it might work:
SushiSwap initiated an overhaul of tokenomics (new incentives, treasury, governance) as part of its restructuring — a central measure in recovery cycles. (The Defiant, docs.sushi.com)
ORCA, in Solana, gained strong traction with changes in token mechanics and network upgrades that unlocked flow — an example of how adjustments in economic design + network timing can reignite interest. (AInvest)
Target metric: increase fee capture and staking yield to make holding SUNDAE competitive against farming alternatives in ADA
3) Partnerships and 'liquidity moments' (LSTs, perps & aggregators)
What to do:
Establish partnerships with stablecoins/LSTs (e.g., ADA liquidity in staking) and derivatives/perp integrators to create arbitrage flows and volume funnel.
Align with aggregators and wallets to become the default route in common user #ADA swaps.
Why it might work:
The volume of perps and DEX in Cardano shows signs of increase — when there are complementary products, the spot DEX receives more flow via hedge/arbitrage. (DefiLlama)
In other networks, moments of coordinated liquidity (campaigns, native wallet integrations, pools with temporary incentives) generated volume spikes that 'awakened' dormant DEXs. (solanafloor.com, Cryptonary)
Target metric: quarterly cycles of thematic campaigns (e.g., 'Stable Month', 'LST Season'), measuring TVL increase and volume retention post-campaign.
Practical KPIs to measure the comeback
Share of volume in #ADA: rise from low participation to ≥10% of the network's daily volume. (DefiLlama)
TVL of #SUNDAE: grow from ~US$12 million to US$25–30 million within 2–3 months post-relaunch. (DefiLlama)
Fee revenue per US$1 in TVL (efficiency): approach the leading peers of Cardano (benchmark: Minswap). (DefiLlama)
Stickiness: ≥40% of the volume captured via recurring users (month over month).
Conclusion
The #SUNDAE has a foundation, brand, and history in DeFi of the #ADA. The path back to the spotlight involves a lean and competitive product (CLMM + UX), tokenomics with real value to the holder, and partnerships that create liquidity peaks.
The cases of SushiSwap and ORCA show that turnarounds are possible when there is a clear product plan + correct incentives + network timing. (sushi.com, The Defiant, AInvest)
📌 Tokens mentioned: #SUNDAE and #ADA
