Aerodrome's veAERO model creates a dilemma: lock your AERO for up to 4 years to maximize voting rewards, or keep it liquid and earn nothing. Most users end up somewhere in between - locking for shorter periods and getting suboptimal rewards, or forgetting to vote and missing out entirely.
iAERO eliminates this trade-off by pooling user deposits into a protocol-managed vault that maintains maximum voting power while giving users liquid tokens they can trade anytime.
You deposit veAERO NFTs or AERO into the vault
Vault locks it permanently in veAERO for maximum voting power
You receive iAERO tokens (95% of deposit after 5% fee)
You receive bonus LIQ tokens (governance/rewards token)
Stake your iAERO to earn 80% of all voting rewards
Vault votes automatically every week using optimal strategy
Trade iAERO anytime if you need liquidity
AERO tokens or veAERO NFT in your wallet
ETH for gas fees (Base network)
Connected wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, etc.)
Navigate to iaero.finance and connect your wallet. Make sure you're on Base network.
Option A: Deposit AERO
Best for: Fresh AERO holders
Process: Simple one-click deposit
You get: iAERO + LIQ tokens
Option B: Deposit veNFT
Best for: Existing veAERO holders
Process: Transfer your veNFT to vault
You get: iAERO + LIQ based on locked amount
Minimum: 1 AERO
Maximum: 10,000,000 AERO per transaction
Fee: 5% (goes to protocol treasury)
Approve the vault to spend your AERO
Confirm the deposit transaction
Receive your iAERO and LIQ tokens
Don't leave your iAERO idle! Stake it immediately to earn rewards:
Go to the "Stake" tab
Enter your iAERO amount
Confirm staking transaction
Start earning automatically
Receive stiAERO receipt token
What it represents: Your share of the vault's veAERO
Exchange rate: 1 AERO = 0.95 iAERO (after 5% fee)
Utility: Stake for rewards, trade on DEXs, use as collateral (coming soon)
Supply: Uncapped, minted on deposits
What it represents: Governance rights and protocol ownership
Emission rate: Starts at 1 LIQ per iAERO, halves every 5M
Utility: Stake for protocol revenue share, governance voting
Supply: Capped at 100M total
When you stake iAERO, you earn from multiple sources:
Voting bribes from protocols
Trading fees from gauges
AERO emissions
Total Rewards ├── 80% → iAERO stakers (you!) ├── 10% → Protocol treasury └── 10% → Peg defense fund
Rewards accumulate automatically
Claim anytime with no penalty
Multiple tokens (AERO, USDC, ETH, etc.)
Auto-compound by restaking
Q: Can I get my AERO back? A: No, deposits are one-way. But you can sell iAERO on the open market anytime.
Q: How often are rewards distributed? A: Weekly, after each voting epoch. Keepers harvest and distribute automatically.
Q: Is there a lock period for staking? A: No! Stake and unstake iAERO instantly with no cooldown.
Q: What happens to my voting power? A: It's pooled with everyone else's and voted optimally by the protocol.
Smart Contract Risk: Contracts are unaudited (audit pending)
No Redemption: Cannot convert iAERO back to AERO
Price Risk: iAERO may trade below intrinsic value
Centralization: Voting controlled by protocol multisig
✅ Completed first deposit? Great! Now:
Stake your iAERO for rewards
Add liquidity to iAERO/AERO pool
Learn about LIQ tokenomics
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