Altair

What is Altair (AIR)?

Altair is a groundbreaking project that leverages the robust infrastructure built by Centrifuge to finance real-world assets (RWA) on the Centrifuge Chain. It integrates cutting-edge experimental features before they are deployed on the main Centrifuge Chain, ensuring a robust and thoroughly tested system. Altair operates on Kusama, the canary network for Polkadot, and will continue to be pivotal for various innovative uses such as minting art NFTs and financing unexplored assets, driven by the dynamic Kusama community.

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Recent Video Interview

Main points of the interview:

• Centrifuge connects real-world assets to DeFi, using its Ethereum-based Tin Lake app.
• Altair serves as a Kusama parachain for experimental features.
• The importance of using Altair as a testbed for new asset financing solutions before launching on Polkadot.
• The transition to a parachain model aims to enhance security and scalability for handling substantial asset pools.

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Altair's Foundation and Operation

Altair functions as the twin project of Centrifuge on Kusama, mirroring its operational framework. It plays a crucial role in the Polkadot ecosystem, particularly during the competitive parachain auctions where projects vie for a position on the Polkadot main network. By utilizing Kusama for testing, Altair ensures that the Centrifuge network remains resilient and well-prepared for real-world applications.

Key Components of Altair

Altair is designed to tokenize real-world assets into a decentralized finance (DeFi) market, built on the Substrate framework on Kusama. This network allows users to test and tokenize various assets, including NFTs and traditional market assets like real estate, providing them with financial value within the DeFi ecosystem. Altair serves as the testing ground for financial assets before they transition to the Centrifuge network.

Related Concepts

• Centrifuge: A network offering fast and low-cost capital access for SMEs, while delivering stable returns to investors. Tinlake: Centrifuge's investment application that acts as an open marketplace for RWA pools, allowing investors to browse and invest in suitable pools provided by Asset Originators. Tinlake also facilitates liquidity provision and interest earning.
• Centrifuge Chain: A Proof-of-Stake blockchain built on Substrate, enabling users to store RWAs on-chain as NFTs and unlocking financial potential through DeFi. It connects to Ethereum but operates with its native token, CFG.
• Centrifuge Token (CFG): This token supports the Proof-of-Stake consensus, incentivizes validators, and allows CFG holders to participate in on-chain governance.

Altair's Interoperability

Altair boasts excellent interoperability across Polkadot, Kusama, and Ethereum, enhancing the liquidity of assets on the platform. This interoperability allows users to experiment with diverse asset types, gaining valuable investment experience and preparing for real investment opportunities on the Centrifuge Chain through applications like Tinlake.

Use Cases for AIR Token

The Altair Network Token (AIR) has several critical functions:

• Governance: AIR holders can participate in the development and decision-making processes of Altair.
• Transaction Fees: AIR is used to pay transaction fees, with a portion burned to manage the token supply.
• Network Security: AIR rewards collators and nominators who help secure the network.
• Rewards Distribution: AIR is used to distribute rewards, particularly to Tinlake participants.
• Crowdloans Participation: AIR can be used to join Altair’s crowdloans on Kusama.

The Centrifuge Ecosystem

Centrifuge is at the forefront of RWA tokenization, providing a comprehensive ecosystem for managing and investing in diversified portfolios of real-world assets. It offers a transparent, cost-effective, and expansive financial system by integrating asset pools, legal recourse, and a DAO supported by finance professionals and developers. Centrifuge’s protocol is asset-class agnostic, catering to various assets like structured credit, real estate, US treasuries, carbon credits, and consumer finance, making it a versatile and pioneering platform in the DeFi space.

Team Background and Partners

The Centrifuge team boasts members from some of the world's leading organizations, such as Consensys, Electric Coin Company, Parity, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, SAP, Microsoft, Deloitte, the United Nations, and the Federal Reserve. The combined Centrifuge and Altair teams have a long history of collaboration, having built multiple companies over the past 18 years.

Centrifuge's partners:

• Investors: Fenbushi Capital, Galaxy Digital, Moonwhale, Hash, TRGC, Rockaway...
• Partners: Aave, DAO Maker, Nexus Mutual...

Project Development

In Q2, Centrifuge made significant strides in advancing the real-world asset narrative. The company raised $15 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round led by ParaFi Capital and Greenfield, which will support institutional DeFi growth. The team expanded with new hires including COO Julia Merkel and Head of Product Sonam Josh, while Anil Sood joined as Co-founder at Anemoy and Head of Strategic Partnerships at Centrifuge.

The Product and Engineering teams introduced advanced reporting tools for deeper investment insights and finalized the ERC-7540 token standard to enhance DeFi efficiency. Ecosystem growth included Gnosis DAO's $2M investment in Treasury Bills via Centrifuge, Credbull's launch of a $10M private credit fund, and Anemoy’s DeFi Yield Fund launch, demonstrating Centrifuge’s robust fund management capabilities.

Altair Price Analysis

As of December 25 2024 Altair has a marketcap of $7.2M. This is {{percentagefromath}} from its all time high of $0.157422. In terms of its tokenomics, there's a total supply of 474M with 83% currently outstanding. Keep in mind Altair has a fully diluted value of $8.7M which many investors might interpret as overvalued.

Of course, don’t trust price predictions alone, always check the Coinrotator token screener to follow the trending market.