KlimaDAO 2.0 represents a fundamental redesign of decentralized market infrastructure for carbon monetization, retirement, and offsets. While KlimaDAO has established a brand presence and accumulated substantial carbon assets, the 2.0 model introduces sophisticated mechanisms to become the dominant liquidity venue for carbon on-chain by releasing the Klima X Automated Market Maker (AMM).
Klima X
Klima X is a next-generation environmental Automated Market Maker (AMM) designed to serve as the liquidity hub for the Voluntary Carbon Market. It combines the best of carbon markets, blockchain, and DeFi. Building on KlimaDAO’s existing knowledge and technology, Klima X’s flywheel allows environmental asset issuers to access deep liquidity in a capital-efficient manner by synthetically pricing RWAs, utilizing $KLIMA as a means of exchange.
The protocol is designed to enable spot carbon swaps and generate fees (from Traders) by attracting liquidity.
Every day, liquidity providers (LPs) receive $KLIMAX token emissions proportionally to the fees the protocol accumulates, as determined by the Yield Waterfall.
The Yield Waterfall is rewarded with 100% of the protocol fees and emissions from the previous day and allocates them amongst:
Liquidity Providers (LPs)
$KLIMA Locks
$KLIMAX Stakes
$KLIMAX Burn
Participants can lock their $KLIMA to earn a share of the system fees and emissions ($KLIMAX emissions), becoming Voters.
$KLIMAX stakers and Voters can participate in Governance, a decentralized process where stakeholders select which environmental assets $KLIMA should buy more.
Core Components
Dual Token System
The model replaces the existing single token with two specialized tokens:
The $KLIMA token represents a claim on the underlying carbon portfolio. It is issued autonomously to acquire carbon and can be burned to receive carbon retirement certificates. This token embodies the actual carbon value in the system.
The $KLIMAX token enables governance of the system's risk parameters and carbon portfolio management. It influences the rate of $KLIMA issuance and retirement, effectively controlling the system's capacity and velocity.
Autonomous Asset Manager (AAM)
At the heart of the system lies the Autonomous Asset Manager - a smart contract platform that facilitates:
Continuous trading of carbon assets through dynamic pricing algorithms,
Forward markets for carbon pricing up to 10 years,
Portfolio optimization based on token holder preferences,
Automated market making for carbon assets.
The AAM uses collective staking signals from both token types to determine carbon asset pricing and portfolio composition. This creates a sophisticated price discovery mechanism reflecting immediate market sentiment and longer-term risk assessments.
Incentive Market Innovation
The system incorporates a novel incentive market mechanism, balanced by $KLIMA holders staking their tokens for varying maturities. This creates:
A yield curve that helps price forward carbon assets,
Natural liquidity provisioning through the time-value of tokens,
Incentive alignment for long-term holders,
Market-driven forward pricing signals.
The bond market generates floating rate returns based on system activity and stakeholder participation, creating a feedback loop that helps stabilize the broader carbon market.
Carbon Standardization
The model introduces an on-chain carbon framework that:
Standardizes carbon asset classification,
Enables forward delivery contracts to be priced and purchased by the Klima AAM1
Creates fungible carbon token units,
Automates compliance and verification.
All carbon assets follow a quarterly delivery calendar, creating predictable settlement cycles and improved liquidity around standardized dates. 1. Forward carbon is only for purchase by Klima; there is no secondary market speculation, trading, or liquidity for forward units.
Economic Mechanics
Price Discovery
The dual token staking mechanism creates a two-layer price discovery process:
$KLIMA staking determines the base pricing for carbon classes.
$KLIMAX staking modulates the price sensitivity and trading velocity.
This separation of concerns allows the system to balance immediate market needs with longer-term stability requirements.
Risk Management
The model employs several risk management features:
Portfolio diversification through collective staking,
Time-locked liquidity provisions,
Dynamic pricing curves that dampen volatility,
Automated rebalancing mechanisms.
$KLIMAX holders play a crucial role by effectively serving as risk managers for the system through their staking decisions.
Incentive Structure
A sophisticated incentive system drives participation across different timeframes:
Yields for long-term $KLIMA staking,
Liquidity rewards for market-making,
Risk premiums for $KLIMAX staking,
Treasury accumulation through trading spreads.
These incentives are carefully balanced to maintain system stability while encouraging active market participation.
Initial Distribution
The initial distribution of $KLIMA and $KLIMAX is done for users and protocols most likely to contribute to the protocol mission to become the liquidity layer of the carbon market.
Klima Holders
17.5M (87.5%) $KLIMA tokens, &
40M (40%) $KLIMAX tokens.
It will be distributed to the people who have played the biggest role in incubating Klima X and those likeliest to contribute to its long-term success: $KLIMA holders.
Incentives (utility)
25M (25%) $KLIMAX tokens are allocated dynamically across four baskets:
$KLIMA Locks (Carbon Sinks)
LPs
$KLIMAX Stakes
$KLIMAX Burns
Ecosystem Grants
20M (20%) $KLIMAX tokens
After the launch, 20mn (20%) $KLIMAX are reserved to distribute to protocols and ecosystem partners. These will be used to engage partners in the ecosystem through grants.
Klima Foundation
2M (10%) $KLIMA tokens, &
9.5M (9.5%) $KLIMAX tokens.
It will be distributed to the Klima Foundation to continue to underwrite liquidity in the ecosystem. The Foundation will deploy holdings to liquidity positions to be a primary LP in the system and has a mandate to grow the protocol.
pKLIMA
3M (3%) $KLIMAX tokens will be distributed pro-rata to pKLIMA holders.
Partners
2.5% of each token's supply is reserved for 01x (https://01x.one/) for designing the system economics of our next-generation carbon market.
Supply
The initial supply of $KLIMA is equal to the total supply of carbon (in tonnes) in the KlimaDAO treasury at the time of relaunch—approximately 20M.
Implementation Strategy
The transition to Klima 2.0 involves:
1. Systematic migration of existing carbon assets,
2. Gradual introduction of new trading mechanisms,
3. Phased rollout of new market features,
4. Progressive decentralization of governance.
The implementation leverages modern smart contract architecture patterns while maintaining the fully autonomous operation of core market functions.
Conclusion
KlimaDAO 2.0 represents a comprehensive redesign of decentralized carbon markets based on learnings, challenges, and successes of the past 3 years. By separating asset representation from risk governance, introducing novel pricing mechanisms, and creating standardized forward markets, the system aims to become the primary venue for global carbon asset liquidity. The model balances immediate market efficiency with long-term stability through its innovative dual token architecture and automated market operations.