Optimism Proposes Token Buyback Program Using Superchain Revenue

The Optimism Foundation has unveiled a proposal to allocate 50% of its Superchain revenue toward purchasing OP tokens on a monthly basis. The governance vote is scheduled for January 22, with the buyback program set to launch in February if approved.

A proposal for the next chapter of Optimism 🔴

The Optimism Foundation is putting forward a proposal to align the OP token with growing Superchain demand by directing 50% of incoming Superchain revenue to regular OP buybacks https://t.co/VSDazlbRdX pic.twitter.com/jBQoJyxDCF

— Optimism (@Optimism) January 8, 2026

Over the past year, Optimism collected 5,868 ETH in revenue from its network of Layer 2 chains. The Superchain currently processes 13% of all cryptocurrency transactions and holds 61.4% of the L2 fee market share.

The proposal marks a shift in the OP token’s role. Previously functioning as a pure governance token, OP would now be directly tied to the Superchain’s economic growth. Tokens acquired through the program will flow into the token treasury.

Governance will retain control over buyback parameters and treasury management. The purchased tokens may eventually be burned or distributed as staking rewards as the platform develops further.

Optimism’s Growing Enterprise Network

The Superchain encompasses multiple L2 chains built on the OP Stack. Major participants include Coinbase’s Base, Unichain, Ink, World Chain, Soneium, and OP Mainnet.

Each chain contributes a portion of its sequencer revenue back to Optimism. This revenue funds a treasury overseen by Optimism governance.

The buyback mechanism creates a flywheel effect. Every new enterprise chain, builder, and transaction across the network expands the base from which buybacks operate.

The Optimism Foundation will also gain authority to manage ETH revenue not directed toward buybacks. This enables more active treasury management beyond the current staking program.

Future developments may expand the token’s utility further. Potential roles include securing shared infrastructure, coordinating sequencer rotation, and enabling collective governance over core protocol functions.

Strategic Pivot Amid Rising Competition

The proposal arrives as Optimism recalibrates its broader strategy. In late November, CEO Jing Wang acknowledged the company had spread itself too thin.

Wang stated the team “did too much and focused too little.” She cited over-hiring and lack of strategic focus as market conditions evolved.

I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a while.

The truth is… Optimism did too much and focused too little. We massively over-hired without a clear strategy. And token price is in the gutter.

We’ve been bathing in tactics for a long time, clinging to previous successes like…

— Optimist Prime (@jinglejamOP) November 26, 2025

The company has consolidated operations by cutting staff and merging all teams under one group. Meanwhile, competition from Solana, Stripe-backed Tempo, and other networks continues to intensify.

Wang teased a new enterprise-focused approach. Rather than simply helping launch new chains, Optimism will give enterprises greater control over their networks.

The OP Stack has evolved from an experimental scaling solution to default infrastructure for major builders. Exchanges, enterprises, and institutional players now standardize on the Superchain for its security and scalability.

This buyback proposal represents the first step in expanding OP’s utility. The foundation positions the token as a shared reference point where growing activity channels resources back into development.

If governance approves the measure, the program will commence in February. The mechanism will start small and scale alongside Optimism’s growth trajectory.