On January 30, 2026, Optimism governance passed a proposal to allocate 50% of Superchain revenue to OP token buybacks over the next 12 months, starting in February, Cointelegraph. Submitted by the Optimism Foundation on January 8, the vote concluded with 33.27% in favor, 3.23% against, and 3.95% abstaining. Previously, 100% of revenue went to the governance treasury. This shift aims to align OP value with Superchain growth, enhancing token utility.
Superchain, a network of layer-2 chains built on Optimism’s OP stack, including Base, Soneium, Unichain, and Ink, generates ETH via sequencer fees. The approved plan converts 50% of this ETH to OP monthly through an OTC provider, holding bought tokens in the treasury for potential burning, ecosystem funding, or network security rewards. Based on 2025 revenue, this could yield ~2,700 ETH (~$8M in OP at current prices). Bobby Dresser, Optimism Foundation executive director, called it an “exciting first step” to tie OP to Superchain success.
Despite the bullish proposal, OP dipped 1.9% in 24 hours to $0.26, reflecting short-term caution amid broader market volatility. Bitcoin (BTC) holds at $113,234, while Ethereum (ETH) trades near $4,070. The buyback could reduce OP supply (current circulating: 4.3B), supporting long-term price stability, but the immediate impact is limited without execution details.
The buyback strengthens OP’s role in Superchain governance and incentives, potentially attracting more L2 builders. With $8.6B DeFi TVL and growing staking, Optimism positions for 2026 altcoin rallies. Investors should monitor Superchain revenue on DefiLlama and OP flows via CryptoQuant. OP could target $0.50 by mid-2026 if buybacks execute smoothly. Follow @OptimismFND on X for updates. This move signals maturing layer-2 economics, balancing innovation with tokenomics.
