River Protocol Acquires Llama to Strengthen On-Chain Governance for its Decentralized Communication Products

Zug, Switzerland, November 1st, 2024, Chainwire

This acquisition will enhance the governance features for all existing and forthcoming web3 communication platforms built on the River Protocol.

River, the first-of-its-kind protocol for securing communication for end users, today announced its acquisition of Llama, a protocol designed for decentralized governance. Llama’s technology will be integrated into River to further enhance its offerings for users. Earlier this month, Towns, an end-to-end encrypted on-chain communications platform, launched on River, cementing it as River's largest project to date with 125 thousand unique users onboarded and 81 thousand Towns created. The acquisition will benefit all existing and forthcoming platforms built on the protocol, including more robust governance tools for DAOs and expanding their use cases.

The protocol is focused on expanding its technical capabilities and shaping the future of web3 communications. The integration will enhance River’s token governance capabilities and provide built-in governance contracts for users creating spaces within the platform. Additionally, Towns will benefit from a new tech stack, allowing users to build customizable governance systems.

"The acquisition of Llama aligns perfectly with our vision at River to offer more decentralized governance and customization for our users," said Patrick Fives, Chief Protocol Officer and Co-founder of the River Protocol. "Our goal is to build the future of communication, and this integration will streamline decision-making, creating more accessible and efficient on-chain governance."

Llama’s governance system is powered by open-source smart contracts, providing flexibility and customization for users. It allows DAOs to define specific roles and permissions for executing on-chain transactions, or "actions," such as protocol upgrades, fund transfers, parameter adjustments, and emergency pauses. By allowing users to determine who can propose, approve, or execute these actions, Llama incorporates robust checks and balances through advanced permissioning strategies. This granular control is important for securely managing complex operations and adapting to changing requirements.

“The River team has been at the forefront of on-chain governance innovation from the start, quickly adopting advanced features like multi-token voting and multi-chain governance,” said Austin Green and Shreyas Hariharan, co-founders of Llama. “Their integration of these tools has set a new standard for decentralized communication platforms, and we’re excited to see how they’ll continue using our technology to create even more customizable and powerful governance solutions for their users.”

In 2023, Llama raised a $6 million seed round led by Founders Fund and Electric Capital and notable investors including Elad Gil, Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon), and Stani Kulechov (Aave).

About River

River is the first-of-its-kind protocol for securing communication for end users. It unlocks the same experience you would expect from web2 communication platforms, while providing the security of web3. The River Protocol is an EVM-compatible L2 chain, leveraging decentralized off-chain stream nodes and smart contracts that are deployed on Base, to build programmable communication tools in a permissionless manner. River’s utility token, RVR, is delegated to Node Operators to help secure the platform. Launched in May 2024, River’s clients include Propeller.chat and Towns, the a16z-backed on-chain communications platform that launched in October 2024.

About Llama

Llama is a fullstack platform for onchain access control and governance. The Llama protocol is designed for decentralized governance, consisting of open-source, fully deployed smart contracts that offer a comprehensive on-chain governance system with flexible requirements. The platform allows clients to securely take action using onchain policies and custom execution strategies. In 2023, Llama raised a $6 million seed round led by Founders Fund and Electric Capital and notable investors including Elad Gil, Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon), and Stani Kulechov (Aave).

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