On September 12, the Incrypted team hosted an AMA session with Alexander Maslov, who leads Mantle’s expansion in Eastern Europe. Mantle is building a modular blockchain ecosystem centered around an Ethereum Layer 2 network, with a strong focus on providing infrastructure tailored to institutional participants in crypto.
The discussion touched on Mantle’s ongoing transformation, the specifics of its tokenomics, technical innovations, and core product suite. Key partnerships were also in the spotlight, with particular emphasis on the project’s integration with Bybit and its broader growth strategy.
The Evolution of Mantle
At the start of the AMA, Alexander Maslov addressed one of the most debated questions around Mantle: is the project still primarily focused on scaling Ethereum, or has it shifted toward building a broader ecosystem around its native token?
Maslov explained that while Ethereum scalability was indeed Mantle’s original mission, the project has since expanded into something far larger than a standard L2 solution. Today, Mantle operates as a full-fledged ecosystem composed of six core products:
Speaking about the project’s current direction, Maslov stated:
«We aim to become the largest Layer 2 network with ZK Validity proofs, providing settlement and value-transfer solutions at the institutional level».
He added that Mantle has evolved beyond pure scalability. The platform is now moving toward building a liquid network that integrates both traditional and decentralized finance. In this vision, its product suite and community participation — through ownership and governance of the native MNT token — play a pivotal role.
Maslov also emphasized Mantle’s close collaboration with Bybit, calling the exchange partnership one of the most important milestones in the project’s growth.
How Mantle Stands Out Among L2 Solutions
Alexander Maslov framed Layer 2 competition as a healthy force that drives innovation, fosters new ideas, and keeps projects aligned with community needs. Yet Mantle, he argued, brings several unique advantages that set it apart from other networks.
Liquidity-First Strategy
A cornerstone of Mantle’s approach is its liquidity-first model, supported by its close partnership with Bybit. Maslov noted:
“Perhaps no competitor has such strong backing from a major player in this industry.”
Treasury and Developer Support
Mantle also boasts one of the largest treasuries in the L2 space, holding nearly $5 billion in assets. A $200 million EcoFund and multiple grant programs are dedicated to supporting ecosystem developers. This financial strength, Maslov said, allows Mantle to prioritize real-world assets, institutional adoption, and product quality, with user experience, security, and capital efficiency at the core.
Tokenomics
Unlike most L2 projects, Mantle began as an investment DAO, not a blockchain. This origin shaped the design of the MNT token, giving it distinctive market dynamics. According to Maslov, MNT’s growth has been bolstered by ongoing updates and the absence of speculative investors capable of large sell-offs.
«You can open the price charts of competitors, sort them by market cap, and see that the most efficient token in recent weeks and months among Layer 2 solutions has been MNT».
Launched in 2021 through BitDAO, Mantle has already passed most of its major unlocks. While about 70% of tokens are in circulation, the figure excludes treasury reserves that hold the remainder — reducing sell pressure and stabilizing price dynamics.
Technical Features
From the ground up, Mantle was designed as a modular blockchain, where computation, data storage, and transaction verification can be upgraded independently. This modularity, Maslov stressed, gives Mantle the flexibility to evolve — a sharp contrast to monolithic L2s, where upgrades are either prohibitively difficult or outright impossible.
A key milestone for Mantle is its transition from Optimistic Rollups to ZK-based solutions. While Optimistic Rollups played an important role in reducing Ethereum’s gas costs, their long withdrawal periods remain a serious drawback.
«This year Mantle will integrate ZK Rollup technology through Succinct Labs. That allows us to process withdrawals within an hour — or even a minute. Not seven days. Just one hour or even less, which dramatically improves convenience and the user experience».
Mantle also features its own data availability layer, EigenDA, making it independent of Ethereum’s mainnet load. Most L2s rely on Ethereum for data storage, which inflates costs and causes delays.
«We have our own data availability layer. That means we’re not dependent on Ethereum, and we can always maintain low fees and fast transactions».
Other technical highlights include:
Cross-chain transfers via LayerZero’s OFT standard, enabling MNT to move across networks, including HyperEVM from Hyperliquid.
Decentralized computation verification, avoiding reliance on centralized providers.
Mantle is also making UX a priority. Among its latest additions:
- Mantle Passport — a streamlined identity solution.
- MPC Wallet — a wallet that eliminates the need for traditional seed phrases, while enhancing security for blockchain interactions.
Together, these features reflect Mantle’s broader vision of marrying institutional-grade infrastructure with user-centric design.
MNT: Utility, Rewards and Bybit Integration
Discussing the role of the MNT token, Alexander Maslov first highlighted Mantle’s DAO structure, where holders can participate in governance and decision-making. Token holders can delegate MNT to exercise voting power and shape the project’s direction. At present, the community is actively debating Mantle’s budget for the coming year.
3. Бюджетний цикл – Усі річні бюджети та ліміти повинні бути продовжені pro-rata на термін до 3 місяців наступного бюджетного циклу, щоб дати змогу запропонувати, обговорити та затвердити наступний бюджет.
– Mantle (@Mantle_Official) 11 вересня 2025 року
MNT is also central to generating returns. Through the Mantle Reward Station, users have earned tokens from projects such as Ethena, EigenLayer, Cook, and UXlink by locking up MNT. The longer the lock-up period, the higher the reward multiplier.
Newcomers can also join reward campaigns hosted by centralized exchanges, including MEXC and others, which often require MNT holdings to participate — even when initiatives aren’t directly organized by Mantle.
According to Maslov, MNT holders have already received around $66 million in rewards across different campaigns, with some 1,5 million participants.
«For every MNT, you could receive about $1.3. That’s a significant sum. Comparing Mantle’s historical price with these rewards, it’s been substantial income for holders. And of course, this figure isn’t static — it’s only growing».
Unlike most Ethereum Layer 2 solutions where transaction fees are paid in ETH, Mantle uses MNT as its gas token.
«For people who’ve never used Mantle, this can be surprising. Normally you pay gas in Ethereum, but here, in Mantle, you pay in MNT».
Mantle also maintains a dedicated page detailing the token’s utility, which spans GameFi, AI, CeFi, DeFi and more — with the list continuing to expand.
One of the most significant recent milestones is the deep integration of MNT into the Bybit exchange ecosystem. While Mantle and Bybit had collaborated before, Maslov explained that the scope of the partnership has now scaled across Bybit’s entire financial infrastructure.
MNT can now be used as:
- collateral for leveraged trading;
- an asset in OTC trading for institutional players;
- a basis for trading discounts on spot and futures markets;
- a reward token in Bybit’s incentive programs, including airdrops, launchpools, launchpads, and its VIP program.
«Essentially, Bybit is now integrating MNT across its ecosystem and into all its financial products. People can literally see the impact of this integration on the charts — after the announcement, TVL and other metrics doubled, if not more. Users understand how big Bybit is, and what kind of advantages Mantle gains from this partnership».
Maslov suggested that full integration of MNT across Bybit’s offerings could drive significant demand and positively influence the token’s price — though he refrained from making specific predictions.
Main Priorities and Plans of Mantle Network
Answering a question about the project’s priority areas, Alexander Maslov noted that recent market volatility was largely driven by institutional investors and the launch of ETFs. According to him, this factor defines Mantle Network’s key objectives in the near term.
«I think everyone has seen the industry’s explosive momentum — and it’s all thanks to institutional players and ETFs. Ethereum has grown significantly from its lows in just a few months. I think everyone agrees the main drivers are institutional investors and RWA. For Mantle, the main priority is RWA».
In his view, this direction is strategically important, primarily due to the involvement of institutional players.
Alongside RWA, the project will continue active work in other areas, including DeFi, CeFi, AI, and support for gaming and gamified projects. Maslov separately mentioned consumer applications, which remain important for the Mantle ecosystem.
On the technical side, the team is continuing to refine the network’s base infrastructure. Among the priorities are upgrades to Mantle Network for ZK-EVM integration and the MPC protocol.
Closer to the end of the session, the project representative commented on the possible launch of an MNT token buyback program, which has been actively discussed in the community. According to him, no final decisions have been made yet, but the scenario is under discussion at the DAO and partner level. He also reminded that token supply was already reduced during the rebrand and transition from BitDAO to Mantle.
«We actually burned 3 billion MNT tokens during this transformation. We’ve already had a major burn. The total supply decreased — and decreased significantly. If you just take the current price and multiply it by the burned tokens, it’s a huge figure».
In conclusion, Alexander shared Mantle’s updated roadmap through the end of 2025 and early 2026.
One of the main goals he named was Mantle’s establishment as the largest network built on ZK technologies. Priorities also include full integration with EigenDA and zkVM, including through cooperation with Succinct Labs.
D-Day: Визначальний момент для Mantle Network.
Ми оновилися до OP SuccinctLabs‘s OP Succinct на Mainnet, ставши першим OP Stack L2, який запустився як ZK Validity Rollup, – і найбільшим ZK rollup від TVL.
Ланцюг ліквідності розвивається. ? pic.twitter.com/QV8EgzVC1Q
– Mantle (@Mantle_Official) 16 вересня 2025 року
An important direction remains the development of products in DeFi and CeFi, as well as deeper integration with Bybit and listings on centralized exchanges. Maslov noted that Mantle recently appeared on several major platforms, including Coinbase, Kraken, Hyperliquid, and others.
Long-term plans include the launch of mETH as a token for liquid restaking, with availability on other blockchains, support for RWA assets, cross-chain solutions, new partnerships, and attracting institutional participants.
Among the strategic tasks are also the development of cross-chain links, particularly with the Solana network, and the expansion of community programs, including the Reward Station platform. All these initiatives are aimed at expanding the scope of MNT both within the blockchain and across the broader Mantle ecosystem.
Alexander stressed that the project maintains independence and is governed by the DAO, so it will continue making key decisions autonomously. For token holders, new launchpools, airdrops, and other activities are planned, including on the Bybit platform.