Projects

Koan Protocol

Meta DEX aggregator that aggregates aggregators. Because one layer of optimization isn't enough.

3 min

Everyone uses DEX aggregators—1inch, ParaSwap, 0x. But aggregators themselves have different prices. Koan is a meta-aggregator: we aggregate the aggregators so you always get the best rate.

Koan swap interface

1 / 4

Volume

$2.4M+

Cumulative trading volume

Swaps

12,500+

Total transactions

Users

3,200+

Unique wallets

Chains

3

Base, Lisk, Sonic

The Problem

I noticed this while trading on Sonic. Swapped 1000 USDC for S tokens on 1inch, then checked ParaSwap out of curiosity. ParaSwap would have given me 2% more.

2% on $1000 is $20. Not life-changing. But across thousands of users and millions in volume? That's real money being lost to aggregator arbitrage.

How It Works

When you initiate a swap on Koan:

User wants: 1000 USDC → ETH

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Koan Protocol                      │
│                                                      │
│  Query all aggregators simultaneously:              │
│                                                      │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐ │
│  │ 1inch   │  │ ParaSwap│  │   0x    │  │  Odos   │ │
│  │ 0.312   │  │ 0.315   │  │ 0.311   │  │ 0.314   │ │
│  │  ETH    │  │  ETH ✓  │  │  ETH    │  │  ETH    │ │
│  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘ │
│                                                      │
│  Best rate: ParaSwap @ 0.315 ETH                    │
│  Execute through ParaSwap                           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Aggregators We Query

AggregatorChainsNotes
1inchMost EVMIndustry standard
ParaSwapMost EVMOften best for stablecoins
0x ProtocolMost EVMGood liquidity
OdosBase, othersSmart order routing
KyberSwapMulti-chainGood for exotic pairs
OpenOceanMulti-chainWide coverage

Beyond Swaps

Fiat On/Off Ramps

The "last mile" problem—getting money in and out. We aggregated ramp providers too.

  • On-ramp: MoonPay, Transak, Ramp Network
  • Off-ramp: Direct to bank, 150+ countries

Prediction Markets

Simple price prediction game. Pick UP or DOWN for BTC/ETH over 5, 15, or 60 minutes. Winners share the pool.

Lottery

Weekly draws with Chainlink VRF for provably fair randomness. Portion of ticket sales burned.

Technical Highlights

Quote Engine

async function getBestQuote(params: SwapParams): Promise<Quote> {
    const quotes = await Promise.allSettled([
        query1inch(params),
        queryParaSwap(params),
        query0x(params),
        queryOdos(params),
    ]);

    return quotes
        .filter((q) => q.status === "fulfilled")
        .map((q) => q.value)
        .reduce((best, curr) => (curr.netReturn > best.netReturn ? curr : best));
}

Typical latency: 200-400ms across all aggregators.

What I Learned

  1. Aggregation is recursive — If aggregators exist, meta-aggregators will too
  2. Latency is money — Every 100ms of quote latency is potential slippage
  3. Users want ecosystems — Single-purpose DeFi apps struggle to retain users