Tranchess is a decentralised financial protocol designed to enhance yield for asset tracking through varied risk categories, tailored for investors with different risk appetites. Inspired by traditional finance's tranche funds, Tranchess provides a solution that offers different risk/return matrices out of a single primary fund that tracks a specific underlying asset such as Bitcoin (BTC).
Tranchess operates by using a tokenised fund protocol that segments risk-return structures. It runs on the BNB Chain, Ethereum, and Scroll (an Ethereum Layer 2), utilising smart contracts to manage operations. The protocol has three main tokens: QUEEN, BISHOP, and ROOK, which facilitate asset management, yield enhancement, and governance. The QUEEN fund tracks the underlying asset and can be divided into BISHOP and ROOK, each catering to different risk profiles. Users can earn additional yields through staking and participate in governance with CHESS tokens, the native currency.
Tranchess was founded in 2020 by Danny Chong and his team, who aimed to develop a yield-enhancing asset tracker protocol based on traditional tranche funds. Significant milestones include the commencement of trading for the CHESS token in July 2021 and its launch on the Binance Smart Chain. The project has expanded with components like Liquid Staking and diversified token management strategies while securing funding from prominent investors such as Three Arrows Capital and Binance Labs. Over time, Tranchess has grown by offering new DeFi products and establishing partnerships, broadening its market presence and user base.