[HIP-50] Deprecation of Ulysses Gauges (Batch 4)

I. Summary

This proposal recommends the deprecation of Hermes gauges connected to the Ulysses protocol and a subsequent update to the user interface to transition Ulysses integration into a “Withdraw-Only” state.

Since the initial integration of Ulysses, our platform has shipped and matured the Meta-Bridge, a native cross-chain product designed to support modern token standards and protocol-owned bridging flows. As the broader cross-chain market has evolved, the industry has consolidated around sovereign, native standards (such as LayerZero OFTs and xERC20s) that allow protocols to retain full control over their assets, messaging, and upgrade paths.

Because the Meta-Bridge already fulfills this role natively—and is fully supported by our existing UI and incentives framework, continuing to direct emissions and UI surface area toward Ulysses is no longer the most efficient use of protocol resources.

This proposal formalizes a transition toward the Meta-Bridge and other native-standard integrations, ensuring our incentives, product surface, and capital allocation remain aligned with where the market and our partners are actively building.

II. Motivation & Rationale

The Shift Toward Sovereign Infrastructure

When Ulysses was integrated, the cross-chain landscape was fragmented, and liquidity-layer solutions were necessary to bridge gaps between chains. However, the market has matured. Protocols today prioritize ownership and sovereignty. They are increasingly opting for native cross-chain token standards (like OFTs and xERC20s) that allow them to control their own infrastructure rather than delegating custody and bridging logic to a third-party liquidity protocol like Ulysses.

The Meta-Bridge was built specifically to support this shift, enabling protocols to retain end-to-end control while benefiting from a unified, native user experience.

Market Traction & Resource Allocation

Ulysses has not seen the level of sustained adoption necessary to justify ongoing incentives in the current market environment. This outcome reflects evolving industry preferences rather than any deficiency in the underlying technology.

Continuing to allocate Hermes emissions and gauges to Ulysses pools dilutes incentive efficiency and fragments liquidity. By deprecating these gauges, we can concentrate incentives on Meta-Bridge routes and other native-standard integrations that are already seeing active usage and align more closely with partner demand.

Immutability & User Safety

It is important to clarify that this is a UI and Incentive shift, not a shutdown of the underlying blockchain infrastructure.

• Immutable Contracts: The Ulysses smart contracts are immutable. They cannot be paused, upgraded, or shut down by us or anyone else.
• Funds are Safe: Users will retain the ability to interact with the smart contracts indefinitely.
• UI Transition: Upon the passing of this proposal, the official UI will start a transition to simply remove "Deposit" functionality for Ulysses and hide these pools from the active "Earn" sections as they are removed through governance proposals. The "Withdraw" functionality will remain accessible through the UI to facilitate an easy exit for current liquidity providers.

III. Governance Details

Actions

If passed, this proposal will execute the following:

1. Remove Gauges: Remove gauges for all Ulysses-related pools, stopping all Hermes emissions to these strategies.
2. UI Update: Update the frontend to "Withdraw Only" mode for Ulysses, guiding users to migrate liquidity to newer, standard-aligned pools.

Timeline

This proposal will follow the standard Hermes Gauge approval governance process:

1. Temperature Check (3 days): Open forum discussion and early sentiment gathering.
2. On-Chain Vote (3 days): Formal token-holder vote through the governance module.
3. Execution Queue (2 days): Mandatory delay before execution to allow final review or veto mechanisms.

IV. Calldata

Target: 0xE64278005e0F00cd6199d000386b018d7C000000 Function: removeGauge(address) Value: 0

0x7ece038d3415cf3a2d3da4d7cbbd7a9b53883fab - osETH / WETH 0x77658ecceeeb02574649055e4eda353139fbacbf - rETH / rETH 0x5347368012bb72680bd84c0456cf62b3dffc7380 - ETHx / WETH 0x4e6494ad7ef15d0cefbcc38c1095ec5a605cc978 - arb WETH / bera WETH 0x42ed437924b4fd26382579908830eba0b0edc1cb - AUSD / USDC 0x412a84a478b101aecfbf494a077ee76bdf712620 - arb WETH / mainnet WETH 0x3033a671889b2c075b31f6b773aaadd0630145ac - arb LUSD / mainnet LUSD 0x313647d85ede367ead5dada74181a32788b8a01b - Silo / WETH 0x27d7510905a17ad6947bf9138a73d489dca30ba4 - GOGLZ / WETH 0x11c26b4db65b49726b48e20e90aa356aa33e9517 - stS / WETH

1. Gauge Address: 0x27D7510905A17Ad6947bf9138a73d489dca30BA4 Calldata: 0x3a04514500000000000000000000000027d7510905a17ad6947bf9138a73d489dca30ba4
2. Gauge Address: 0x11C26B4DB65B49726B48E20e90Aa356AA33E9517 Calldata: 0x3a04514500000000000000000000000011c26b4db65b49726b48e20e90aa356aa33e9517

Gauge Name: osETH / WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x7ECE038d3415CF3a2d3DA4d7cbBd7a9B53883Fab Calldata:
• 0x3a0451450000000000000000000000007ece038d3415cf3a2d3da4d7cbbd7a9b53883fab

Gauge Name: rETH / rETH Gauge Address:

• 0x77658EccEeEb02574649055e4edA353139FbACbF Calldata:
• 0x3a04514500000000000000000000000077658ecceeeb02574649055e4eda353139fbacbf

Gauge Name: ETHx / WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x5347368012BB72680Bd84C0456cF62b3DfFC7380 Calldata:
• 0x3a0451450000000000000000000000005347368012bb72680bd84c0456cf62b3dffc7380

Gauge Name: arb WETH / bera WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x4e6494aD7EF15D0ceFBcC38c1095ec5a605cC978 Calldata:
• 0x3a0451450000000000000000000000004e6494ad7ef15d0cefbcc38c1095ec5a605cc978

Gauge Name: AUSD / USDC Gauge Address:

• 0x42ED437924b4Fd26382579908830eBa0B0edC1cB Calldata:
• 0x3a04514500000000000000000000000042ed437924b4fd26382579908830eba0b0edc1cb

Gauge Name: arb WETH / mainnet WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x412A84A478B101aECFBf494A077eE76bDF712620 Calldata:
• 0x3a045145000000000000000000000000412a84a478b101aecfbf494a077ee76bdf712620

Gauge Name: arb LUSD / mainnet LUSD Gauge Address:

• 0x3033A671889b2C075B31f6b773AaaDd0630145AC Calldata:
• 0x3a0451450000000000000000000000003033a671889b2c075b31f6b773aaadd0630145ac

Gauge Name: Silo / WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x313647D85Ede367eAd5dada74181A32788B8a01B Calldata:
• 0x3a045145000000000000000000000000313647d85ede367ead5dada74181a32788b8a01b

Gauge Name: GOGLZ / WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x27D7510905A17Ad6947bf9138a73d489dca30BA4 Calldata:
• 0x3a04514500000000000000000000000027d7510905a17ad6947bf9138a73d489dca30ba4

Gauge Name: stS / WETH Gauge Address:

• 0x11C26B4DB65B49726B48E20e90Aa356AA33E9517 Calldata:
• 0x3a04514500000000000000000000000011c26b4db65b49726b48e20e90aa356aa33e9517