DeFi

DeFi, short for decentralized finance, represents a shift in the financial sector by leveraging blockchain technology, primarily Ethereum, to eliminate traditional financial intermediaries. It enables various financial applications, from simple transactions to complex contracts, through smart contracts that execute automatically under specific conditions. Key DeFi applications include decentralized exchanges (DEXs), stablecoins, lending platforms, and prediction markets. DeFi offers financial services like loans and interest-earning opportunities without traditional identity verification, relying instead on collateral, usually in cryptocurrency. This innovative sector promises increased accessibility and efficiency but comes with risks, such as market volatility and unregulated projects.

Markets

Ethereum, Dark Forests and the Limits of Transparency

The crypto world eschewed trust in favor of transparency. But transparency doesn’t solve the problem of untrustworthiness in financial markets.

By Frances CoppolaOct 28, 2020

Tech

This Paradigm-Backed Startup Is Offering DeFi's First 'T-Bill'

Newly launched DeFi lending project Yield Protocol is offering stable interest rates for investors.

By William FoxleyOct 27, 2020

Markets

First Mover: Bitcoin Surges to New 2020 High as Harvest Debacle Provides Costly DeFi Lesson

This week's $24M exploit of DeFi platform Harvest shows risks as real as rewards in open-beta crypto markets, where investor protection is minimal.

By Bradley Keoun, Omkar Godbole, Sebastian SinclairOct 27, 2020

Innovation takes priority over investor protection in the anything-goes market of decentralized finance, or DeFi.

Markets

Kraken CEO Jesse Powell Issues Tough Critique of 'Reckless' DeFi Launches

"Stop f**king up your bulls**t DeFi scams and expecting exchanges to bail you out," Powell said.

By Sebastian SinclairOct 27, 2020

Finance

Ocean v3 Brings Wave of Data Monetization Tools to Ethereum

A third version of Ocean Protocol has been released, fleshing out its vision for “datatokens” and decentralized data marketplaces.

By Ian AllisonOct 27, 2020

Tech

Harvest Finance: $24M Attack Triggers $570M 'Bank Run' in Latest DeFi Exploit

Harvest Finance has seen its total value locked drop by more than $500 million in the 12 hours since being hit by a flash loan attack.

By William FoxleyOct 26, 2020

Customers outside the Berlin Stadtbank, waiting to withdraw their savings at the outbreak of World War I, August 1914.

Finance

Notional Launches Out of Stealth to Bring Fixed-Rate Lending to DeFi

Notional enables fixed-rate debt on Ethereum using a new on-chain automated market maker.

By Doreen WangOct 26, 2020

Jeff Wu (left) and Teddy Woodward (right), co-founders of Notional Finance

Markets

Uniswap, Curve Daily Trading Volumes Surges Past $2B, Likely Driven by Harvest Attack

Daily trading volume on Uniswap surged by over 1,200% to a record $2.04 billion, surpassing the previous record high of $953.59 million registered on Sept. 1 by a big margin.

By Omkar GodboleOct 26, 2020