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.

Finance

Bitcoin DeFi May Be Unstoppable: What Does It Look Like?

Bitcoin veterans are about to join the decentralized finance (DeFi) bull run, and they are taking a very different approach than Ethereum fans.

By Leigh CuenAug 17, 2020

Finance

Enterprises Would Use DeFi, if It Weren't so Public

For DeFi to go mainstream, it needs to adopt the privacy large enterprises require.

By Paul BrodyAug 15, 2020

Tech

Newest DAO Project Was Thrown a Curve, but the Team Is Rolling With It Anyway

An anonymous DeFi user deployed Curve Finance’s DAO and token smart contracts without the team’s permission, but the Curve team is adopting it anyway.

By Colin Harper, Blockspace MediaAug 14, 2020

Tech

Lending Protocol Aave Eyes Tokenized Mortgages With Launch of V2

Tokenized mortgages may be coming to decentralized finance (DeFi) following Aave v2’s specification announcement Friday.

By William FoxleyAug 14, 2020

Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Aave, speaks at Consensus 2019.

Markets

First Mover: As Wall Street Goes Topsy-Turvy, Crypto Traders Are Bullish as Ever

Crypto traders are enjoying their own version of the market’s madness, from bitcoin’s bull run to the collapse of YAM to Dave Portnoy.

By Bradley Keoun, Omkar Godbole, Sebastian SinclairAug 14, 2020

Illustration from "The World Turned Upside Down." (Alamy/Photomosh)

Markets

Market Wrap: Stuck at $11.5K, Bitcoin Surpasses 25K Locked in DeFi

A dull bitcoin market contrasts with increasing use of the cryptocurrency in DeFi applications.

By Daniel CawreyAug 13, 2020

Tech

How DeFi 'Degens' Are Gaming Ethereum's Money Legos

From first heartbeat to last breath, YAM lasted less than 48 hours. But those are the rules of DeFi’s newest toy: “minimally viable monetary experiments.”

By William FoxleyAug 13, 2020