Dan Yanev is a crypto product executive and entrepreneur known as a co-founder of rhino.fi, a self-custodial DeFi platform that previously operated under the DeversiFi brand. His work is associated with building user-facing products for decentralized trading and multi-chain access, especially during periods when Ethereum fees and liquidity fragmentation made usability a primary constraint for DeFi adoption.
Overview
At rhino.fi, Yanev has held senior product responsibilities, including Chief Product Officer. He is often linked to product development and operational decision-making that prioritizes fewer steps for users, clearer fee expectations, and cross-chain flows that reduce reliance on multiple third-party tools.
- Co-founder and product lead at rhino.fi (formerly DeversiFi).
- Earlier experience at Bitfinex and Ethfinex in roles focused on delivery and operations.
- Contributor to public discussions on multi-chain DeFi usability.
History and Background
Yanev’s interest in crypto developed around 2016 as Ethereum hosted early on-chain experiments, including the first DAO. Before joining the industry full-time, he worked in product development and management consulting. He later moved into exchange-side roles at Bitfinex and Ethfinex, and he holds a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Cambridge, with studies in engineering and industrial management.
Role at rhino.fi
As Ethfinex’s decentralized exchange initiative separated and matured, the project rebranded as DeversiFi, a transition CryptoSlate covered when Ethfinex diverged from Bitfinex. Yanev joined the founding leadership and became associated with product strategy, business intelligence, and team growth as DeversiFi evolved into rhino.fi.
In CryptoSlate’s 2022 podcast coverage, Yanev described how multi-chain DeFi products could reduce onboarding friction for users who are discouraged by high fees and operational complexity.
Core Products and Services
rhino.fi’s consumer suite has combined self-custodial exchange functionality with portfolio tooling and multi-chain access. Over time, its product messaging has increasingly emphasized cross-chain transfers and stablecoin routing, reflecting demand for faster settlement and more predictable costs.
- Exchange and swap features for self-custodial trading.
- Portfolio views for consolidating assets and activity.
- Cross-chain transfer workflows designed to simplify common routes.
Technology and Features
DeversiFi, and later rhino.fi, became known for using StarkWare's StarkEx as a Layer 2 scaling system that applies validity proofs to improve throughput while keeping trading self-custodial. As the platform expanded beyond exchange features, it also incorporated cross-chain routing and settlement design, where outcomes depend on liquidity access, path selection, and operational controls. In 2025, the team published guidance for users to withdraw or claim balances from a legacy StarkEx environment as part of broader platform upgrades.
Use Cases and Market Position
Yanev’s work at rhino.fi aligns with common interoperability use cases, including moving stablecoins between networks for trading, accessing applications on emerging chains, and consolidating cross-chain activity into fewer interfaces. CryptoSlate has also highlighted fee dynamics that shaped the push toward scaling, including coverage of an Ethereum transfer where Bitfinex paid an unusually large gas fee when sending USDT to DeversiFi.
Funding and Team
DeversiFi raised external capital during the early DeFi growth cycle, including a reported 2021 strategic round led by ParaFi Capital. The project also operated with the DVF token during this period, reflecting common governance and incentive patterns for DeFi platforms, and later communications indicated a more execution-focused approach as the platform’s target use cases evolved.
Risks and Considerations
DeFi product teams face smart contract risk, cross-chain transfer risk, and operational security threats such as phishing and social engineering. For users and integrators, due diligence typically includes custody design, audit history, incident communications, and how a protocol manages upgrades and user fund migration. Cross-chain products also face liquidity fragmentation, changing chain standards, and evolving regulatory scrutiny around stablecoin flows.
