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

Switzerland’s Sygnum Bank Gets Into DeFi

Custody and trading services for DeFi tokens is the first step, to be followed by a suite of yield-generating products.

Zurich, Switzerland, at night

Markets

DeFi Projects Continue Flocking to Layer 2 Solution Polygon

Polygon’s cheaper transaction costs and faster block time have driven increased adoption by a number of major projects.

The Polygon team

Tech

Human Protocol Expands hCaptcha Tool, Launches Wallet to Make AI Smarter

“Proof-of-HUMANity” could also thwart front-running DeFi bots.

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Videos

Colombian Government Implementing New Anti-Money Laundering Laws With Local Crypto Exchanges

Colombia is ready to embrace DeFi as an opportunity for its people. This does not mean the country is going against financial institutions. Colombia’s Presidential Adviser Jehudi Castro Sierra says, “they need to reinvent themselves, or someone will do it for them.”

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Markets

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Flat at $37K as Investors Tangle With Bulls and Bears

Positive news from El Salvador couldn't completely overcome negative news out of China.

CoinDesk 20 XBX Index

Finance

Yearn’s Cronje Backs $10M Funding Round for DeFi’s Instadapp

The India-based startup will use the funding to continue developing a “middleware” layer for the DeFi ecosystem.

Instadapp co-founders Sowmay Jain and Samyak Jain in a photo from 2019.

Videos

Domino Effect of El Salvador’s Currency Law

Edan Yago, the co-founder of decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Sovryn with business interests in Latin America, explores the domino effect of El Salvador's bitcoin adoption on other countries. Plus, reaction to U.S. lawmakers' concerns of bitcoin's volatility.

Recent Videos

Markets

DeFi Network Karura Raises $100M Ahead of Kusama's Parachain Auction

The money came from a "crowd loan" and included more than 8,500 contributors.

Karura raises $100 million in funding.