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

How Uniswap Became King of DEXs

Uniswap, an automated market maker (AMM), has torn it up in the last year, becoming the world’s largest “DEX” by volume. Here's why it won.

(Kevin Gutowski/Unsplash)

Markets

DeFi Hype Has Sent Ethereum Fees Soaring to 2-Year High: Coin Metrics

The knock-on effects of the DeFi hype include high fees and less active users on Ethereum, according to Coin Metrics.

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin (CoinDesk archives)

Markets

Ethereum at Five: How CoinDesk Is Marking This Week's Milestone

Meet "Ethereum at Five" – a cross-platform series featuring special coverage, a limited-run newsletter and live-streamed discussions.

(CoinDesk archives)

Tech

Troll Token? Why DeFi Yield Farmers Are Now All About YFI

YFI is the latest DeFi token to top the charts. Yearn Finance Interest? Your Favorite Idea? Its intent unclear, but YFI is now trading at $1,070.

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Markets

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Clings to $9,200 While Ethereum Transactions Soar

Bitcoin trades flat in July, leading investors to mull other cryptocurrencies.

Source: CoinDesk 20 Bitcoin Price Index

Markets

Aave's LEND Token Is Now Up 1,600% in 2020

The native token of the decentralized lender Aave has risen by over 100% this month alone.

(PaulaPaulae/Shutterstock)

Finance

Crypto Custodian Curv Is Helping Institutions Dabble in DeFi With Compound Integration

Custody startup Curv is using Compound, the leading lending protocol in DeFi, to help institutions earn interest on idle crypto.

The Curv team, with CEO Itay Malinger at center right.

Finance

Three Arrows, Framework Invest in DeFi Site Aave With $3M LEND Token Sale

Framework Ventures and Three Arrows Capital announced a $3 million investment in Aave, the firm behind the third-largest lending platform in DeFi.

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

Tech

This a16z Alum Is Launching a VC Fund Focused on Platforms You Can 'Own'

An Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) alum is launching a new venture firm focused on building a crypto-powered "ownership economy."

Prototypes (Halacious/Unsplash)

Finance

Kraken Adds 3 DeFi Tokens – COMP, KAVA, KNC

Riding the surge of interest in yield farming, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is listing three tokens from the world of decentralized finance.

(The Trustees of the British Museum, modified using PhotoMosh)