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

Avalanche Bridge Launches Native Bitcoin Support; AVAX Surges 7.4%

The AVAX token is beginning to gain some upside momentum despite a drop-off in DeFi activity.

Bridge de Avalanche lanza soporte para bitcoin. (Shutterstock)

Policy

Brussels’ Fledgling Crypto Industry Flexes Its Muscles

The city that hosts the EU also wants to influence it, with key decisions upcoming on the regulation of NFTs and DeFi.

Participants at Brussels Blockchain Week included, left to right, Laurent Godts, Deloitte; Florian Ernotte; Christophe de Beukelaer; Marc Toledo, Bit4You (Jack Schickler/CoinDesk)

Markets

First Mover Asia: DeFi’s Resilience During the Market Slowdown; Bitcoin Slumps Near $20K

DeFi apps have avoided any massive on-chain liquidations, surprises or smart contract failures, even as crypto markets have shed value.

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Videos

Consensus 2022 Foundations: NEAR

Proximity's Kendall Cole and Matt Lockyer discuss building and utilizing DeFi applications on the NEAR network. Plus, a glimpse at their upcoming initiatives.

Recent Videos

Finance

Coinbase Redesigns Mobile Wallet to Add Dapp Browser

The changes may help boost activity and revenue on the crypto exchange as its fees come under pressure from rivals.

A look at the new Coinbase Wallet (Coinbase)

Opinion

Gaming Out DeFi’s Regulated Future

Precedents from radio and music, and ride-sharing, all point to accommodation, not annihilation, and traditional financial service organizations may also benefit from this approach.

(Getty Images)

Finance

Uniswap Labs Acquires NFT Startup Genie

The company behind Ethereum's popular DeFi trading hub plans to support the buying and selling of NFTs.

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Finance

DeFi Moves Into Real Estate With Tower Fund and Teller Protocol Partnership

The timing for fully transparent DeFi opportunities couldn’t be better, according to Teller CEO Ryan Berkun.

Teller Protocol hopes to bring DeFi to commercial real estate projects such as multifamily buildings. (Dan Reynolds Photography/Getty Images)

Tech

Solend Says Investor at Center of Solana DeFi Controversy Started to Move Funds

The lending platform said that may avert the risk of contagion in case of a liquidation.

Binance Labs recauda $500M para invertir en Web 3 y blockchain. (Giorgio Trovato/Unplash)

Finance

Celsius Network Pauses AMAs, With Customers Left in the Dark Over Withdrawals

Celsius has not yet provided an update on the status of withdrawals from its platform as regulators investigate.

Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky (CoinDesk archives)