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.


Tech

Attacker Drains $182M From Beanstalk Stablecoin Protocol

The flash-loan attack becomes the second nine-figure DeFi exploit in a month.

(Sean Stratton/Unsplash)

Opinion

Yes, Crypto Is Cool. But How About Starting With More User-Friendly Tools?

Cryptocurrencies have a bright future but are still too hard for most people to use, including those living in underserved communities.

Financial on-ramps are important. (Unsplash)

Markets

Market Wrap: Bitcoin Dips as Macro and Geopolitical Uncertainties Remain

Cryptos and stocks have traded in a choppy range so far this year.

Markets on edge amid Russia-Ukraine war (Don Fontijn, Unsplash)

Finance

OlympusDAO Co-Founder Doxxed? Lawsuit Claims to Unmask 'Apollo'

An early Olympus investor alleges he was cheated out of millions of OHM tokens when key smart contracts were rendered inoperable.

(Metropolitan Museum of Art, modified by CoinDesk)

Learn

Want to Play Axie Infinity? Here’s What You Need to Know

Looking to dive into your first play-to-earn game? Axie Infinity could be a good place to start.

(AxieInfinity.com)

Videos

Fireblocks Exec on Bringing DeFi to Traditional Markets

Fireblocks Head of Corporate Strategy Adam Levine discusses the company's partnership with fintech FSI to bring decentralized finance (DeFi) accessibility to over 6,400 capital markets entities. Also, a conversation about the evolving role of banks as DeFi adoption continues to grow.

Recent Videos

Tech

On-Chain Wallet Profiler Nansen Adds Solana Coverage

“There has been huge demand to launch a Solana dashboard,” said Nansen CEO Alex Svanevik.

Solana adherents gathered under the lights. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk archives)

Markets

Market Wrap: Cryptos Rise as Bitcoin Returns Above $40K

BTC rose by 4% over the past 24 hours, compared with a 12% rise in RUNE.

(jayk7/Getty Images)