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

Derivatives Platform Deus Finance Exploited for $3M on Fantom Network

Hackers manipulated a pricing mechanism to trick the protocol in a “flash loan” attack that led to loss of user funds, the security firm said.

Hacker (Getty/Seksan Mongkhonkhamsao)

Finance

Ethereum Staking Protocol Swell Raises $3.75M as Locked ETH Tops $26B

Swell is attempting to make it easier to stake on Ethereum and eventually other blockchains.

Swell (Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash)

Videos

OKCoin and Stacks Pledge $165M to Lead the Bitcoin ‘Renaissance’

Joining “All About Bitcoin” is OKCoin Head of Listings & Community Alex Chizhik and Stacks Accelerator Partner Kyle Ellicott to discuss the “Bitcoin Odyssey,” a $165 million pledge for developing new projects on the Stacks network, with hopes to expand the bitcoin ecosystem.

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Layer 2

Crypto Firms May Look at Traditional Finance Firms as M&A Targets

We asked several industry participants if Wall Street incumbents might start making deals for crypto companies. Some predicted the opposite.

(Daniel Lloyd Blunk-Fernández/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)

Opinion

What Web 3 Can Learn From Steve Jobs

Three ways to "think different" about smart contract design.

Apple's "1984" advertisement, introducing its iconic "think different" slogan. (Apple/Wikimedia Commons, modified by CoinDesk)

Tech

Fantom-Based Algo Protocol Fantasm Exploited for $2.6M

Some of the at-risk funds were recovered from the weeks-old protocol in the early hours of Thursday.

ghost, balloon, phantom

Markets

THORChain’s RUNE Surges 37% After DeFi Synthetic Assets Goes Live

THORChain’s Chaosnet supports swaps between several major cryptocurrencies using its RUNE token.

Lately, Thorchain has had to battle with attackers everywhere.

Opinion

How Crypto Companies Must Mesh With Traditional Financial Services Platforms for DeFi to Succeed

Crypto companies looking to engage with traditional financial institutions must address risk management and compliance expectations stemming these institutions' regulatory obligations.

(Getty Images)

Tech

Chad DePue, Former Snapchat Director of Engineering, Moves to Uniswap Labs

The talent drain from Web 2 tech companies into crypto continues.

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