DeFi

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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.

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Centrifuge is one of the largest blockchain-based credit platform with $270 million of active loans. (Mae Mu/Unsplash)
Tokenized Credit Platform Centrifuge Plans Institutional RWA Lending on Coinbase's Base, Raises $15M in VC Investment
CFG, the protocol's native token, spiked as much as 14% after the announcement before paring gains and outperformed other DeFi tokens.
Centrifuge is one of the largest blockchain-based credit platform with $270 million of active loans. (Mae Mu/Unsplash)

Usual Labs founding team. (Usual labs)
DeFi Firm Usual Labs Raises $7M Round Led by Kraken Ventures and IOSG Ventures
The firm has received a commitment of $75 million in total value locked for the launch of its stablecoin USD0.
Usual Labs founding team. (Usual labs)

Uniswap booth at ETHDenver 2023 (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)
The SEC’s Suit Against Uniswap Is an Opening Attack Against DeFi
The DEX received a Wells Notice from the regulator, suggesting an enforcement action is imminent. While we don’t know the nature of the potential charges, the news raises the...
Uniswap booth at ETHDenver 2023 (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

marginFi banner (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)
Chaos at MarginFi Shakes up Solana DeFi's Borrow-and-Lend Landscape
Solend and Kamino were the biggest winners in the Solana DeFi landscape.
marginFi banner (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

(Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)
MarginFi Leader Resigns on Fiery Day for Major Solana Lender
"The main problem was our lack of organizational execution," MarginFi's longtime leader Edgar Pavlovsky told CoinDesk.
(Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Coin jar (Josh Appel/Unsplash)
Solana-Based Zeta Markets Debuts Governance Token Z
The launch of governance token is part of a broader strategy that involves plans to release Solana's first layer 2 scaling solution, Zeta Markets said in the press release.
Coin jar (Josh Appel/Unsplash)

Wormhole’s W Token Has a 999% Weekly Return; Why VanEck Is Bullish on Ethereum Layer 2s
Wormhole’s W Token Has a 999% Weekly Return; Why VanEck Is Bullish on Ethereum Layer 2s
"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the biggest headlines impacting the crypto industry today, including Solana DeFi application Kamino offering a weekly yield...
Wormhole’s W Token Has a 999% Weekly Return; Why VanEck Is Bullish on Ethereum Layer 2s

Credbull CEO Jason Dehni (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)
Credbull's First Crypto Fund Chases High Fixed Yields
Crypto's high yield structured product sector is getting a bit more mature.
Credbull CEO Jason Dehni (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Wormhole (Genty/Pixabay)
Wormhole’s W Token Is Paying Out 999% a Week on Solana Protocol Kamino
The Solana DeFi application Kamino is offering a weekly yield of more than 999%, paid out in W and JTO tokens.
Wormhole (Genty/Pixabay)

Venture Capital  (Getty Images)
Crypto Venture Capital Fundraising Jumped Over 50% in March Amid Rally
Most capital went into infrastructure and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, data by RootData shows.
Venture Capital  (Getty Images)