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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Ryan Zurrer image via CoinDesk archives
Store of Value Remains Crypto’s Best Use Case
Store of value was the most viable and desirable use case across crypto in 2019 and offers a basis to increase adoption in the second decade of crypto, says Ryan Zurrer of Dia...
Ryan Zurrer image via CoinDesk archives

dapp users by category
Compared to Gaming and Gambling Dapps, DeFi Is Still Behind
A closer look at the data shows that decentralized applications are struggling to gain traction, and DeFi is not the main use case.
dapp users by category

NuoPitch
When DeFi Meets Neo Banking, This Thing Gets Interesting
When you combine DeFi with wider trends in fintech, you get an existential threat to banks.
NuoPitch

Credit: Shutterstock
3 Under-the-Radar Product Trends for 2020
Here's what 1confirmation partner Richard Chen is expecting to pop in the new year.
Credit: Shutterstock

Credit: Shutterstock
Kyber Network Aims to Improve DeFi Liquidity With ‘Katalyst’ Protocol Upgrade
Kyber Network, the ethereum-based protocol focused on aggregating liquidity and facilitating swaps for ERC-20 tokens, is about to launch a major upgrade.
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Diego Gutierrez Zaldivar image via IOVLabs
Bitcoiners Are Building a Sidechain Version of Ethereum's MakerDAO
The bitcoin community may soon have its own version of ethereum’s flagship decentralized finance (DeFi) platform.
Diego Gutierrez Zaldivar image via IOVLabs

Shutterstock
Developer Flags Big-Money Loophole for Stealing All the ETH in MakerDAO
An ethereum developer has flagged an attack on MakerDAO that could turn $20 million of MKR into $300 million of ETH.
Shutterstock

water drop
Decentralized Liquidity Is the Backbone of DeFi
How decentralized liquidity venues govern the health of DeFi.
water drop

Team image via Zerion
Placeholder Leads $2 Million Seed Round for DeFi Services Provider Zerion
DeFi services provider Zerion has raised $2 million from Placeholder, Blockchain and others to build out its team.
Team image via Zerion

Algorand founder Silvio Micali
Algorand 2.0's New Non-Turing-Complete Smart Contracts Are a Feature, Not a Bug
Thursday's Algorand 2.0 upgrade adds decentralized finance (DeFi) features and smart contracts to the $108 million blockchain.
Algorand founder Silvio Micali