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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(Hasan Almasi/Unsplash)
‘Curve Wars’ Heat Up: Emergency DAO Invoked After ‘Clear Governance Attack’
In a governance first, Curve has halted rewards emissions to a pool after it deemed a protocol’s behavior a “clear governance attack.”
(Hasan Almasi/Unsplash)

(Shutterstock)
Saddle Raises $7.5M to Reduce Slippage in DeFi Trading
The automated market maker wants to minimize the spread on stablecoin trades.
(Shutterstock)

One of the options DOT holders can vote on. (Polkadot)
Polkadot DeFi Darling Acala Has Gathered Over $600M and Counting
Acala is likely to win the first Polkadot parachain slot in the auction process beginning Thursday.
One of the options DOT holders can vote on. (Polkadot)

MakerDAO founder Rune Christensen on CoinDesk TV
MakerDAO’s Christensen Turns Optimistic After US Stablecoin Report
The founder of the crypto lender and stablecoin issuer had feared the worst about potential regulation.
MakerDAO founder Rune Christensen on CoinDesk TV

Terra co-founders Daniel Shin and Do Kwon
LUNA Hits All-Time High as Terra Community Passes Popular Burn Proposal
The burning marks one of the largest, if not the largest, layer 1 token burnings in crypto history.
Terra co-founders Daniel Shin and Do Kwon

(Chainalysis)
DEXs Have Grown the Most as Competition Among Crypto Exchanges Intensifies: Chainalysis
The majority of DEX users are professional crypto traders looking for “new sources of alpha,” said one analyst.
(Chainalysis)

(Art Institute of Chicago)
What FATF’s Latest Guidance Means for DeFi, Stablecoins and Self-Hosted Wallets
Launching a truly “global” stablecoin is likely to get more difficult in the coming year as a result of the guidance, which advises regulators to keep such projects on a short...
(Art Institute of Chicago)

Deadmau5 performs at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
DAO Backed by Deadmau5 to Launch on Multiple Platforms
The initiative is aiming to bring DAO governance to the music industry.
Deadmau5 performs at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

FATF Publishes Crypto Anti-Money Laundering Guidance
FATF Publishes Crypto Anti-Money Laundering Guidance
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has published its revised guidance for crypto firms, further clarifying the definition of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), DeFi,...
FATF Publishes Crypto Anti-Money Laundering Guidance

A discussion of Solana wallets at Breakpoint. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)
Solana Wallets Phantom, Solflare Eye Mobile for Growth
Phantom is launching a wallet app; Solflare’s is already live. Both projects see mobile as critical to expanding crypto’s reach.
A discussion of Solana wallets at Breakpoint. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)