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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(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)

Crypto Firms Took 6% of Global Venture Capital Funding in First Half of 2021
Cadenza Ventures Launches $50M Crypto Fund for DeFi and Blockchain Projects
The fund is anchored by Van Eck Associates, with participation from Solana and Dapper Labs.
Crypto Firms Took 6% of Global Venture Capital Funding in First Half of 2021

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu on Stablecoin Risks, Innovation, Regulation
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu on Stablecoin Risks, Innovation, Regulation
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu breaks down the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets’ (PWG) long-anticipated stablecoin report published last week, wh...
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu on Stablecoin Risks, Innovation, Regulation

(Unsplash-Lyndon Li)
Maple Finance Launches Permissioned Institutional Lending Pool With BlockTower, Genesis
The KYC-AML compliant pool is BlockTower’s first effort at addressing a multi-trillion dollar opportunity.
(Unsplash-Lyndon Li)

(ArtisanalPhoto/Unsplash)
Sequoia Jumps Into Token Plays With Investment in DeFi Project Parallel
June filings show the VC giant has a relationship with Coinbase Custody.
(ArtisanalPhoto/Unsplash)

(Shutterstock)
DeFi Lender bZx Suffers Hack for Reported $55M
bZx tweeted that a private key controlling the protocol’s deployment on Polygon and Binance Smart Chain was breached.
(Shutterstock)