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The crypto market has absorbed weeks of geopolitical jolts, ETF flow whipsaws, and choppy Bitcoin price action. Against that backdrop, a single on-chain signal from Wrapped Bitcoin’s Ethereum rails is catching attention. According to the Santiment update, 326 WBTC left exchanges in one day—the largest net outflow since early June.

WBTC outflows matter because coins sitting on trading platforms are effectively available for sale. When Bitcoin’s tokenized version on Ethereum exits exchanges, the immediate selling pressure on those assets declines. More importantly, WBTC is built to move Bitcoin liquidity into DeFi, where it can be deployed as collateral, lent out, or used in liquidity pools. So a 6-week high in outflows isn’t just a simple holder withdrawal—it points to capital rotating back into on-chain yield strategies or serving as a foundation for decentralized borrowing and trading.

What the Outflow Signal Suggests The timing aligns with a market that has been starved for durable risk appetite. Bitcoin has struggled to hold momentum through repeated macro tremors. Exchange flow balance has often been a short-term tell: when outflows spike during consolidation phases, it frequently signals that large market participants are moving coins into longer-term holding or productive DeFi use cases rather than preparing to dump.

At the same time, wrapped Bitcoin is no longer the only way to bring BTC exposure onto Ethereum or other chains. Coinbase’s cbBTC and Circle’s newly live cirBTC are giving institutions and DeFi users alternative rails. Their presence could actually amplify the WBTC outflow story. If more users are migrating BTC into on-chain environments via multiple wrapped versions, the overall pool of idle Bitcoin on centralized exchanges shrinks, and that’s typically supportive for spot prices.

Meanwhile, Ethereum itself remains a developer magnet. Recent data on developer activity, as tracked by services like Top 10 Blockchains by Developer Activity This Week, shows the network maintaining a strong lead, which underpins the smart contract infrastructure that makes wrapped Bitcoin useful. Without a vibrant DeFi ecosystem, WBTC would be less attractive as a yield-generating asset.

The Next Unknowns One large outflow event doesn’t guarantee sustained bullish momentum. Traders will want to see whether this becomes a trend over several days or remains an outlier. Also, some of the outflow could reflect a one-off rebalancing by a single fund or protocol. Without knowing the precise wallet identities, it’s impossible to distinguish between a few whales and broad market behavior.

The broader tokenization trend adds another layer. With real-world assets crossing $20 billion on-chain and major financial players executing live tokenized settlements, as covered in the Weekly Tokenization Roundup, the movement of wrapped assets is increasingly tied to institutional plumbing rather than purely retail speculation. So the WBTC outflows may be part of a deeper structural shift, not just a market-timing signal.

For now, the Santiment data adds another layer of evidence that selling appetite is thinning, even as Bitcoin navigates a difficult macro environment. The next few days will show whether the rotation back into DeFi has real legs.

AUTHOR

Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.

Hedera Network Reportedly Hit by Exploit With Losses Climbing Past $5 Million

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According to the latest on-chain data, the Layer-1 network Solana has hit a significant milestone in terms of the transfer volume of stablecoins this month.

Solana Overtakes Tron In Stablecoin Transfer Volume Data from the blockchain analytics platform Artemis shows that the stablecoin transfer volume on Solana has already surpassed $300 billion in January. This is the largest transfer volume recorded by stablecoins on the Layer-1 blockchain in a single month.

To put this figure into context, the Solana network registered $297 billion in stablecoin volume in the entire December. Meanwhile, the blockchain’s stablecoin transfer volume was about $11.56 billion in January 2023, reflecting an over 2,500% growth in the past year.

Stablecoin transfer volume across various blockchains in the past year | Source: Artemis From the chart above, it is clear that Solana’s stablecoin activity has been on a steady rise since October, increasing by more than 650% in the past few months.  This growth has also impacted the network’s share in the stablecoin market, with Solana now boasting about 32% market share.

Unsurprisingly, Ethereum leads the market for stablecoins, with its transfer volume already reaching almost $317 billion in January. Meanwhile, the Tron network trails Solana in third place, with a stablecoin volume of roughly $240 billion.

On Thursday, January 18, Paxos revealed the launch of its regulated stablecoin, USDP, on the Solana network. According to DefiLlama data, USDC remains the dominant stablecoin on the Layer-1 network, with a market cap of over $1 billion.

Paxos is thrilled to share our regulated stablecoin USDP is now live on the @solana blockchain! This integration makes it easier for anyone to access and use the safest, most reliable stablecoins in the market. Learn more here: https://t.co/0j4Kj0yyPk pic.twitter.com/1doexKvVmY

— Paxos (@Paxos) January 18, 2024

SOL Price Overview Despite Solana’s burgeoning network activity, the price performance of its native token SOL has somewhat dampened in the past few weeks. As of this writing, the Solana token is valued at $92, reflecting a 0.6% decline in the last 24 hours.

This sluggish performance in the past day underscores the altcoin’s challenges since the turn of the year. After reaching a multi-month high of $124 at the end of 2023, the SOL price has largely struggled to hold above the $100 mark.

According to data from CoinGecko, the Solana token is down by more than 5% in the past week. Meanwhile, the coin has declined by about double that figure since the beginning of 2024.

Nevertheless, SOL maintains its position as the fifth-largest cryptocurrency in the sector, with a market capitalization of more than $40 billion.

Solana price faces downward pressure on the daily timeframe | Source: SOLUSDT chart on TradingView Featured image from Dreamstime/Aivaras Sakurovas, chart from TradingView

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According to Circle, the asset’s primary goal is to provide institutions with a neutral, highly secure alternative to wrapped Bitcoin. The most popular wrapped Bitcoin token, wBTC, is offered by BitGo and has 119,157 tokens in circulation. Its market cap is at $8 billion. Circle, a stablecoin issuer, has announced its intention to offer a wrapped Bitcoin, positioning itself to compete with BitGo and Coinbase among institutional customers. On Thursday, the asset cirBTC was revealed. It will debut on Ethereum and will be backed 1:1 by bitcoin. It is designed for OTC desks, market makers, and lending protocols.

According to Circle, the asset’s primary goal is to provide institutions with a neutral, highly secure alternative to wrapped Bitcoin. Many banks and other financial organizations have started to invest heavily in Bitcoin and are looking at decentralized finance. Wrapped Bitcoins would make DeFi available on other chains like Ethereum by making the asset usable on other chains.

Tough Competition Ahead The new asset will debut on Ethereum, Circle Mint, and their layer-1 blockchain Arc, according to Circle. The new wrapped Bitcoin from Circle follows in the footsteps of BitGo’s Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) and Coinbase’s Wrapped Bitcoin (cbBTC), which are the market leaders at the moment. With an initial quantity of 88,800 tokens and a market cap of $5.9 billion, Coinbase’s cbBTC debuted in September 2024.

The most popular wrapped Bitcoin token, wBTC, is offered by BitGo and has 119,157 tokens in circulation. Its market cap is at $8 billion. But that’s just half of what it was in November 2021, when Bitcoin reached its all-time high for the cycle.

Wrapped Bitcoin variants have been introduced by a number of cryptocurrency exchanges, including as Kraken (KBTC), Gate (GTBTC), Binance (BBTC), Huobi (HBTC), and OKX (XBTC), but their market capitalization pale in comparison to those of the two front-runners. Based on data provided by CoinGecko, the combined supply of wBTC and cbBTC is around 208,000 BTC.

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BitGo, Polygon Among Industry Giants Pushing Rate Limits After The Largest DeFi Exploit of 2026

Another multi-million-dollar attack has hit the DeFi sector after liquidity provider and market maker TrustedVolumes fell victim to a smart contract exploit on Thursday night.

TrustedVolumes Hit By $6.7M Hack On Thursday, DeFi platform TrustedVolumes, one of 1inch liquidity providers and market makers, suffered a new exploit that drained millions of dollars in multiple assets from the project.

According to reports from blockchain security firms PeckShield and Blockaid, the attacker stole approximately $6 million in Wrapped Ethereum (WETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), USDT, and USDT after exploiting a vulnerability in the protocol’s core signature validation logic, which allowed them to bypass authorization checks and forge trading orders.

Notably, the hacker quickly exchanged all assets for 2.513 ETH on a Decentralized Exchange (DEX) and distributed them across three addresses. In an X post, TrustedVolumes confirmed the incident, sharing the addresses currently holding the stolen funds and updating the estimated loss to roughly $6.7 million.

TrustedVolumes confirms exploit. Source: X The vulnerability was a TrustedVolumes-controlled custom RFQ (request for quote) swap proxy. Crypto researcher Humphrey explained that “the Custom RFQ Swap Proxy contract contains a function designed to manage the ‘authorized order signer’ whitelist. Such whitelist mechanisms are common in DeFi—only addresses on the whitelist can issue valid transaction instructions on behalf of the protocol.”

However, he noted that “this registration function is public and lacks any permission modifiers.” As a result, the attacker exploited this public function within the contract, registering themselves as an authorized order signer.

“Since any external address can call this function, it is equivalent to giving everyone the ability to make a copy of the safe’s key,” the researcher continued.

Same Hacker, Different Attack The online reports revealed that the attacker was the same hacker responsible for the $5 million 1inch Fusion V1 Settlement contract exploit in March 2025, which TrustedVolumes was the primary victim.

Humprey highlighted that while the same individual carried out both attacks, they were significantly different on a technical level. According to the post, the 2025 vulnerability involved low-level EVM memory manipulation in the 1inch Fusion V1 Settlement contract.

At the time, the hacker “proactively initiated on-chain negotiations,” offering to return the stolen assets for a white hat bounty. The DeFi platform accepted the proposal, and most of the funds were safely returned.

Now, TrustedVolumes affirmed that it is “open to constructive communication regarding a bug bounty and a mutually acceptable resolution.”

Decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch clarified that there was no impact on its systems, infrastructure, or user funds, explaining that “TrustedVolumes operate independently as a liquidity provider, used by multiple protocols across the industry, and are not exclusive to 1inch.”

DeFi Exploits See Historic Surge This attack follows a wave of exploits that has shaken the DeFi sector over the past month. Last week, PeckShield revealed that the crypto space saw 40 major hacks in April, which drained approximately $647 million.

This figure represents a 1,140% Month-over-Month (MoM) increase from March’s $52.2 million. It also represents a 292% surge from the $165 million the DeFi sector lost during the first quarter of 2026.

Notably, the top two incidents of the month, Drift Protocol’s $285 million and KelpDAO’s $290 million exploits, accounted for 91% of the funds lost last month. In addition, they now rank among the Top 10 hacks since 2021.

ETH’s performance in the one-week chart. Source: ETHUSDT on TradingView Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

In brief Kraken will migrate its wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, from LayerZero to Chainlink's interoperability protocol. The asset maintains a market cap of more than $260 million, and Kraken said it will use Chainlink for future wrapped assets, as well. LayerZero admitted it "made a mistake" with Kelp DAO's setup, which was exploited for $292 million in April. Crypto exchange Kraken is the latest firm to ditch LayerZero’s cross-chain interoperability technology following its role in last month’s $292 million Kelp DAO exploit. 

As a result, the firm will migrate its existing wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, to Chainlink’s cross-chain interoperability protocol (CCIP). In the future, any wrapped Kraken products will also make use of Chainlink’s technology. 

“Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure with strict security & risk management requirements,” the exchange posted on X.

Holders of the firm’s kBTC token, which is backed 1:1 by Bitcoin held in custody by Kraken, do not need to take any action at this time. The token holds a market cap of around $266 million at the time of writing. 

Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to @Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) & all future Kraken Wrapped Assets.

Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure…

— Kraken (@krakenfx) May 14, 2026

Kraken’s migration extends the list of major crypto firms which have announced their intentions to detach themselves from LayerZero’s cross-chain tech after the interoperability protocol team admitted it “made a mistake” that led to the Kelp DAO exploit. 

Prior to Kraken’s departure, Kelp DAO announced its intentions to shift to Chainlink’s technology and was followed by Solv Protocol, which said it would migrate the tech backing $700 million worth of Bitcoin-related assets to CCIP as well. Last week, on-chain reinsurance protocol Re also announced plans to make the switch from LayerZero to Chainlink.  

“Together, Chainlink and Kraken can help accelerate the global adoption of crypto by unlocking utility and distribution for all Kraken Wrapped Assets across DeFi,” Kraken said. 

Although the firm did not mention the Kelp DAO exploit, Kraken’s decision and those of the other crypto firms migrating away from LayerZero come after the April 18 exploit that was later attributed to Lazarus Group, the notorious North Korean state-sponsored hacker group. 

Attackers from Lazarus were able to drain 116,500 rsETH liquid staking tokens from Kelp DAO’s infrastructure after "poisoning" internal RPCs used by LayerZero Labs, according to a postmortem from the interoperability firm. 

Last week, the protocol said no other applications have been impacted and funds are not at risk.

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TLDR: Kraken migrates kBTC and all future wrapped assets to Chainlink CCIP, citing enterprise-grade security. The $292M Kelp DAO exploit, tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, triggered a broad LayerZero exit across DeFi. Solv Protocol, Kelp DAO, and Re also left LayerZero for Chainlink CCIP following critical cross-chain security reviews. Kraken’s kBTC holds a $266M market cap; holders require no action as the backend migration proceeds. Kraken has announced it will migrate its wrapped Bitcoin product, kBTC, from LayerZero to Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).

The move follows the $292 million Kelp DAO exploit in April, which was later linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Kraken cited enterprise-grade security and strict risk management as the driving reasons.

The token holds a market cap of approximately $266 million, and future wrapped assets will also use Chainlink.

Kraken Moves Away From LayerZero Infrastructure Kraken announced the deprecation of its LayerZero-based cross-chain provider this week. The crypto exchange will now use Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infrastructure.

The decision covers kBTC and all future Kraken Wrapped Assets. Holders of kBTC do not need to take any action at this time.

Kraken explained its reasons on X, formerly Twitter, in a public post. The exchange stated that Chainlink CCIP offers ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications.

Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to @Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) & all future Kraken Wrapped Assets.

Kraken chose Chainlink CCIP because it offers enterprise-grade infrastructure…

— Kraken (@krakenfx) May 14, 2026

It also noted the protocol’s secure-by-default architecture and 16 independent nodes. Native rate limits were also listed among the key security features.

The exchange wrote: “Kraken is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infra.”

The post also referenced enterprise-grade infrastructure as a priority. Kraken confirmed that more details on the migration process will follow on official channels.

Kraken also noted a broader goal behind the migration. The exchange said both firms can help accelerate the global adoption of crypto.

By using CCIP, Kraken aims to unlock utility and distribution for its wrapped assets across DeFi. No specific timeline for the full migration was given.

LayerZero Fallout Spreads Across the Industry Kraken joins a growing list of firms exiting LayerZero’s technology following the Kelp DAO incident. On April 18, attackers drained 116,500 rsETH liquid staking tokens from Kelp DAO’s infrastructure.

LayerZero later admitted it made a mistake in setting up Kelp DAO’s configuration. The Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacker group, was attributed to the exploit.

Kelp DAO was the first to announce it would move to Chainlink CCIP after the incident. Solv Protocol followed, saying it would migrate infrastructure backing over $700 million in Bitcoin-related assets.

On-chain reinsurance protocol Re also announced plans to leave LayerZero last week. Each departure has added to the scrutiny around cross-chain bridge security.

The Kelp DAO postmortem revealed that attackers poisoned internal RPCs used by LayerZero Labs. This allowed them to drain tokens without triggering standard security alerts.

The vulnerability was specific to how Kelp DAO’s setup was configured, according to LayerZero. However, the event prompted a wider review of cross-chain security practices across the industry.

Chainlink CCIP has emerged as the preferred alternative for firms reassessing their interoperability stack. Multiple protocols have now committed to the technology within weeks of the exploit.

The migration trend shows how a single security event can quickly shift infrastructure preferences in crypto. For Kraken, the move is part of a longer-term strategy to secure all its wrapped asset offerings.

TLDR: Kraken DeFi Earn has surpassed $300M in total deposits, with the Bitcoin Vault alone crossing $70M shortly after launch. The vault uses a single-cycle supervised borrow strategy, eliminating recursive leverage and maintaining full market neutrality at all times. Sentora’s three-layer risk framework has recorded zero liquidations across more than three years of live vault operation since January 2021. kBTC, Kraken’s wrapped Bitcoin token, enables BTC collateral deployment across Ethereum’s DeFi infrastructure with a one-to-one redemption guarantee. Kraken DeFi Earn has crossed $300 million in total deposits, with its Bitcoin Vault contributing over $70 million. The vault converts idle BTC into structured yield positions through vetted DeFi protocols.

It operates using a supervised loan strategy, avoiding directional speculation entirely. Yield comes from the spread between borrowing costs and returns on deployed stablecoins.

The vault requires no active management from depositors at any stage.

How the Bitcoin Vault Generates Yield Without Directional Risk The vault supplies BTC as collateral to lending protocols, then borrows stablecoins against it. Those stablecoins are deployed into pre-approved yield strategies across onchain markets.

Target venues include Aave, Euler, and Morpho for stablecoin lending. Real-world assets and market-neutral AMM pairs on platforms like Curve also receive allocations. Each strategy is chosen because expected returns exceed borrowing costs.

Sentora Research flagged the vault’s milestone on X recently. SentoraHQ noted that the Bitcoin Vault alone surpassed $70 million shortly after launch.

That growth reflects strong depositor interest in BTC-based yield strategies. The vault’s design focuses on productivity without requiring price speculation. Idle BTC holdings are put to work through a constrained, structured process.

Leverage is used in this vault, but its application differs from typical margin trading. CEX margin trading often involves 5x to 100x leverage on directional bets.

The Bitcoin Vault uses a single supervised borrow with a 10–20% buffer below maximum collateral ratios. The strategy maintains market neutrality throughout its operation. If BTC falls in value, automated systems deleverage before liquidation thresholds are approached.

The vault does not use recursive leverage or looping strategies. BTC collateral is deposited once, stablecoins are borrowed once, and capital is deployed into approved venues.

There is no re-deposit cycle that compounds BTC price exposure across multiple loops. This single-cycle structure limits overall risk significantly. It keeps leverage defined, traceable, and governed by automated rebalancing at all times.

The vault uses kBTC, Kraken’s wrapped Bitcoin token on Ethereum, as its collateral format. Native BTC cannot operate directly on Ethereum’s lending and liquidity infrastructure. kBTC is redeemable one-to-one for Bitcoin with no fees attached.

For existing Kraken users, this wrapper does not introduce new custodial risk. It simply extends an existing trust relationship into the onchain environment.

Three-Layer Risk Framework Supports Vault’s Clean Liquidation Record Sentora applies a three-layer risk management model across all vault operations. The first layer involves formal research and due diligence before any capital is deployed.

Over 60 protocols across 17 networks have undergone technical and economic review. Audit history, oracle dependencies, and liquidation mechanics are all examined. No protocol enters the approved list without completing this review process.

The second layer is an automated on-chain system that acts as a 24/7 circuit breaker. It continuously tracks collateral ratios, borrow costs, and liquidation thresholds in real time.

If safety thresholds are breached, the vault autonomously recalls capital and repays debt. This process can occur within the same block when market conditions require it. Since January 2021, the vault has recorded zero liquidations across all deployments.

The third layer consists of quantitative off-chain monitoring across six risk categories. These include concentration, liquidity, interest rate, duration, leverage, and correlation. Metrics like Val01 and Exit Maturity help stress-test positions against worst-case market scenarios.

Available liquidity is evaluated to confirm clean exit conditions for each position. Large-holder movements that could shift market conditions are also tracked continuously.

Withdrawals from the vault are available through a standard five-day window. This period allows the system to exit multiple strategies while minimizing slippage costs.

The withdrawal timeline is expected to shorten as deposits scale and flows deepen. Independent audits by Spearbit and 0xMacro have reviewed the vault’s infrastructure. Sentora’s stated philosophy remains return of capital before return on capital.

The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.

According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.

1 seconds ago

US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.

According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.

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Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks

According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.

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SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.

According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.

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The US stock market's optical communication sector rises across the board in pre-market trading, with Corning up 9.28%.

According to Bitget market data, the U.S. stock market's optical communication sector saw broad pre-market gains, with MRVL rising 4.99%, LITE up 3.24%, Nokia up 3.11%, Corning up 9.28%, and AXTI up 6.69%.

1 seconds ago

US-listed AI chip stocks saw mixed pre-market performance, with Qualcomm surging 13%.

According to Bitget market data, U.S. AI chip stocks posted mixed pre-market performance: Qualcomm (QCOM.O) surged 13%, Intel (INTC.O) rose nearly 6%, AMD (AMD.O) gained nearly 4%, and Google (GOOG.O) declined 1.4%.

1 seconds ago

Micron Technology surges 18% in pre-market trading on US stocks

According to Bitget market data, the US stock storage sector is seeing broad pre-market gains. Micron Technology (MU.O) jumps 18% in pre-market trading, as its strong earnings significantly exceeded expectations, with multiple major banks raising the stock’s target price. SanDisk (SNDK) rises 12.25%, Western Digital (WDC) gains 12.05%, and Seagate Technology (STX) climbs 8.63%.

1 seconds ago

SBI announced it will acquire cryptocurrency trading platform Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen.

According to Nikkei News, Japanese financial group SBI Holdings announced on the 25th that it will acquire cryptocurrency exchange platform bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $288 million). Upon completion of the transaction, SBI Group’s crypto asset custody scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, making it one of the largest operators in Japan’s crypto industry. Per the plan, a subsidiary under SBI Holdings will acquire Bitbank shares from individual shareholders including its founders as early as August this year. Bitbank will then repurchase shares held by existing shareholders MIXI and Ceres by the end of October. If combining data from SBI’s own crypto exchange SBI VC Trade and Bitbank, as of April this year, the two firms had a total of around 2.92 million accounts and total custody assets of approximately 1.1 trillion yen. While different crypto exchanges disclose custody assets at varying time points, among Japan’s major industry competitors, bitFlyer held about 960 billion yen in custody assets as of the end of December 2025, and Coincheck had around 800 billion yen as of the end of March 2025.

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Volo Protocol Loses $3.5 Million in Sui Vault Exploit Amid DeFi Hack Streak

Update: Following the publication of this article, Huobi has updated its transparency page to include new addresses that contain the collateral for all of the wrapped tokens mentioned. These show that all of the tokens are fully collateralized.

"To enhance HBTC holders’ confidence, we have been gradually migrating HBTC assets to Huobi Trust Company Limited for digital asset custody," said a spokesperson for Huobi via email.

Huobi’s version of wrapped bitcoin isn’t living up to the transparency that it promised. The $800 million of assets that are backing the crypto exchange’s token are supposed to be sitting in clearly market wallets; except they’re not. 

Instead, the money appears to have been spread among other exchange wallets, also owned by Huobi. The problem here is not that the money is necessarily gone; it’s plausible that Huobi is using its exchange hot wallets to make it easier to process transactions. The issue is that market observers cannot see for themselves whether the token is still backed. 

For all we know — from checking Huobi’s official transparency page — the $800 million of outstanding Huobi Bitcoin (HBTC) is backed by less than $30,000.

The Block reached out to Huobi for comment but — after an initial response — the exchange stopped replying to follow up emails. The exchange did not provide any explanation for why the bitcoin was moved, nor would answer whether HBTC was still fully backed.

'Transparent and verifiable’ Huobi created HBTC in February 2020 as its proprietary form of wrapped bitcoin. Wrapping bitcoin is a process where you take bitcoin on the Bitcoin blockchain, lock it up in a wallet and issue a tokenized version of it on another chain, in this case on Ethereum. 

At the time, Huobi said HBTC would be “transparent and verifiable,” enabling anyone to authenticate the assets on both the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains.  

For a while, it seemed that this was the case. In early August 2021, the supply of HBTC was around 31,000 and Huobi’s two official wallets contained around 39,700 bitcoin.

Yet between August 20 and August 26 of last year, practically all of this collateral was moved out of both wallets. The funds were split into three sums and all were sent to this wallet. Each was then repeatedly shifted to new wallets, with small amounts siphoned off at each turn. 

Huobi also created wrapped assets for six other cryptocurrencies: bitcoin cash (BCH), polkadot (DOT), tezos (XTZ), bitcoin satoshi’s vision (BSV), filecoin (FIL) and litecoin (LTC). Out of these, only Huobi’s version of BSV (HBSV) is fully backed by collateral in the official wallets. The transparency page shows no data for its version of filecoin at time of writing.

All the assets have a combined total supply worth $865 million but yet just $5.5 million in collateral in the official transparency wallets.

How this compares to others  HBTC is failing to offer the transparency provided by Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), the most common form of wrapped bitcoin. 

WBTC is run by a conglomerate of crypto businesses, including Compound and BitGo. The project’s website provides a list of 268 bitcoin wallets that contain its $4.8 billion of bitcoin — and these wallets do indeed contain that amount of the cryptocurrency. This enables those using the wrapped token to know that it’s fully backed.

Still, not all wrapped bitcoin projects offer this level of transparency. RenBTC, another version of wrapped bitcoin with a market cap of $100 million, initially used the crypto data service Chainlink to show its proof of reserves. But it now just has a statement on its dashboard that says how much it has in reserve — a sum equal to the amount issued on its network — and doesn't provide any links to where the money is kept.

What's complicated about the way renBTC looks after its collateral is that every time some of the collateral is redeemed, it sends that person those funds and sends the remaining assets to a new wallet. As a result, it can’t simply provide a list of wallets where the funds are stored, since it would have to be constantly updating the list. 

This may shed some light on Huobi’s processes, as it also constantly spreads the funds to new addresses while siphoning off a little each time. Perhaps the exchange adopted this system but failed to implement a way to track the collateral, since it requires either using Chainlink or setting up an automated system. 

Either way, Huobi is — for now at least — failing to offer the transparency it originally promised. 

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

If traditional finance got a blockchain makeover, DeFi protocols would inevitably be the result. Here, decentralized apps (DApps) and smart contracts reign supreme, offering you control over your financial future. 

From staking your digital assets for crypto yield to conducting anonymous crypto swaps, this guide introduces you to the top DeFi protocols to keep an eye on in 2026.

In This Guide:

12 Top DeFi protocols in 2026 DeFi protocols comparedWhat are DeFi protocols?How do DeFi protocols work?Should you use DeFi protocols?Could DeFi replace traditional finance?Frequently asked questions12 Top DeFi protocols in 2026

1. dYdX

Best DeFi protocol for liquid staking

Token

dYdX

Token max supply

1,000,000,000 DYDX

Market cap

$1.499B

TVL

$401.81M

The dYdX protocol provides advanced financial instruments like perpetual and margin trading within the DeFi ecosystem. The leading exchange operates without KYC, allowing for anonymous, trustless trading. It supports perpetual and margin trading, alongside lending and borrowing, and offers competitive fee structures and gas-free trading experiences.

The platform provides lower collateralization levels compared to competitors, increasing accessibility. dYdX also utilizes StarkWare for increased efficiency and lower transaction fees and allows for community contributions and governance.

Notably, dYdX also transitioned to an independent blockchain within the Cosmos ecosystem, enhancing performance and furthering decentralization.

Pros

Advanced trading options No KYC required Low fees Layer-2 scalability Dynamic interest rates Interoperability with Cosmos Cons

Complex for beginners Dependent on Ethereum Limited spot trading New chain transition challenges Ecosystem adaptation required Trade features: Perpetual trading, margin trading, decentralized order book, layer-2 scalability, cross-margin capabilities.

Earning features: Lending, borrowing, dynamic interest rates, trading rewards.

Security features: Self-custodial security, third-party audits, secured by Ethereum protocol.

Platform and ecosystem features: No KYC, open-source code, integration with Cosmos ecosystem, decentralized governance, off-chain order matching.

2. PancakeSwap

Best DeFi protocol for cost-effective transactions

Token

CAKE

Token max supply

450,000,000 CAKE

Market cap

$974.4M

TVL

$2.224B

PancakeSwap is a top-tier DeFi protocol. It focuses on the Binance Smart Chain blockchain, but supports a total of eight networks, including Ethereum.

PancakeSwap’s native crypto is CAKE, which has a total supply of 450 million tokens. This decentralized exchange leverages an automated market maker (AMM) model, allowing for direct, wallet-to-wallet trades without intermediaries, enhancing user control and security.

Moreover, it offers a range of services beyond simple trades, such as yield farming, staking, and lotteries, enabling users to earn rewards in various ways. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for beginners, while its innovative features, like the zkBridge technology, ensure secure and efficient transactions across different blockchain networks.

PancakeSwap’s growth is underscored by its status as the first billion-dollar project on the Binance Smart Chain and its continual upgrades, such as the current PancakeSwap V3, demonstrating its commitment to improving functionality and user experience.

Pros

Intuitive interface High APY for liquidity providers (LPs) Supports staking and farming NFT marketplace Cons

No mobile app No native crypto wallet Trade features: Instant crypto trading, liquidity pools, asset bridging, perpetual trading, and cryptocurrency purchasing.

Earning features: Farming, pools, liquid staking, simple staking.

Game and NFT features: Gaming marketplace, prediction market, NFT marketplace for NFTs on BNB Chain.

DeFi and ecosystem engagement: Governance, initial farm offerings (IFOs), gauge voting and revenue sharing, and farm booster.

3. De.Fi

Best DeFi protocol for monitoring

Token

DEFI

Token max supply

1,000,000,000 DEFI

Market cap

n/a

TVL

n/a

De.Fi provides detailed smart contract analysis to detect potential vulnerabilities and assign security scores. It offers an extensive dashboard for monitoring wallet transactions and balances, alongside powerful investment tools for analyzing and controlling positions in DeFi protocols, NFT collections, and lending markets.

Additionally, De.Fi includes specialized security features like the De.Fi Shield and Scanner for thorough contract examination. It also comes with user-friendly transaction tools such as secure crypto sending and De.Fi Swap for easy cryptocurrency exchanges across various blockchains, making it a well-rounded solution for utilizing the DeFi space safely and effectively.

Pros

Advanced security scanning Comprehensive dashboard Real-time analytics User-friendly interface Multi-blockchain support Cons

Complexity for beginners Technical knowledge needed Frequent updates required Smart contract and security features: Vulnerability scanning, smart contract security scoring, De.Fi Shield, De.Fi Scanner.

Portfolio and transaction monitoring features: Comprehensive dashboard, address book, wallet balance tracking, deposited and loaned balances overview.

Investment and exploration features: Market analysis tools, NFT portfolio management, exploration of DeFi opportunities.

Security and protection tools: Asset security assessments, approval checks, risk highlights for tokens and NFTs, customizable security settings.

Transaction and exchange features: Secure cryptocurrency sending, De.Fi Swap, slippage tolerance settings.

4. Uniswap

Best DeFi protocol for community

Token

UNI

Token max supply

1,000,000,000 UNI

Market cap

$8.86B

TVL

$5.543B

Uniswap is another leading decentralized exchange. The native token is UNI, which has a total supply of 1 billion tokens.

Governed by its users through the UNI token, it offers a community-driven experience, unlike centralized platforms. Uniswap’s liquidity pools facilitate secure and direct token swaps, ensuring users maintain complete control over their funds. Originally built on Ethereum, it now supports other Ethereum-compatible networks like Polygon and Optimism, offering lower transaction costs.

Uniswap’s simplicity makes it accessible for beginners while providing advanced features for experienced users. This is rare when it comes to DEXs, which can often be tricky to use and less straightforward than their CEX counterparts. Uniswap also boasts broad token availability and deep liquidity, reducing price impact on large trades.

Additionally, the DEX has integrated NFT trading, enhancing its offerings. With nearly 5 million unique wallet addresses and surpassing $1 trillion in trading volume, its popularity and reliability are evident.

Finally, Uniswap’s swap fees are competitive, especially when compared to centralized exchanges, and users can choose cheaper networks to avoid high Ethereum gas fees.

Pros

Easy-to-use interface Low-cost trades Multiple blockchain networks supported Cons

No mobile app High fees when purchasing crypto (third-party services) Trade features: Instant crypto trading, liquidity pools, asset bridging, cryptocurrency purchasing.

Earning features: Funding liquidity pools, swap fee earnings.

Game and NFT features: NFT marketplace, prediction market.

DeFi and ecosystem engagement: Governance, concentrated liquidity, transaction fee structure.

5. Curve Finance

Best DeFi protocol for stablecoins

Token

CRV

Token max supply

2,091,644,627 CRV

Market cap

$730.32M

TVL

$2.486B

Curve Finance is a leading decentralized exchange (DEX) on the Ethereum blockchain, specializing in the efficient trading of stablecoins and wrapped tokens like wBTC, renBTC, and sBTC. Founded by Michael Egorov, it has quickly risen to prominence, and is particularly famed for its innovative use of liquidity pools and automated market maker (AMM) systems. These allow users to earn high annual interest rates — over 300% in some pools — on deposited cryptocurrency.

The platform distinguishes itself with its unique bonding curve. This is optimized for stablecoins to reduce slippage, allowing significant trades with minimal price impact. This has positioned Curve as a vital component in the DeFi space, especially for those interested in liquidity mining and yield farming.

Curve Finance operates as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), with its governance token CRV enabling holders to vote on changes and proposals. This shift to a DAO structure allows Curve to operate with enhanced transparency and community-driven development. Despite its complexity and the potential for impermanent loss, Curve Finance offers significant opportunities for liquidity providers and traders, underlined by security measures including multiple code audits and bug bounties to safeguard user assets.

Pros

Specializes in stablecoins Reduced slippage Governed by DAO Multiple security audits Bug bounties for added safety Cons

Complex for beginners Focused mainly on stablecoins and wrapped tokens Reliance on Ethereum blockchain, leading to potential high gas fees Trade features: Stablecoin specialization, efficient liquidity pools, unique bonding curve, minimal slippage in trades.

Earning features: High annual interest rates from liquidity pools, rewards in CRV tokens, participation in yield farming.

Security features: Multiple security audits, bug bounties, governed by decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

DeFi and ecosystem engagement: Governance via CRV token, high total value locked (TVL), support for various wrapped tokens.

6. Balancer

Best DeFi protocol for multi-tokens pools

Token

BAL

Token max supply

62,244,253 BAL

Market cap

$268.21M

TVL

$1.242B

Balancer is a versatile and innovative DeFi platform that redefines the concept of decentralized exchanges (DEXs) by combining elements of automated market makers (AMMs) and index funds.

Unlike traditional DEXs — which typically focus on two-token liquidity pools — Balancer’s USP lies in its ability to maintain a balanced portfolio through automatic rebalancing, adjusting the pool’s asset allocations in response to market price changes.

Balancer supports three types of pools: public pools, where anyone can add liquidity and earn trading fees; private pools, where only the creator can contribute liquidity and set parameters; and smart pools, which are private pools with adjustable parameters controlled by a smart contract. This flexibility caters to a wide range of user preferences and risk tolerances.

Furthermore, Balancer’s architecture is designed to function on Ethereum and also on six additional blockchain networks, expanding its accessibility and interoperability within DeFi ecosystems. By providing a decentralized platform for multi-asset liquidity, Balancer contributes significantly to the efficiency of the cryptocurrency market.

Pros

Multi-token pools Automated rebalancing Interoperability Cons

Complex for beginners Limited on smaller chains Trade features: Multi-token pools, automated portfolio rebalancing, customizable pool types (public, private, smart), wide asset variety, minimal slippage through dynamic trading fees.

Earning features: Rewards in BAL tokens, high yield from liquidity provision, participation in liquidity mining, diversified income streams through various pool types.

Security features: Regular security audits, bug bounty programs, non-custodial asset management, transparent smart contract operations.

DeFi and ecosystem engagement: Governance via BAL token, significant total value locked (TVL), interoperability across multiple blockchains, support for a variety of digital assets and wrapped tokens.

7. Summer.fi

Best DeFi protocol for services

Token

Summer.fi

Token max supply

N/A

Market cap

N/A

TVL

$5.345b

Summer.fi, initially known as Oasis.app and one of the earliest MakerDAO projects from 2016, has evolved significantly beyond its original scope.

After Maker became fully decentralized, Summer.fi emerged as a standalone platform, dedicated to establishing a highly trusted application for DeFi capital deployment.

It now transcends being merely an interface for the Maker Protocol. It aims to be the most secure place for engaging with DeFi, providing users with advanced automation features like stop-loss, auto-buy, and auto-sell, as well as strategies such as Constant Multiples for optimizing Vault performance. If your Vault’s collateralization ratio hits your Sell Trigger, Constant Multiple will execute.

Summer.fi prioritizes user experience, offering clear insights into positions, returns, and associated risks, backed by a comprehensive knowledge base reflecting community feedback.

Pros

Comprehensive DeFi services Advanced automation features, (stop-loss, take-profit, auto-buy, etc.) User-friendly interface Integration with multiple protocols (Aave and Maker) Cons

Complex for new users Limited to ERC-20 tokens Borrowing features: Flexible repayment schedules, diverse collateral types, integrated with multiple protocols like Aave and Ajna, protection against market volatility through the Oracle Security Module and constant updates from Chainlink.

Multiplying features: Increase or decrease collateral exposure in one transaction, use borrowed funds to buy more collateral, integration with liquid platforms and the 1inch DEX aggregator for best execution prices, dedicated interface for managing positions.

Earning features: Self-custody solutions for yield earning, compatibility with Aave and Maker protocols, increase yield from StETH, participate in the Dai Savings Rate for passive income.

Automation features: Stop-loss to prevent liquidations, take-profit for efficient exits, auto-buy and auto-sell for Vault management, Constant Multiple to maintain predefined exposure levels.

Integration and partnerships: Support for various wallets like MetaMask and Ledger, integration with the 1inch Network for efficient token swaps, launched on Optimism layer-2 for reduced transaction costs, Ajna Protocol integration for curated borrowing and lending pools.

8. Aave

Best DeFi protocol for liquidity

Token

AAVE

Token max supply

16,000,000 AAVE

Market cap

$1.711B

TVL

$10.564B

Aave (AAVE) is a pioneering entity in the DeFi sector. The comprehensive lending platform boasts a significant Total Value Locked (TVL), which surpasses $10 billion in crypto collateral.

Aave enables users to lend and borrow a wide array of tokens across multiple ecosystems, ensuring a versatile and inclusive financial experience.

The platform’s latest iteration, Aave V3, expands its reach beyond Ethereum to include 10 different blockchain networks, further solidifying its position as a key player in DeFi by enhancing accessibility and providing a range of options for its diverse user base.

Pros

High TVL Wide range of tokens Multi-chain accessibility Flash loans availability Governance via AAVE token Cons

Complexity for beginners High gas fees on Ethereum Risk of liquidation Trade features: Flash loans, real-time interest accrual, stable and variable interest rates, Ethereum network integration, multi-asset collateral support.

Earning features: aTokens for deposit interest, decentralized lending and borrowing, yield optimization strategies, liquidity mining.

Security features: Over-collateralization of loans, smart contract audits, safety module for risk mitigation, bug bounties for platform integrity.

Platform and ecosystem features: Governance via AAVE tokens, layer-2 solutions for reduced fees, decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) structure, no KYC requirements, multi-chain accessibility.

9. MakerDAO

Best DeFi protocol for generating a stablecoin

Token

MKR

Token max supply

1,005,577 MKR

Market cap

$2.686B

TVL

$7B

MakerDAO is a pioneering DeFi platform that has revolutionized the way users engage with digital assets. The platform provides a decentralized borrowing and lending system with its stablecoin, DAI, at the core.

Built on the Ethereum blockchain, it allows users to leverage a variety of cryptocurrencies as collateral to generate DAI, maintaining stability through rigorous governance by MKR token holders.

The platform distinguishes itself with features like over-collateralization to ensure loan security, and a dual-rate model offering users the choice between stable and variable interest rates. However, users must navigate complexities such as liquidation risks and market volatility.

As MakerDAO evolves, it continues to solidify its status as a cornerstone of the DeFi landscape with the introduction of upgrades like V3 and the addition of the GHO stablecoin — balancing user empowerment with the intricate dynamics of decentralized finance.

Pros

Decentralized lending DAI stability Ethereum-based Governance by MKR Over-collateralization Variable interest rates Cons

Complexity High gas fees Liquidation risks Trade features: Flash loans, stable and variable interest rates, real-time aTokens, multi-currency collateral, governance-driven updates.

Earning features: Interest on deposits, participation in governance, yield farming opportunities, dynamic interest rates.

Security features: Over-collateralization, liquidation mechanisms, community governance for risk management, security modules for asset protection.

Platform and ecosystem features: Decentralized borrowing and lending, Ethereum-based, MKR token for governance, integration with multiple crypto assets, open-source development, Maker Vaults for asset management.

10. Compound Finance

Best DeFi protocol for staking

Token

COMP

Token max supply

10,000,000 COMP

Market cap

$487.27M

TVL

$2.668B

Compound Finance is a prominent decentralized lending platform operating on the Ethereum blockchain, known for pioneering the DeFi lending space.

Established by Robert Leshner and Geoffrey Hayes in 2018, Compound simplifies the process of borrowing and lending cryptocurrencies without intermediaries, allowing over $2 billion in assets to be locked on its platform.

Unique for its innovations, such as yield farming and governance through COMP tokens, the platform aims to provide financial inclusion, eliminating traditional transaction minimums and credit checks.

While offering competitive returns through real-time interest rates, users engaging with Compound and its governance token, COMP, must be cautious of market volatility and conduct in-depth research prior to investment.

Pros

Decentralized borrowing and lending No transaction minimums User-friendly interface Supports multiple ERC-20 assets Yield farming opportunities Cons

Market volatility risks Requires over-collateralization Complexity for new users High gas fees on Ethereum Trade features: Real-time interest rate adjustments, supports diverse ERC-20 tokens, and a user-centric lending and borrowing system.

Earning features: Yield farming with COMP tokens, competitive APR for lenders, dynamic interest rates based on market conditions.

Security features: Extensive security audits (Trail of Bits, OpenZeppelin), economic risk analysis by Gauntlet, transparent and verifiable contracts.

DeFi and ecosystem engagement: Decentralized governance with COMP tokens, financial inclusion without traditional verifications, continuous platform innovation and updates.

11. Lido

Best DeFi protocol for ETH staking

Token

LDO

Token max supply

1,000,000,000 LDO

Market cap

$2.215B

TVL

$34.445B

Lido Finance is a DeFi staking protocol offering user-friendly, semi-custodial staking services across multiple cryptocurrencies. Known for its simple interface and decentralized structure, Lido allows users to stake their assets and receive liquid staking tokens, such as stETH, which can be utilized in the broader DeFi ecosystem for yield farming.

Supported by major players in DeFi and endorsed for its reasonable fees and rewarding referral program, Lido maximizes decentralization through its governance token, LDO, allowing stakeholders to partake in decision-making. While Lido streamlines the staking process, users should consider the semi-custodial nature, the staking rewards fees, and potential tax implications associated with rewards.

Pros

User-friendly interface Liquid staking tokens Decentralized governance Supported by DeFi leaders Cons

Semi-custodial service Staking rewards fees Potential tax implications Staking features: Easy and unrestricted staking, maximized earning potential, liquid staking tokens for yield farming.

Earning features: Daily staking rewards, assets used as collateral for lending and yield farming, participation in governance for reward optimization.

Security features: Smart contracts audited by Quantstamp and Sigma Prime, semi-custodial nature maintains user control.

DeFi and ecosystem engagement: Governance via LDO tokens, broad DeFi integration, supports multiple blockchains including Ethereum.

DeFi protocols comparedProtocolTypeTVLTokenNo. of blockchains supportedPancakeSwapDEX$2.224BCAKE9UniswapDEX$5.543BUNI8CurveDEX$2.486BCRV14BalancerDEX$1.242BBAL8Summer.fiDEX$5.345bsummer.fi4AaveLending$10.564BAAVE12MakerDAOLending$7BMKR1CompoundLending$2.668BCOMP4dYdXDEX$401.81MdYdX1LidoStaking$34.445BLDO5De.FiTracker and walletn/aDEFI15What are DeFi protocols?DeFi protocols are sets of rules, procedures, and codes that govern decentralized finance (DeFi) systems, enabling users to engage in activities such as trading, lending, and staking tokens within blockchain ecosystems. 

DeFi represents a paradigm shift leveraging blockchain technology, primarily Ethereum, to cultivate an open, permissionless, and borderless financial ecosystem. Unlike traditional systems, developers write smart contracts to deploy DeFi protocols that enable peer-to-peer interactions without intermediaries. By adhering to the same set of rules, DeFi protocols ensure a standardized experience for all participants. 

An example of a DeFi protocol is MakerDAO. The popular DeFi lending platform allows users to borrow against their crypto assets by locking them in exchange for a stablecoin, DAI, thus offering more predictable repayment terms despite the volatility of crypto markets. 

Other protocols allow you to earn a passive income by generating yield from your staked assets. One popular example is the Lido protocol, which allows you to earn on stETH.  Platforms like Lido aim to offer the highest APY on crypto staking, allowing users to maximize returns on their staked assets within the Ethereum ecosystem.

The total value locked (TVL) is often used as a metric to gauge a protocol’s adoption and utility, with MakerDAO being one of the largest by TVL, highlighting its significant role in DeFi.

In 2026, new and more efficient technologies are being developed. For instance, some protocols incorporate asynchronous smart contracts, which allow transactions and agreements to be executed without needing all parties to be present or online simultaneously. This helps streamline operations within networks like Ethereum.

According to DeFiLlama, the top protocol categories are lending, DEXs, bridges, CDP (protocols that mint their own stablecoin using collateralized lending), and restaking. 

Protocol categories: DeFiLlamaWhy do you need DeFi protocols?DeFi allows decentralized apps (DApps) and platforms to provide services like crypto lending and crypto yield earning through staking. Users can participate in AMM (automated market maker) systems to improve liquidity. 

These features offer a fertile ground for startups to innovate beyond conventional financial products, fostering rapid experimentation and potential disruption. The global accessibility facilitated by DeFi platforms makes them a significant tool for financial inclusion, allowing startups to reach a worldwide audience. 

The interoperability among various DeFi protocols enhances this further, enabling seamless integration of services like web3 gaming and metaverse tokens, broadening the scope of what blockchain startups can achieve.

The total value locked (TVL) in DeFi platforms serves as a metric of trust and utility, indicating the number of cryptocurrencies staked, lent, or committed to liquidity pools, highlighting the ecosystem’s growth and stability.

By eliminating intermediaries, DeFi significantly lowers transaction costs, making it an attractive model for startups, especially in crypto lending and yield generation. Instead of being worried about your credit score, you can apply for a crypto loan with fewer restrictions than in TradFi. This reduction in costs, combined with the potential for high crypto yield through mechanisms like staking, positions DeFi as an increasingly popular option for both entrepreneurs and investors in the crypto market.

How do DeFi protocols work?DeFi protocols function by leveraging blockchain technology. While most of them are based on Ethereum, some may also support other networks. At the heart of these services are smart contracts, self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code, which facilitate, verify, and enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract.

DeFi, however, requires thorough research and understanding of several factors, including security, liquidity, and the platform’s governance structure. It’s important to assess the user experience, the degree of interoperability with other DApps and blockchain systems, and the level of community involvement in decision-making processes.

1. Decentralized apps (DApps)Users can engage with various DeFi platforms or DApps to access a wide range of financial services. 

One common way to participate is through crypto lending on platforms. Protocols such as Aave or Compound allow you to deposit cryptocurrencies to earn interest. The earnings are measured as Annual Percentage Yield (APY), which is a volatile percentage that corresponds to the market’s demands.

2. Liquidity miningAnother popular DeFi activity is liquidity mining. You can provide liquidity to decentralized exchanges (DEXs) by depositing your assets into liquidity pools. This deposit is usually made for a pair of assets, such as ETH-USDT, but it can be anything else.

In return, you earn rewards, often in the platform’s native tokens. This process is critical for ensuring there is enough market liquidity for trading and is facilitated by AMMs, algorithms used by DEXs to determine the price of tokens and facilitate trades.

3. Swaps (trading)Trading on DEXs is another key function of DeFi protocols. These platforms allow users to trade cryptocurrencies directly with others in a more private and accessible manner than on centralized exchanges. 

This not only supports the decentralized ethos of blockchain but also contributes to the Total Value Locked (TVL).

Should you use DeFi protocols?Pros  Earn money: You can make your crypto work for you. Put your assets in DeFi platforms to earn interest or rewards. Trade easily: Swap cryptocurrencies directly with others. No need for a middleman. More control: You’re in charge of your money. No bank or institution can block your transactions. Open to everyone: Anyone with an internet connection can join. It’s global and inclusive. Transparent: Everything is recorded on the blockchain. You can see all transactions. New opportunities: Explore new financial services like crypto lending or web3 gaming. Cons  Risky: Crypto values can change fast. Your investments can shrink quickly. Complicated: Some DeFi stuff is hard to understand. It’s not always beginner-friendly. Security issues: Hacks happen. If a DeFi platform gets attacked, you might lose your money. No customer support: If you have a problem, there’s no customer service to call. Research needed: You need to do your homework before investing. Not all platforms are safe. High fees: Sometimes, you’ll pay a lot to make transactions, especially when the network is busy. Could DeFi replace traditional finance?Decentralized finance has the potential to usurp traditional institutions, specifically TradFi. Decentralized finance enables users to transact securely, anonymously, and efficiently and is thus likely to gain popularity as web3 and crypto adoption grows. From crypto lending to staking to market makers, DeFi is exciting but also risky.

Do not interact with any DeFi protocols until you have developed a solid plan and are entirely comfortable with the mechanisms of the platform. Always be aware of the potential for losses, and never invest more than you can afford to lose.

Frequently asked questions What is the most popular DeFi protocol? The most popular DeFi protocol is often considered to be MakerDAO. It frequently leads in terms of Total Value Locked (TVL) and has a wide usage across the DeFi ecosystem. MakerDAO’s platform revolves around the generation of DAI, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, and enables decentralized borrowing and saving. Its popularity stems from its innovative approach to maintaining currency stability and providing a decentralized credit service.

What are the top five DeFi tokens? The top five DeFi tokens typically include Maker (MKR), Aave (AAVE), Compound (COMP), Uniswap (UNI), and PancakeSwap (CAKE), based on their market capitalization and impact on the DeFi space. These tokens facilitate governance of their respective platforms, offering holders voting rights on decisions and upgrades. They are integral to the operations of these platforms, from lending and borrowing to providing liquidity and facilitating decentralized trading.

What is TVL in DeFi protocols? Total Value Locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols refers to the total amount of assets currently being staked, lent, or deposited within a DeFi protocol’s smart contracts. It serves as a metric to gauge the overall health and growth of the DeFi market, indicating how much money is actively used in these decentralized financial services. A higher TVL suggests greater user trust and utility of the DeFi ecosystem.

How many DeFi protocols are there? The number of DeFi protocols is constantly growing as the space evolves and new projects are launched. There are hundreds of DeFi protocols across various blockchains, catering to different aspects of decentralized finance such as lending, borrowing, trading, and liquidity provision. The exact number can vary daily due to the dynamic nature of the crypto and DeFi industries.

How many DeFi protocols are there? The number of DeFi protocols is constantly growing as the space evolves and new projects are launched. There are hundreds of DeFi protocols across various blockchains, catering to different aspects of decentralized finance such as lending, borrowing, trading, and liquidity provision. The exact number can vary daily due to the dynamic nature of the crypto and DeFi industries.

Is TVL a good metric? TVL is a good metric for understanding the scale and usage of a DeFi protocol, as it reflects the total capital committed by users. However, it should not be the sole metric for assessing a protocol’s value or success, as it does not account for risks, decentralization level, or liquidity. It’s best used in combination with other factors like user growth, transaction volume, and protocol governance for a comprehensive evaluation.

What is a good FDV TVL ratio? A good FDV (Fully Diluted Valuation) to TVL (Total Value Locked) ratio for a DeFi project is typically below one, indicating that the project’s market valuation is not excessively higher than the value of assets locked in the protocol. Lower FDV/TVL ratios suggest that the protocol is undervalued or efficiently using its capital, which can be attractive to investors. However, this ratio should be considered alongside other metrics and project fundamentals for a complete analysis.

What is the TVL formula? The TVL formula in DeFi protocols calculates the total value of all assets deposited in the protocol’s smart contracts, which can include cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and other tokens. It aggregates the value of these assets, often converting them to a common currency like USD for a standardized measure. The formula is the sum of the value of each type of asset multiplied by its current market price.

How to calculate FDV? The Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) is calculated by taking the total supply of a token (both circulating and non-circulating) and multiplying it by the current price of the token. This gives an idea of what the market cap would be if all tokens were in circulation and trading at the current price. It’s an important metric for understanding the potential market size and investment risk of a cryptocurrency or DeFi project.

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Stargate Finance, a prominent cross-chain asset bridging and liquidity protocol, has announced its collaboration with Aptos, a cutting-edge L1 blockchain prioritizing scalability, security, and performance. The partnership is focused on launching Wrapped Bitcoin ($WBTC) on Aptos through Stargate and LayerZero, an advanced omnichain interoperability platform. The platform took to social media to announce this initiative.

Stargate Finance Partners with LayerZero to Release $WBTC on Aptos With this partnership, Startgate Finance and LayerZero have officially launched Wrapped Bitcoin ($WBTC) on Aptos. Hence, more than $15B in $WBTC is currently in circulation. This integration leverages Stargate to enable the native movement of Bitcoin ($BTC) between ten linked blockchains and Aptos. This ensures transactions with zero fees and zero slippage when routed through the omnichain protocol of Stargate.

Apart from that, $WBTC’s launch underscores an exclusive chapter in the journey of Bitcoin beyond the native blockchain thereof. This reportedly offers comprehensive liquidity while also improving Aptos’ DeFi capabilities. Aptos also plays a crucial role in this development with the provision of modular architecture, parallel execution, and scalability. Additionally, this makes it the perfect hub to broaden the use cases of Bitcoin ($BTC) in decentralized finance (DeFi).

Now, on Aptos, $WBTC has already witnessed integrations with a broad range of DeFi entities. They include Hyperion XYZ, Kofi Finance, Cellana Finance, Tapp Exchange, Moar Market, Kanalabs, Pandora Exchange, Thala Labs, Echelon Market, and Aries Markets. Hence, the respective ecosystem-wide support delivers rapid liquidity of Bitcoin ($BTC) across Aptos-based yield farming, trading, and lending platforms.

By utilizing the Omnichain Fungible Token standard of Stargate, Bitcoin ($BTC) can smoothly move across diverse networks without facing liquidity fragmentation. This development also provides consumers with access to new DeFi opportunities in the Aptos ecosystem. At the same time, this also maintains unparalleled interoperability with the rest of the blockchains.

Strengthening Users and Developers with Comprehensive Liquidity, Security, and Speed According to Stargate, the release of $WBTC on Aptos in collaboration with LayerZero advances BTCfi. Thus, this move allows users and developers to delve into the latest financial products that merge the liquidity and security of Bitcoin with the low-latency and high-speed infrastructure of Aptos. Overall, this unlocks wider liquidity, improved efficiency, as well as additional opportunities to benefit $BTC holders working across ecosystems.

AUTHOR

Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.

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Satoshi Protocol, a prominent stablecoin protocol that gets support from Bitcoin, has announced an exclusive collaboration with Soveryn. The partnership between Satoshi Protocol and the BOB chain-based DeFi protocol Sovryn will unveil a SAT-wBTC pool to boost the utility and liquidity of SAT in the BOB ecosystem. The platform disclosed the development on its official account on X.

Partnership with @SovrynBTC
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Our collaboration introduces a new SAT-wBTC liquidity pool, boosting $SAT utility and trading options on BOB.
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Thrilled to announce our partnership with @SovrynBTC, the leading BTCfi Hub on the BOB chain. They offers secure, fast Bitcoin trading… pic.twitter.com/hV6n4rWj2K

— Satoshi Protocol (@Satoshi_BTCFi) July 31, 2024 Satoshi Protocol Commences an Exclusive Collaboration with Sovryn In its latest X post, the company mentioned that Sovryn operates as a decentralized finance protocol on the BOB chain. It reportedly offers several financial services taking into account liquidity provision and trading. Sovryn benefits from the security of Bitcoin along with the smart contract flexibility to deliver resilient financial instruments. Sovryn has additionally attained crucial landmark achievements.

They include more than $85M in its total value locked part from more than $2B worth of cumulative trading volume. Additionally, the total consumer base of the platform has reportedly reached 60,000. Sovryn is integrated with the BOB chain, expanding its platform with diverse integrations and financial services. Moreover, Sovryn delivers decentralized trading, margin trading, borrowing, and lending tools.

Bitcoin network secures all of these products. This partnership will permit the development of a Sovryn-based SAT-wBTC pool. The integration will chiefly enhance liquidity for SAT. As a result of this, the consumers can conveniently trade between the SAT token and the rest of the Sovryn-based coins. This takes into account the well-known tokens such as USDC, ETH, SOV, wBTC, DLLR stablecoin of Sovryn, and so on.

Improved liquidity signifies that the clients can conduct trades more effectively with decreased slippage and enhanced pricing. The integration of SAT within the ecosystem of Sovryn broadens its utility. It provides additional opportunities to facilitate the consumers in engaging with assets. The inclusion in the extensive DeFi package of Sovryn lets SAT holders take part in a broad series of financial operations.

The Development Enhances Liquidity, Capital Efficiency, and Utility in the BTC Ecosystem It includes generating yields via liquidity provision and using SAT in the form of collateral concerning loans. Ingamar Ramirez, Sovryn’s Head of Ecosystem Growth, stated that this collaboration will let them offer additional options regarding decentralized stablecoins. Satoshi Protocol asserted that the partnership will combine the strengths of both entities to capital efficiency, liquidity, and utility in the BTC ecosystem.

AUTHOR

Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.