DeFi
From staking to recursive lending
The following is a guest post by Vincent Maliepaard, Marketing Director at IntoTheBlock.
Staking
Staking is a fundamental yield generation strategy ChallengeIt involves locking up a blockchain’s native tokens to secure the network and validate transactions, earning rewards in the form of transaction fees and additional token issuance.
Staking rewards fluctuate based on network activity: the higher the transaction volume, the greater the rewards. However, stakers should be aware of risks such as token devaluation and network-specific vulnerabilities. Staking, while generally stable, requires a thorough understanding of the underlying blockchain dynamics and potential risks.
For example, some protocols, such as Cosmosrequire a specific unlocking period for stakers. This means that when you withdraw your assets from staking, you will not be able to actually move them for a period of 21 days. During this period, you are still subject to price fluctuations and cannot use your assets for other yield strategies.
Liquidity provision
Liquidity provisioning is another method of generating yield in DeFi. Liquidity providers (LPs) typically contribute two assets to a liquidity pool on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). LPs earn fees on each trade executed within the pool. The yields of this strategy depend on trading volumes and fee levels.
High-volume pools can generate substantial fees, but LPs should be aware of the risk of impermanent loss, which occurs when the value of the pool’s assets diverges. To mitigate this risk, investors can choose stable pools with highly correlated assets, ensuring more consistent returns.
It is also important to keep in mind that the projected returns of this strategy are directly dependent on the total liquidity of the pool. In other words, as more liquidity enters the pool, the expected reward decreases.
Source: In the block
Ready
Lending protocols offer a simple yet effective method of generating yield. Users deposit assets that others can borrow in exchange for paying interest. Interest rates vary based on the supply and demand of the asset.
Strong borrowing demand increases returns for lenders, making it a lucrative option in bullish market conditions. However, lenders must consider liquidity risks and potential defaults. Monitoring market conditions and using platforms with strong liquidity buffers can mitigate these risks.
Airdrops and Points Systems
Protocols often use airdrops to distribute tokens to early adopters or those who meet specific criteria. More recently, point systems have emerged as a new way to ensure that these airdrops are targeted to actual users and contributors of a specific protocol. The concept is that specific behaviors reward users with points, and these points are correlated to a specific allocation in the airdrop.
Trading on a DEX, providing liquidity, borrowing capital, or even just using a dApp are all actions that would typically earn you points. Points systems provide transparency, but are by no means a surefire way to generate returns. For example, the recent Eigenlayer airdrop was limited to users in specific geographies and the tokens were locked during the token generation event, which sparked debate within the community.
Leverage in Performance Strategies
Leverage can be used in yield strategies such as staking and lending to maximize returns. While this increases returns, it also increases the complexity of a strategy, and therefore its risks. Let’s see how this works in a specific situation: lending.
Recursive lending capitalizes on the incentive structures within DeFi lending protocols. It involves repeatedly lending and borrowing the same asset to accumulate rewards offered by a platform, thereby significantly improving overall yield.
Here’s how it works:
- Asset Supply: First, an asset is supplied to a lending protocol which offers higher rewards for supply than the costs associated with borrowing.
- Borrow and Replenish: The same asset is then borrowed and replenished, creating a loop that increases the initial stake and corresponding returns.
- Incentive Capture: As each loop is completed, additional governance tokens or other incentives are earned, increasing the total APY.
For example, on platforms like Moonwell, this strategy can turn a 1% offering APY into an effective APY of 6.5% once the additional rewards are factored in. However, the strategy carries significant risks, such as interest rate fluctuations and liquidation risk, that require ongoing monitoring and management. This makes strategies like this more suitable for Institutional DeFi participants.
The Future of DeFi and Yield Opportunities
Until 2023, DeFi and traditional finance (TradFi) operated as separate silos. However, the increase in Treasury interest rates in 2023 has driven demand for integration between DeFi and TradFi, leading to a wave of protocols entering the “real-world asset” (RWA) space. Real-world assets have primarily offered on-chain treasury yields, but new use cases are emerging that leverage the unique characteristics of blockchain.
For example, on-chain assets like sDAI are making it easier to access Treasury yields. Large financial institutions like BlackRock are also getting into the on-chain economy. Blackrock’s BUIDL fund, which offers on-chain Treasury yields, has accumulated over $450 million in deposits within months of its launch. This indicates that the future of finance is likely to become increasingly on-chain, with centralized firms deciding to offer services on decentralized protocols or through permissioned paths like KYC.
This article is based on IntoTheBlock’s most recent research paper on institutional DeFi. You can read the full report here.
Mentioned in this article
DeFi
Pump.Fun is revolutionizing the Ethereum blockchain in terms of daily revenue
The memecoin launchpad saw the largest daily revenue in all of DeFi over the past 24 hours.
Memecoin launchpad Pump.Fun has recorded the highest gross revenue in all of decentralized finance (DeFi) in the last 24 hours, surpassing even Ethereum.
The platform has raised $867,429 in the past 24 hours, compared to $844,276 for Ethereum, according to DeFiLlama. Solana-based Telegram trading bot Trojan was the third-highest revenue generator of the day, as memecoin infrastructure continues to dominate in DeFi.
Pump.Fun generates $315 million in annualized revenue according to DeFiLlama, and has averaged $906,160 per day over the past week.
Income Ranking – Source: DeFiLlama
The memecoin frenzy of the past few months is behind Pump.fun’s dominance. Solana-based memecoins have been the main drug of choice for on-chain degenerates.
The app allows non-technical users to launch their own tokens in minutes. Users can spend as little as $2 to launch their token and are not required to provide liquidity up front. Pump.Fun allows new tokens to trade along a bonding curve until they reach a set market cap of around $75,000, after which the bonding curve will then be burned on Raydium to create a safe liquidity pool.
Pump.Fun generates revenue through accrued fees. The platform charges a 1% fee on transactions that take place on the platform. Once a token is bonded and burned on Raydium, Pump.fun is no longer able to charge the 1% fee.
Ethereum is the blockchain of the second-largest cryptocurrency, Ether, with a market cap of $395 billion. It powers hundreds of applications and thousands of digital assets, and backs over $60 billion in value in smart contracts.
Ethereum generates revenue when users pay fees, called gas and denominated in ETH, to execute transactions and smart contracts.
DeFi
DeFi technologies will improve trading desk with zero-knowledge proofs
DeFi Technologies, a Canadian company financial technology companyis set to enhance its trading infrastructure through a new partnership with Zero Computing, according to a July 30 statement shared with CryptoSlate.
The collaboration aims to integrate zero-knowledge proof tools to boost operations on the Solana And Ethereum blockchains by optimizing its ability to identify and execute arbitrage opportunities.
Additionally, it will improve the performance of its DeFi Alpha trading desk by enhancing its use of ZK-enabled maximum extractable value (MEV Strategies).
Zero knowledge Proof of concept (ZKP) technology provides an additional layer of encryption to ensure transaction confidentiality and has recently been widely adopted in cryptographic applications.
Optimization of trading strategies
DeFi Technologies plans to use these tools to refine DeFi Alpha’s ability to spot low-risk arbitrage opportunities. The trading desk has already generated nearly $100 million in revenue this year, and this new partnership is expected to further enhance its algorithmic strategies and market analysis capabilities.
Zero Computing technology will integrate ZKP’s advanced features into DeFi Alpha’s infrastructure. This upgrade will streamline trading processes, improve transaction privacy, and increase operational efficiency.
According to DeFi Technologies, these improvements will increase the security and sophistication of DeFi Alpha’s trading strategies.
The collaboration will also advance commercial approaches for ZK-enabled MEVs, a new concept in Motor vehicles which focuses on maximizing value through transaction fees and arbitrage opportunities within block production.
Additionally, DeFi Technologies plans to leverage Zero Computing technology to develop new financial products, such as zero-knowledge index exchange-traded products (ETPs).
Olivier Roussy Newton, CEO of DeFi Technologies, said:
“By integrating their cutting-edge zero-knowledge technology, we not only improve the efficiency and privacy of our transactions, but we also pave the way for innovative trading strategies.”
Extending Verifiable Computing to Solana
According to the release, Zero Computing has created a versatile, chain-agnostic platform for generating zero-knowledge proofs. The platform currently supports Ethereum and Solana, and the company plans to expand compatibility with other blockchains in the future.
The company added that it is at the forefront of introducing verifiable computation to the Solana blockchain, enabling complex computations to be executed off-chain with on-chain verification. This development represents a significant step in the expansion of ZKPs across various blockchain ecosystems.
Mentioned in this article
Latest Alpha Market Report
DeFi
Elastos’ BeL2 Secures Starknet Grant to Advance Native Bitcoin Lending and DeFi Solutions
Singapore, Asia, July 29, 2024, Chainwire
- Elastos BeL2 to Partner with StarkWare to Integrate Starknet’s ZKPs and Cairo Programming Language with BeL2 for Native DeFi Applications
- Starknet integration allows BeL2 to provide smart contracts and dapps without moving Bitcoin assets off the mainnet
- Starknet Exchange Validates the Strength of BeL2’s Innovation and Leadership in the Native Bitcoin Ecosystem
Elastos BeL2 (Bitcoin Elastos Layer2) has secured a $25,000 grant from Starknet, a technology leader in the field of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). This significant approval highlights the Elastos BeL2 infrastructure and its critical role in advancing Bitcoin-native DeFi, particularly Bitcoin-native lending. By integrating Starknet’s ZKPs and the Cairo programming language, Elastos’ BeL2 will enhance its ability to deliver smart contracts and decentralized applications (dapps) without moving Bitcoin (BTC) assets off the mainnet. This strategic partnership with Starknet demonstrates the growing acceptance and maturity of the BeL2 infrastructure, reinforcing Elastos’ commitment to market leadership in the evolving Bitcoin DeFi market.
Starknet, developed by StarkWare, is known for its advancements in ZKP technology, which improves the privacy and security of blockchain transactions. ZKPs allow one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement itself. This technology is fundamental to the evolution of blockchain networks, which will improve BeL2’s ability to integrate complex smart contracts while preserving the integrity and security of Bitcoin.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from Starknet and announce our partnership to build tighter integrations with its ZKP technology and the Cairo programming language,” said Sasha Mitchell, Head of Bitcoin Layer 2 at Elastos. “This is a major milestone for BeL2 and a true recognition of the maturity and capabilities of our core technology. This support will allow us to further develop our innovation in native Bitcoin lending as we look to capitalize on the growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a viable alternative financial system.”
A closer integration with Cairo will allow BeL2 to leverage this powerful programming language to enhance Bitcoin’s capabilities and deliver secure, efficient, and scalable decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Specifically, the relationship with Cairo reinforces BeL2’s core technical innovations, including:
- ZKPs ensure secure and private verification of transactions
- Decentralized Arbitrage Using Collateralized Nodes to Supervise and Enforce Fairness in Native Bitcoin DeFi
- BTC Oracle (NYSE:) facilitates cross-chain interactions where information, not assets, is exchanged while Bitcoin remains on the main infrastructure
BeL2’s vision goes beyond technical innovation and aims to innovate by creating a new financial system. The goal is to build a Bitcoin-backed Bretton Woods system, address global debt crises, and strengthen Bitcoin’s role as a global hard currency. This new system will be anchored in the integrity and security of Bitcoin, providing a stable foundation for decentralized financial applications.
As integration with Starknet and the Cairo programming language continues, BeL2 will deliver further advancements in smart contract capabilities, decentralized arbitration, and innovative financial products. At Token 2049, BeL2 will showcase further innovations in its core technologies, including arbitrators, that will underscore Elastos’ vision for a fairer decentralized financial system rooted in Bitcoin.
About Elastos
Elastos is a public blockchain project that integrates blockchain technology with a suite of redesigned platform components to produce a modern Internet infrastructure that provides intrinsic privacy and ownership protection for digital assets. The mission is to create open source services that are accessible to the world, so developers can create an Internet where individuals own and control their data.
The Elastos SmartWeb platform enables organizations to recalibrate how the Internet operates to better control their own data.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/elastosinfo/
ContactPublic Relations ManagerRoger DarashahElastosroger.darashah@elastoselavation.org
DeFi
Compound Agrees to Distribute 30% of Reserves to COMP Shareholders to End Alleged Attack on Its Governance
Compound will introduce the staking program in exchange for Humpy, a notorious whale accused of launching a governance attack on the protocol, negating a recently adopted governance proposal.
Compound is launching a new staking program for COMP holders as a compromise with Humpy, a notorious DeFi whale accused of launching a governance attack against the veteran DeFi protocol.
On July 29, Bryan Colligan, head of business development at Compound, published a governance proposal outlining plans for a new compound participation product that would pay 30% of the project’s current and future reserves to COMP participants.
Colligan noted that the program was requested by Humpy in exchange for his agreement Proposition 289 — which sought to invest 499,000 COMP worth approximately $24 million into a DeFi vault controlled by Humpy, and which appears to have been forced by Humpy and his associates over the weekend.
“We propose the following staking product that meets Humpy’s stated interests as a recent new delegate and holder of COMP in exchange for the repeal of Proposition 289 due to the governance risks it poses to the protocol,” Colligan said. “The Compound Growth Program…will execute the above commitments, given the immediate repeal of Proposition 289.”
Colligan added that the proposal would expire at 11:59 p.m. EST on July 29. Had Humpy not rescinded Proposition 289, Compound would move forward with it. Proposition 290 — block Humpy using the Compound team’s multi-sig to deploy a new governor contract removing the delegate’s governance power behind Proposition 289.
Hunchback tweeted that Proposition 289 had been repealed a few hours ago. “Glad to have brought Compound Finance back into the spotlight,” they said. added. “StakedComp… finally becomes a yield-generating asset!
Markets reacted favorably to the resolution, with the price of COMP increasing by 6.2% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.
Attack on governance
Proposition 289 proposed investing 499,000 COMP from the Compound treasury into goldCOMP, a yield-generating vault of the Humpy-linked Golden Boys team.
The proposal passed with nearly 52 percent of the vote on July 28, despite two previous iterations of the proposal being defeated by strong opposition. Can And JulyThe proposals notably asked for only 92,000 COMP, with security researchers warning that any deposit of tokens into the goldCOMP vault would cede their governance power.
In May, Michael Lewellen of Web3 security firm OpenZeppelin, note The first proposal was submitted by a new governance delegate who was suddenly awarded 228,000 COMP by five wallets that got their tokens from the Bybit exchange. Combined with his own tokens, the delegate got 325,333 COMP, which is over 81% of the 400,000 tokens required for a governance proposal to reach quorum.
“We have been alerting the community to the risk that these delegates could support a potential attack on governance,” Lewellen said. “The timing of the new proposal and these recent delegations are suspect.”
Read more: Compound community accuses famous whale of attacking engineering governance
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