Exponential’s guide to DeFi breaks down everything you need to know to start earning yield on your crypto so you can make money all the time — not just when Bitcoin is up.

DeFi revolutionizes finance by eliminating middlemen through blockchain technology, using smart contracts for secure transactions, protocols for financial services, and liquidity pools for lending and trading, enabling users to earn yield on their crypto investments.

DeFi yield is profit earned from participating in protocols, similar to interest in savings accounts. Key asset classes include Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and altcoins, while main yield-generating protocols are lending, market making, staking, and bridging. Understanding the source of yield is essential for evaluating opportunities.

DeFi lending protocols enable users to lend and borrow crypto without banks, allowing for potentially higher returns directly from borrower fees. For example, investing in a DeFi lending pool can yield greater interest compared to traditional savings accounts.

DeFi market making eliminates intermediaries by using liquidity pools, allowing anyone to become a market maker and earn fees from trades, similar to traditional brokerage operations. Users can deposit assets and receive a share of transaction fees based on their contribution to the pool.

Staking in DeFi involves locking up crypto assets to become a validator, earning transaction fees while ensuring network integrity. This system discourages fraud by risking the staked assets, similar to how notaries operate in traditional finance.

DeFi bridging allows users to transfer assets between different blockchains, similar to bank transfers in traditional finance. Bridges facilitate these transfers using liquidity providers who earn rewards, making it easier for users to access various DeFi applications across networks.

DeFi investing involves evaluating risk and reward, with a trend towards diversification. Exponential simplifies this by curating top DeFi pools, offering one-click investing, expert assessments, and multi-chain support, while eliminating gas fees and tax complexities.

Crypto holders across 90 countries can now safely and easily access DeFi investment opportunities on a compliant platform designed to grow their crypto gas-free.

Uncover the reasons behind high Ethereum gas fees and learn when they are lowest. This guide offers strategies to minimize ETH gas costs and introduces Exponential DeFi’s platform for gas-free investments in DeFi pools.

Explore our step-by-step guide on investing in DeFi liquidity pools, including setting up a crypto wallet and selecting DeFi protocols. Discover Exponential’s simple, one-click investment solution for entering the DeFi space.

Explore the world of crypto staking with our comprehensive guide. Understand how to earn passive income through DeFi platforms, with insights on staking methods for popular cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Solana, and Binance Coin.

Discover the role and benefits of wrapped cryptocurrencies like WBTC and WETH in enhancing blockchain interoperability and liquidity. Learn how these assets enable participation across different DeFi platforms.

Recent protocol updates impact our risk rating

The DeFi winter is thawing and ready for a hot bull summer. Our report dives into the current state of DeFi with the latest indicators signaling a market maturing towards rationality, efficiency, and heightened risk awareness.

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Fund your Exponential wallet on Polygon, Arbitrum, Avalanche or Ethereum. A true multi-chain wallet with Exponential.

Exponential co-founders Driss Benamour, Mehdi Lebbar, and Greg Jizmagian sat down with Packy McCormack to discuss the current crypto market, Exponential’s risk-first approach, and how to asses a digital risk-asset.

Exponential cofounders Driss Benamour and Mehdi Lebbar sat down with Anthony Pompliano to discuss Cefi vs Defi, smart contracts, regulation, bitcoin, and more. Anthony Pompliano is an American entrepreneur, investor, and host of The Pomp Podcast.

Secure your DeFi journey with Exponential's trusted, compliant investment solutions.

Understand your DeFi performance, don’t just track it. Check out Exponential’s new yield, performance, and exposure portfolio analysis.

Key DeFi trends in 3Q24

Understanding DeFi yield – lending, market making, and staking

Learn about the history of Bitcoin, why it is considered a store of value, and how to invest in BTC.

Learn about yield aggregators in DeFi, including how it works, the associated risks and advantages, and the top platforms in the space.

Learn about bridging in DeFi, including how it works, the associated risks and advantages, and the top bridging protocols in the space.

Learn about derivatives in DeFi, including how it works, the associated risks and advantages, and the top platforms in the space.

Learn about insurance in DeFi, including how it works, the associated risks and advantages, and the top insurance platforms in the space.

Learn about staking in DeFi, including how it works, the associated risks and advantages, and the top staking platforms in the space.

Learn about market making in DeFi and decentralized exchanges (DEXs), including how it works, the associated risks and advantages, and the top platforms in the space.

Learn about the power of DeFi lending, including how it works, the safety measures in place, and its advantages over traditional lending.

In this piece, we break down the Stablecoin Trilemma (decentralization, stability, and capital efficiency) and take a closer look at the biggest players, including fiat stablecoins like USDT and USDC, crypto-backed stablecoins like LUSD and DAI, as well as algorithmic stablecoins like FRAX.

Invest $1,000, hold it for 60 days and earn a $100 welcome bonus

The past year has been a wild ride for the crypto world, to say the least. Excessive leverage threw LUNA-UST into a death spiral. Major CeFi players like 3AC, Celsius, and BlockFi unraveled and became insolvent.

Lending and borrowing are cornerstones of finance, and DeFi is no exception – it just looks a little different.

In DeFi, code is law. But that doesn’t mean it’s foolproof. Here’s how to navigate risk in lending markets.

Bear markets can present rare opportunities to accumulate long-term holdings as well as generate yield — if you know how to find them. In this series, we will discuss a few strategies available to DeFi investors – ranging from simple passive ones to complex, active strategies.

Welcome to the second part of our series on how to navigate a crypto bear market. Whether you are an experienced crypto trader or just starting out, the strategies in this blog will help you make more informed, confident decisions so you can keep the bears at bay.

For the final installment of our bear market series, we will be discussing the most advanced DeFi investment strategies. These strategies come with a higher level of risk and complexity, but we will break them down into clear and easy-to-understand steps in order to demystify DeFi.

Learn about the evolution of Ethereum, why it is considered ‘ultrasound’ money, and how to invest in ETH.

Risk is the next frontier DeFi needs to conquer before the industry as a whole can progress.

Announcing our $14 million round led by Paradigm to build the investment platform that unlocks Decentralized Finance for all

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Recent protocol updates impact our risk rating

Recent protocol updates impact our risk rating

Discover how Exponential selects and vets pools to ensure they meet the highest standards for safety, compliance, and yield potential, giving you confidence in every investment opportunity.

From paycheck to DeFi in a breeze. Onramp to USDC for free at Exponential