Welcome to Weekly Roundup, where our team of experts selects buzzworthy pools, news, and announcements for you to have on your radar.
Love is in the air, so which pools are we swiping right on, and which ones are we ghosting? Check out this week’s pool ratings and protocol reports to find your perfect Valentine. Let us be your crypto Cupid. 💘
Don’t forget to hit the ⭐ follow links below, so you don’t miss a thing.
The best of the best. These pools have no major red flags, offer a competitive yield, and are at the top of the class – earning an A or B risk rating. We’re definitely putting a ring on these cuties. 💍
- APR ~8%
- Exponential Risk Rating: B
- Yield source: Trading fees from cbETH-ETH volume and Ethereum validator rewards
- APR ~0.2% from lending (non-inclusive of cbETH staking APR of ~4%)
- Exponential Risk Rating: B
- Yield source: Interest earned for lending cbETH plus Ethereum validator rewards
- APR ~8%
- Exponential Risk Rating: B
- Yield source: Avalanche validator rewards
- APR ~44%
- Exponential Risk Rating: B
- Yield source: Curve fee sharing and re-invested CRV rewards
Check out the MVPs here.
New kid on the blockchain. We review thousands of DeFi investments to find the most attractive pools for you. Ah, is anything more exciting than a first date? 😍
- APR ~6%
- Exponential Risk Rating: C
- APR ~34%
- Exponential Risk Rating: D
- APR ~41%
- Exponential Risk Rating: D
- APR ~167%
- Exponential Risk Rating: D
Meet the new pools here.
Don’t degen too close to the sun. These pools have major red flags at either the chain, protocol, or asset level, with a high likelihood of being exploited or failing. These catfishes are up to no good. 🐈 🎣
- Exponential Risk Rating: D
- Exponential Risk Rating: F
- Exponential Risk Rating: F
- Exponential Risk Rating: F
Step into the danger zone if you must.
New protocol reports
Protocols can be a pain to keep up with – let us help. Our team finds the most interesting protocols and breaks down what you need to know and why they need to be on your radar. This week, we’re getting to know 3xcaliSwap a bit more. Might even introduce to our parents. 🏩
3xcaliSwap - an AMM built on Arbitrum based on Solidly code with key improvements
Demystifying DeFi: lending and money markets Vol II 🤝
Dodging risks while moving at the speed of DeFi is nearly impossible. Luckily, there is a solution. In our new post, we evaluate various DeFi lending protocols using Exponential’s Risk Framework, which distills thousands of risk vectors into a simple letter grade so investors can evaluate risk at a glance and make smart DeFi moves. Check it out.
Don’t miss our next episode of Degen Responsibly — Feb 15 @ 10 am ET
Overnight is joining us to talk about yield-generating stablecoins, how it differentiates from competitors, and related risks.
SEC cracks down on Kraken for US crypto staking services. Crypto exchange Kraken will immediately terminate its crypto staking platform for US customers after a $30M settlement with the SEC for offering unregistered securities. The exchange expects to automatically unstake any assets staked by US customers (excluding staked ETH). With centralized services under scrutiny, liquid staking derivatives are looking like a strong alternative. 👀
Here we go again — failed crypto fund launches new exchange. Co-founders of Three Arrows Capital, Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, have launched OpenExchange, a new exchange to trade bankruptcy claims including those for their own firm. OpenExchange will enable claims on bankrupt firms like Celsius, Voyager, and BlockFi, among others. The idea is creditors or investors can sell their claims at deep discounts to recompensate a portion of their losses, while buyers expect to eventually cash out the claims for a profit at a later date. BTW the 3AC co-founders raised another $25M for the new exchange.
Lido looks to broaden its range of node operators. The largest decentralized liquid staking protocol, Lido, is betting on its V2 upgrade to address critics of its approach to decentralization. Currently, a few node operators are chosen by the Lido DAO. However, a potential fix has emerged that will allow Lido to use a wider range of node operators without seeking DAO approval. V2 will feature a Staking Router, which leverages mechanics like distributed validator technology, bonding, and reputation scoring, to introduce permissionless entry into the validator set. Stay on the lookout for Lido V2 this spring before the Shanghai upgrade. 💪
Coming soon – investing on Exponential
Accredited investors will soon be able to invest in DeFi liquidity pools across major chains directly on our custodial platform.