MKT

Topic

DeFi

Everything we have published on DeFi.

9 pieces on DeFi

Token approvals: the permission that drains wallets
Guides

Token approvals: the permission that drains wallets

Most self-custody losses are not break-ins. They are permissions the owner granted, on a page that looked right, and never took back.

Theo Walsh·Sep 15, 2026·8 min
DeFi lending TVL tops its prior-cycle high as real-world collateral expands
DeFi

DeFi lending TVL tops its prior-cycle high as real-world collateral expands

Total value locked in DeFi lending has climbed past its previous cycle peak, but the headline number hides a structural shift: a growing share of that collateral now lives off-chain, changing the risk in ways TVL was never built to show.

Ethan Brooks·Jun 10, 2026·7 min
Restaking protocol caps new deposits amid concentration concerns
DeFi

Restaking protocol caps new deposits amid concentration concerns

A leading restaking protocol has paused new deposits, a defensive move that spotlights the correlated-slashing and concentration risks lurking beneath one of DeFi's fastest-growing designs.

Ethan Brooks·May 29, 2026·6 min
Decentralized exchanges capture a growing share of spot volume
DeFi

Decentralized exchanges capture a growing share of spot volume

On-chain venues are steadily taking spot-trading business that centralized exchanges once dominated. The mechanics of automated market makers, plus self-custody and open listing, explain why, and reveal what the shift costs traders.

Ethan Brooks·May 20, 2026·6 min
A liquid staking token briefly depegs, then recovers
DeFi

A liquid staking token briefly depegs, then recovers

A liquid staking token slipped below the value of the assets backing it, then snapped back within hours. The wobble was a liquidity event, not an insolvency, and knowing the difference is the whole story.

Ethan Brooks·May 11, 2026·7 min
The case against chasing yield: where DeFi returns really come from
DeFi

The case against chasing yield: where DeFi returns really come from

Every double-digit DeFi yield is a bill for a risk someone decided you should carry. Here is how to trace where the money actually comes from, and how to tell a real return from dilution in disguise.

Ethan Brooks·May 2, 2026·10 min
How to read on-chain data for market timing: a beginner’s map
Markets

How to read on-chain data for market timing: a beginner’s map

On-chain data reveals what crypto holders actually do, not what they say — and it describes the market rather than predicting price. A beginner's map to reading it well.

·Apr 26, 2026·12 min
The MEV problem, explained without the jargon
DeFi

The MEV problem, explained without the jargon

Every on-chain trade passes through an invisible auction that decides how much value gets extracted from it. Here is how block-ordering power works, and how to defend against it.

Ethan Brooks·Apr 17, 2026·11 min
What restaking is, and the risk nobody likes to mention
DeFi

What restaking is, and the risk nobody likes to mention

Restaking lets the same staked ETH secure many services at once. The capital efficiency is real, and so is the correlated, systemic risk it quietly threads through DeFi.

Ethan Brooks·Apr 5, 2026·11 min
DeFi · ChainWatch Daily