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Glossary / DeFi (decentralized finance)

DeFi (decentralized finance)

DeFi is financial services such as trading, lending and saving run by smart contracts instead of banks.

Why it matters

Anyone with a wallet can use it, but there is no customer support if something goes wrong.

Compare DeFi yields

Related terms

Smart contractA smart contract is a program on a blockchain that runs exactly as written when its condit…DEX (decentralized exchange)A DEX lets you trade tokens straight from your wallet through smart contracts, with no acc…Total value locked (TVL)TVL is the value of crypto deposited in a DeFi protocol or chain.…

Related on VaultX

DeFi DNS hijack wave (Step Drainer) – 12 sites: DNS hijack hits 12 DeFi sites; Blockaid…Hack report · On Oct 30–31, 2026, at least 12 DeFi and token-launch websites were reportedly hit by a…FTX (FTX Trading / Alameda Research) collapse: FTX collapsed in Nov 2022; customer funds…Hack report · In early November 2022 FTX customers rushed to withdraw funds, the exchange paused withdrawals…Aave review: SolidReview · Long-running, shipping DeFi lender with audits and no enforcement action found; ecosystem risks…RHEA (Rhea Finance) review: MixedReview · Live NEAR DeFi hub with a real product, but a reported $18.4M April 2026 exploit and unproven…Where DeFi yield really comes from, and which yields to avoidGuide · Learn where DeFi yield comes from, why very high APYs often signal risk, and the red flags to…How to track smart money in crypto (and when not to copy it)Guide · Learn how to read crypto smart money data, spot crowded trades, and see when copying top traders…Smart moneyGlossary · Smart money is a nickname for traders and funds with a track record of profitable trades. Their…Smart contractGlossary · A smart contract is a program on a blockchain that runs exactly as written when its conditions are…

Written by the VaultX AI team. Educational only, not investment advice.

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