defi

Domain infrastructure company D3 announced the launch of the Frontier Hyperliquid Vault, a membership program that provides participants with priority access to a new round of top-level internet domains. Nasdaq-listed Hyperion DeFi (NASDAQ: HYPD) is listed as the launch partner for the vault. D3 is a core contributor to the Doma Protocol and one of the few ICANN-accredited Web3 registrars, with investors including Paradigm.At the launch of the program, ICANN opened the second round of new top-level domain applications in internet history in August 2026, receiving over 1,600 applications covering suffixes such as .agent, .crypto, .wallet, .sol, .robot, and .hype is also included in this round of applications. The last expansion occurred in 2012, resulting in approximately 1,200 new top-level domains, which are now used by tens of millions of websites.The participation process is as follows: users deposit qualified assets with supported custodians on Solana and Hyperliquid to earn Frontier Points, and then gain priority in registering domain names by committing points before formal registration. As part of the initial commitment, Hyperion DeFi will receive a distribution of DOMA tokens in future potential token generation events based on incentive arrangements with the Doma Foundation. The Doma Protocol is a DNS-compatible blockchain aimed at tokenizing the domain market, which is valued at approximately $36 billion.

According to Cointelegraph, Coinbase's European policy director Katie Harries wrote that the proposed cryptocurrency asset regulatory rules by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) may require regulated platforms to execute customer orders only on trading venues authorized by the FCA, thereby restricting users' access to decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols through compliant platforms.Since decentralized protocols typically do not have entities that can apply for regulatory authorization, the relevant rules may lead to regulated platforms being unable to provide DeFi access services, effectively creating a ban. The related cryptocurrency regulatory system is expected to be implemented starting October 25, 2027.

According to the "X Layer Q3 2026 Fundamental Report" released by Principia Labs, the Ethereum Layer 2 network X Layer saw growth in on-chain activity and the scale of the DeFi ecosystem in the third quarter. Among them, TradeZone processed approximately 287 million transactions, which is 2.6 times the EVM transaction volume during the same period; the daily average number of EVM transactions increased by 262% month-over-month to 1.22 million.The report also shows that the total locked value in DeFi increased by 100% month-over-month to 173.4 million USD, and the revenue from ecological application transaction fees increased by 490% month-over-month to 1.86 million USD. The market capitalization of OKB increased by 53.8% month-over-month to 2.54 billion USD. Principia Labs believes that with the development of Exchange OS, X Layer is gradually forming a full-stack trading system covering on-chain transactions and DeFi applications.

The data analysis platform DefiLlama reported on Gate's latest reserve report for October 2026. The report shows that Gate's various reserve indicators performed impressively, highlighting its leading level in industry transparency construction.DefiLlama pointed out that, on the occasion of the launch of Gate Money two weeks ago, the latest disclosed reserve data from Gate shows that the total platform reserves have reached $8.688 billion, with customer net assets at $7.332 billion, and the overall reserve ratio has risen to 118.49%, continuing to stay above the 100% full reserve benchmark.In terms of core assets, the reserve of BTC is 25,727 coins, with a reserve ratio of 121.60%; the reserve of ETH is 449,042 coins, with a reserve ratio of 123.78%. Regarding stablecoins, the total platform reserves of USDT, USDC, USD1, and GUSD amount to $1.746 billion, with a comprehensive reserve ratio of 116.59%. Additionally, the reserve ratios for popular tokens such as GT, DOGE, and SOL have reached 129.00%, 106.76%, and 102.51%, respectively.Various asset classes maintain sufficient reserve coverage, reflecting Gate's long-term investment in asset reserve management and transparency construction, which also provides strong support for user asset security and the platform's long-term stable operation. The continuous growth of reserve scale and excess coverage also lays a solid foundation for the innovative business of financial integration at Gate Money.

The decentralized yield trading protocol Pendle announced the expansion of its one-click looping feature, now supporting yield-bearing assets and tokenized stocks.According to The Defiant, stock long positions on the Base network are realized through Aave loans. At the same time, fees for non-PT positions on PendleLoop will be waived until December 31.

The Cardano ecosystem's decentralized trading and yield protocol Genius Yield is gradually ceasing operations. Co-founder Lars Brünjes stated on October 22 that to address the issue of users being unable to withdraw assets normally, an independent open-source tool called Genius Zero has been developed.Genius Zero allows users to bypass the original backend servers of Genius Yield and directly use Cardano smart contracts to unstake, cancel DEX orders, and withdraw assets. The original DEX trading fees still flow to the address controlled by Genius Yield, and adjusting the fee rates requires the signatures of at least three of the four original founders, which has not yet received sufficient authorization.

Decentralized exchange Aerodrome Finance (AERO) and Velodrome announced their official merger, launching the on-chain spot exchange Aero, deployed on seven networks: Ethereum mainnet, Base, Robinhood Chain, Ink, OP Mainnet, Arc, and Arbitrum, aiming to integrate the existing businesses of the two DEXs into a unified platform. The exchange is developed by Dromos Labs.According to a statement released on Wednesday, Aerodrome accounted for 58% of DEX trading volume on Base in the third quarter, while Velodrome accounted for 60% on OP Mainnet, with Aerodrome leading all DEXs in Bitcoin-USD trading volume during the same period. The new exchange extends this model to seven networks, which collectively handle approximately $120 billion in DEX trading each month. Alex Cutler, founder and CEO of Dromos Labs, stated that Aerodrome and Velodrome prevailed because the model is more beneficial to users, bringing Aero to the largest market on-chain, with 100% of the revenue generated returned to users staking AERO.As part of the merger, existing AERO and VELO tokens will migrate to the new AERO token, with veAERO and veVELO converting to sAERO. Aero introduces a new economic system, with the core feature Predictive Allocation allowing participants to stake AERO and direct liquidity reward budgets to markets expected to generate returns. Additionally, Aero launches Metaswaps, connecting cross-network transactions using existing on-chain liquidity; the Slipstream V3 upgrade introduces a dynamic fee mechanism that increases fees during rapid market fluctuations and captures MEV on supported Layer 2 networks.

The decentralized trading and lending platform Dolomite announced that it has integrated $100 million worth of Bitcoin-backed collateral into its on-chain lending market through Concrete's BTCcx infrastructure, and has activated borrowing functionality based on this collateral.BTCcx is an on-chain token issued and managed by Concrete, representing the underlying Bitcoin held in qualified custody by BitGo, deployed on the Ethereum network. Concrete is responsible for the issuance and full lifecycle management of the token, and provides BTCcx as collateral for Dolomite's actively managed borrowing positions, allowing borrowing to be completed without the need to sell or move the underlying Bitcoin out of custody in advance.This deployment marks the expansion of the collaboration between Concrete and Dolomite from WLFI to Bitcoin, introducing another mainstream institutional asset into Dolomite's lending market through its AssetCX framework.

The Cardano Foundation calls on the European Union not to introduce new independent regulatory rules for DeFi and staking, advocating that existing financial laws should regulate based on the function and risk of activities rather than the technology used. The foundation outlined its 19-page opinion submitted to the European Commission on September 30 in a blog post released on Wednesday, urging a distinction between direct participation in decentralized networks and financial services provided by intermediaries, especially those involving the custody or control of user assets. The foundation stated that regulation should follow the substance of the activity, the functions performed, and the risks generated, rather than the technology relied upon to conduct the activity.The foundation pointed out that Cardano users can delegate native ADA tokens to help secure the network without relinquishing custody or locking up tokens, and this form of direct participation should be treated differently from staking services operated by intermediaries. The opinion also calls for a clearer distinction between the EU MiCA regulations and existing financial laws, warning that overlapping regulatory requirements and inconsistent interpretations among member states could create uncertainty for crypto businesses.This move comes as EU regulators consider expanding oversight of crypto services. In September, the European Securities and Markets Authority suggested adding additional safeguards for staking and lending activities and establishing a new category of regulated services for companies providing access to DeFi protocols. Additionally, the Cardano Foundation, along with five other blockchain organizations, sent a joint letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, urging it to formally recognize digital commodities as non-securities under the proposed crypto framework.

On October 21, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published Consultation Paper 26/36 titled "Guidance on the Regulatory Scope of Cryptoassets," which explains how to determine whether related activities require authorization when the business model involves a certain degree of decentralization.The FCA pointed out that the use of software, smart contracts, distributed ledger technology, distributed governance mechanisms, or other technological arrangements does not, by itself, determine whether there are regulated activities that require authorization. Automation merely describes the manner in which functions are executed and does not determine whether that function constitutes part of a regulated activity. The so-called "true DeFi" is not a statutory concept in the "Regulated Activities Order" or the "Cryptoasset Regulations"; the degree of decentralization is a continuum and does not constitute an independent or separate regulatory framework.At the same time, the FCA also published Guidance Consultation Paper 26/7, which explains how regulated firms should manage DeFi risks, focusing on operational resilience and financial crime risks, and provides examples of measures that firms may consider taking. Both consultation papers will close for comments on November 18, and the FCA plans to publish the final guidance in January 2027. Starting from October 25, 2027, the new regulations will bring new cryptoasset activities under regulatory oversight, and firms wishing to continue related business must submit authorization applications by February 28, 2027.

ARK Invest's Q3 2026 DeFi report shows that stock tokenization has become the main driving force behind the rebound in on-chain trading activity for the quarter. The trading volume of tokenized stock spot DEX reached approximately $50 billion, about 9 times that of the previous quarter, with its share of total spot DEX trading volume rising from about 1% to around 9%. Overall, DEX spot trading volume increased by approximately 13% quarter-over-quarter to $571 billion, marking the first growth in nearly four quarters.Robinhood Chain achieved approximately $65 billion in DEX trading volume and $51 million in network revenue in its first quarter, with network revenue nearing the level of BNB Chain during the same period. However, ARK expects that recent adjustments to the Gas mechanism will cause the chain's revenue to decline from current levels. The total supply of stablecoins decreased by about 3% quarter-over-quarter to $309 billion, but adjusted trading volume increased by approximately 16% quarter-over-quarter to $781 billion, with the number of monthly active addresses growing by about 39% to 73 million.In the perpetual contract DEX, there is a divergence between open positions and trading volume: the value of open contracts increased by about 76% quarter-over-quarter to $24 billion, while quarterly trading volume decreased by about 16% to $1.4 trillion. Among them, Hyperliquid's open contract value is about $13 billion, accounting for approximately 53%. ARK believes this indicates fewer but larger positions held for longer durations.

According to Bloomberg, financial executives have differing opinions on whether AI has become a bubble. Ken Griffin previously warned that AI investors are almost certainly in a bubble and should prepare for setbacks, stating that significant economic transformations are often accompanied by bubbles. Recently, the market has been concerned that the time it takes for the massive upfront capital expenditures in AI to translate into profits and productivity gains may be longer than expected. Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing stated that there is no reason to worry about a sharp reversal in asset prices in the short term; individual companies may face setbacks, but he does not believe the market is in a bursting bubble.Sewing distinguished between a bubble and ongoing volatility, mentioning geopolitical tensions. He stated that if the regulatory framework is appropriate, the industrial application of AI will become a century opportunity for Germany. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink advocated for accelerating the construction of AI data centers, warning that delays could threaten economic growth and exacerbate inflation due to high computing costs. He previously mentioned that AI faces a supply shortage, with demand growth exceeding expectations, and stated that the faster more data centers are built and more computing power is available, the quicker costs can be reduced.Federated Hermes Chief Investment Officer for Global Equities Steve Chiavarone said that investors worried about an AI bubble may be correct in their judgment, but it is several years too early; infrastructure still has several years of growth potential, after which the risk of overbuilding will become more pressing. The market is still differentiating which companies can secure funding and at what interest rates, which is contrary to the bubble period.Compared to the AI bubble, both Fink and Sewing view the fiscal deficit as a more pressing concern, especially as the AI industry competes with the government for investment funds. The U.S. fiscal deficit is nearing $2 trillion, and U.S. Treasury yields have risen to decades-high levels.Fink stated that the current level of capital competition is the highest he has seen in his career. Regarding the rising risk of French government bonds, Sewing said it cannot yet be called a debt crisis, but it serves as a warning for public finances, emphasizing the importance of budget discipline.

Ledger Wallet officially launches the Crypto Loan feature, allowing users to directly use the Morpho open credit network for lending operations within the Ledger Wallet. The core of this feature is that users can use Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) or cbBTC as collateral to borrow stablecoins such as USDC or USDT without selling their assets.This integration brings hardware-level security standards into the DeFi lending space. All lending activities are physically confirmed through Ledger Signer, ensuring that every on-chain interaction from deposit to loan has clear signatures and hardware-level security guarantees. During the lending process, users' collateral remains in Morpho's smart contracts, with Ledger acting solely as a technology provider.Morpho is an open credit network running on Ethereum and major Layer 2s, providing flexible lending markets through infrastructures like Morpho Blue and Morpho Midnight. This feature supports operations such as adding collateral, repaying, increasing loan limits, and withdrawals. It is important to note that this service uses floating interest rates and carries liquidation risks, and users should pay attention to the specific supported countries and lending terms.

The lending protocol Lido Lend proposed by contributors will launch a withdrawal mechanism called Fallback Exits. When the market lacks sufficient liquidity of loan assets, lenders can utilize the collateral of borrowers to supplement withdrawal requests, and the corresponding debt of the relevant borrowers will be reduced. The protocol was launched on October 7 as a modified fork of Morpho Blue, built around isolated markets.According to the proposal, the collateral of borrowers will be passively utilized in order of the highest position risk, meaning positions closest to the liquidation loan-to-value ratio (LLTV) will be prioritized, while borrowers with very healthy positions are less likely to be affected. Taking the ETH/wstETH market as an example, lenders provide ETH, and borrowers stake wstETH to borrow ETH; if exiting through collateral, lenders will first be exposed to the staked tokens before receiving ETH. The proposal does not specify the qualification thresholds for healthy loans or the path for lenders to obtain ETH.Contributor Izzy stated in a post on October 16 that technical specifications and market parameters will be announced in the next two weeks, and the governance process and public audit must be completed before the mainnet launch. Details such as settlement valuation, debt offset formulas, fees, and limits have yet to be determined.

The French Ministry of Finance, the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), the French Central Bank, and the Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) jointly proposed amendments to the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), requiring cryptocurrency platforms to take responsibility for customer losses when they actively provide access to DeFi protocols without reviewing the protocols or ignoring known security risks.The French side proposed that platforms review relevant protocols before providing DeFi access and continuously monitor for vulnerabilities and suspicious activities, while also supporting the certification of protocols and smart contracts. These requirements will apply comprehensively to significant Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP), with smaller platforms subject to proportionately adjusted obligations. France also proposed transferring the regulatory authority of significant CASPs from national regulators to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and lowering the current EU daily active user threshold of 15 million. Additionally, France suggested re-examining the category of Asset-Referenced Tokens (ART) and adjusting the Electronic Money Token (EMT) framework to cover multi-currency stablecoins.

The decentralized trading protocol of PancakeSwap, The Flip proposal, has entered the governance voting phase, accompanied by CAKE supply conditions. This proposal aims to allocate 88% of the trading fees from v3 and Infinity pools to liquidity providers, with the remaining 12% going to the protocol treasury, while the fee structure for v2 remains unchanged.In terms of token issuance, the proposal plans to reduce the daily CAKE issuance from 22,500 tokens to 7,000 tokens, a decrease of about 69%, equivalent to approximately 5.66 million newly minted tokens per year. The remaining 7,000 tokens per day will be allocated to an ecological growth fund named Pantry, which will be flexibly used by The Kitchen team for marketing, partnerships, and initial liquidity for new pools.If the vote passes, implementation will begin within two weeks after approval, lasting from November 2026 to the end of January 2027, completing in about three months and being announced chain by chain. This proposal is built upon the Tokenomics 3 framework passed in April 2025, aiming to reduce the supply by approximately 20% by 2030. PancakeSwap states that the supply has decreased by 11.5% over the past 18 months.

According to Token Terminal data, on the Base chain, the total scale of tokenized stocks issued by Coinbase deposited in various DeFi platforms is approximately 18.9 million USD, of which Aave V4 accounts for about 10.1 million USD, representing about 53%, making it the largest DeFi platform for such assets by locked value.