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Can the security gap with CeFi be closed?

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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DeFi Security Gap CeFi

Last updated: April 30, 2024 at 6:20 a.m. EDT | 4 minutes of reading

DeFi CeFi Security Gap

In the first quarter of 2024, DeFi lost $336 million to hacking and fraud, bringing the issue of security to the forefront. In the same period, centralized platforms were completely unscathed. Not a single incident.

According to a report from ImmuneThe overall figure represents a 23.1% decrease from the first quarter of 2023 – when DeFi’s losses from hacks and fraud totaled $437,483,543 – this figure nevertheless stands in stark contrast to the unblemished quarter of CeFi.

Hacks far outpaced fraud, accounting for 95.6% of losses. In total, losses were incurred in 61 specific incidents, including two major hacking incidents:Orbital bridge And Munchables— representing 43% of total losses for the quarter.

This tale of two approaches – and two outcomes – sets the stage for an urgent investigation into the future of decentralized finance. At the time of writing, there are more than 100 billion dollars in capital locked in DeFi protocols. This is a tempting attraction for unscrupulous hackers and fraudsters.

The natural question to ask is: amid the wave of innovation propelling the sector, can DeFi simultaneously evolve its security measures? Or will its inherent nature doom it to forever lag behind CeFi?

Open-Source and Permissionless: Strengths and Weaknesses of DeFi Security

The fundamental problem at the heart of DeFi’s security concerns lies in its very foundations: the open-source, permissionless nature of DeFi platforms and Web3 itself. These characteristics, which are at the heart of the ethos of transparency and inclusiveness, also expose platforms to a higher risk of exploitation. Web2’s ability to restore, shut down servers, and implement authorized systems enables a reactive, response-driven security approach. In contrast, the decentralized and permissionless nature of Web3 presents greater challenges.

Challenge open source essence implies that its underlying code is openly available for review by anyone. This transparency presents a notable vulnerability, allowing hackers to meticulously study the code at their convenience, identifying weaknesses and potential exploits. Unlike traditional financial institutions, which use proprietary technology and closely monitored systems, DeFi exposes its inner workings for all to see.

In addition, the appearance without permission of DeFi means that anyone can interact with the protocols and deploy new smart contracts without the need for rigorous vetting and approval processes. This low barrier to entry is, of course, a double-edged sword. On the one hand, this promotes innovation and accessibility, but it also allows bad actors to deploy malicious code and quickly exploit existing vulnerabilities.

In contrast, centralized institutions can rely on a combination of proprietary technologies and regulatory compliance to protect their assets. Their systems are much less publicly accessible, making it much more difficult for potential hackers to discover weaknesses. CeFi platforms further benefit from established security practices, such as regular audits, strict access controls and comprehensive monitoring. incident response plans – metrics that are often non-existent in the ever-evolving DeFi space.

Rapid innovation and security considerations

The ever-changing landscape of DeFi has triggered constant pressure to introduce new protocols and features, driving innovation within the ecosystem. Yet the imperative to scale quickly and gain an initial competitive advantage often overshadows consideration of security considerations.

The DeFi space is growing every day, with new protocols and integrations further expanding user options, but also expanding the scope of vulnerabilities. Above this precarious thread are billions of dollars of capital and a growing group of new users, who are taking their first steps into a new financial environment.

CeFi institutions are taking a slower, more deliberate approach. Backed by years of experience and established best practices in cybersecurity, CeFi platforms prioritize protecting client assets and maintaining system integrity, investing heavily in security measures. They also regularly undergo comprehensive security audits by independent third-party companies, often on an annual or semi-annual basis. Coinbase, for example, complaints have its systems and infrastructure audited by top security companies every quarter. CeFi platforms also tend to have well-established incident response plans and the ability to quickly freeze or recover assets in the event of a hack or breach.

The stark difference between the breakneck innovation of DeFi and the security-conscious approach of CeFi highlights a fundamental challenge facing decentralized finance. As new vulnerabilities are discovered and exploited, DeFi teams will continue to retroactively scramble to patch the issues, always leaving their platforms behind.

Closing the DeFi security gap

If DeFi does not integrate security into every phase of development, the constant exchanges between hackers and developers will persist, putting user funds and the integrity of the ecosystem at risk. This is why DeFi must undergo a fundamental change, ensuring that security is ingrained in every aspect, from crafting smart contracts to interface design.

A cultural and strategic transformation is necessary. Developers must put user protection first, investing in audits, bug bounty programs, and robust incident response plans. Although the emergence of a new generation of Web3-native security companies, harnessing the power of AI and blockchain analytics, offers some hope, their solutions remain unproven to large scale.

Significant and lasting improvements in DeFi security may not materialize in the near future, as the inherent trade-offs between decentralization, accessibility, and robust safeguards persist. The onus is on platforms to demonstrate a true commitment to security as a fundamental principle of their operations.

Only then can the ecosystem hope to bridge the growing security gap and build user trust. It may be these same users who ultimately make the difference, as they become more aware of the risks and demand higher standards from the protocols they interact with.

About Nikita Ovchinnik

Nikita Ovchinnik is the co-founder of DeFi Barter – a powerful exchange that settled $3.5 billion in on-chain volume. Nikita was also the first employee hired at 1Inch Network, taking one of the leadership positions as CBDO. He regularly speaks at conferences around the world, where he shares his expertise and ideas with other industry professionals.

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We are the editorial team of BlockChainGuardian, where seriousness meets clarity in cryptocurrency analysis. With a robust team of finance and blockchain technology experts, we are dedicated to meticulously exploring complex crypto markets with detailed assessments and an unbiased approach. Our mission is to democratize access to knowledge of emerging financial technologies, ensuring they are understandable and accessible to all. In every article on BlockChainGuardian, we strive to provide content that not only educates, but also empowers our readers, facilitating their integration into the financial digital age.

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DeFi

Cryptocurrency and defi firms lost $266 million to hackers in July

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Crypto companies, defi lost $266m to hackers in July

In July 2024, the cryptocurrency industry suffered a series of devastating attacks, resulting in losses amounting to approximately $266 million.

Blockchain Research Firm Peck Shield revealed in an X post On August 1, attacks on decentralized protocols in July reached $266 million, a 51% increase from $176 million reported in June.

The most significant breach last month involved WazirX, one of India’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, which lost $230 million in what appears to be a highly sophisticated attack by North Korean hackers. The attack was a major blow to the stock market, leading to a break in withdrawals. Subsequently, WazirX launched a program in order to recover the funds.

Another notable incident involved Compound Finance, a decentralized lending protocol, which suffered a governance attack by a group known as the “Golden Boys,” who passed a proposal who allocated 499,000 COMP tokens – valued at $24 million – to a vault under their control.

The cross-chain liquidity aggregation protocol LI.FI also fell victim On July 16, a hack resulted in losses of $9.73 million. Additionally, Bittensor, a decentralized machine learning network, was one of the first protocols to suffer an exploit last month, loming $8 million on July 3 due to an attack targeting its staking mechanism.

Meanwhile, Rho Markets, a lending protocol, suffered a $7.6 million breach. However, in an interesting twist, the exploiters research to return the stolen funds, claiming the incident was not a hack.

July 31, reports The Terra blockchain protocol was also hacked, resulting in a loss of $6.8 million across multiple cryptocurrencies. As crypto.news reported, the attack exploited a reentrancy vulnerability that had been identified a few months ago.

Dough Finance, a liquidity protocol, lost $1.8 million in Ethereum (ETH) and USD Coin (USDC) to a flash loan attack on July 12. Similarly, Minterest, a lending and borrowing protocol, saw a loss of $1.4 million due to exchange rate manipulation in one of its markets.

Decentralized staking platform MonoSwap also reported a loss of $1.3 million following an attack that allowed the perpetrators to withdraw the liquidity staked on the protocol. Finally, Delta Prime, another decentralized finance platform, suffered a $1 million breach, although $900,000 of the stolen funds was later recovered.



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DeFi

Centralized crypto exchanges are slowly losing ground to their DeFi counterparts

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Centralized crypto exchanges are slowly losing ground to their DeFi counterparts

Centralized crypto exchanges are slowly losing ground to their DeFi counterparts, according to an in-depth data analysis conducted by Decrypt.

DeFiLlama’s decentralized exchange (DEX) volume data and CoinGecko’s total cryptocurrency trading volume data show that the percentage of cryptocurrency trading volume occurring on DEXs relative to total trading volume has increased from 4.6% in February to over 7% this month. This is an increase in the share of trading volume driven by DEXs of over 52%.

Source: Adrian Zmudzinski

Kunal Goel, a senior research analyst at Messari, told Decrypt that several factors are fueling the growth in DEX market share. He cited “the growth of meme coins and long-tail assets” as one of the reasons, explaining that they tend to list first on DEXs and only appear on centralized exchanges much later.if they last that long.

“The onchain user experience has improved with low fees and high throughput on Solana and Ethereum L2,” he added, highlighting advancements making decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions increasingly easier to use.

DeFiLlama data further shows that over the past 24 hours, DEX volume accounted for 22% of total trading volume. The crypto price aggregator notes that this percentage is meant to represent the dominance of decentralized exchanges over aggregated decentralized exchanges and centralized exchanges.

So far in 2024, DEX volume has seen a slow and steady increase.

CEX and DEX trading volume increased from $133.5 billion in January to $179.5 billion this month, an increase of about 34%. The year-to-date high was recorded in March, when CEX and DEX volumes saw a sharp increase, reaching $4.8 trillion and $266.89 billion, respectively.

Goel noted that at the time, “Bitcoin hit new all-time highs in March and trading activity is generally positively correlated with price and sentiment.” Looking ahead, he expects centralized exchanges to move on-chain and disrupt their own business models before others can. He added that “Base and BNB Chain are the most prominent examples of this.”

TradingView also shows a DeFi market cap dominance chart, in percentage terms. Currently at 3.86%, it fell from 4.47% on January 1 and hit a 2024 high of 4.81% on February 25. Goel noted that this was unexpected since “DEX volumes are a key driver of DEX value, so it’s a bit contradictory.”

Challenge is an umbrella term for a group of financial tools built on a blockchain, including DEXs, exchanges that operate primarily on-chain. The primary goal of DeFi is to allow anyone with internet access to lend, borrow, and bank without relying on intermediaries.

Similarly, the main goal of DEXs is to allow anyone with internet access to trade or even provide liquidity in exchange for a stake. DeFi and DEXs are one of the main areas of focus in decentralized application (dapp) development, which have seen considerable adoption this year.

Edited by Stacy Elliott.

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DeFi

Pump.Fun Overtakes Ethereum in Daily Revenue: A New Leader in DeFi

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Pump.Fun Overtakes Ethereum in Daily Revenue: A New Leader in DeFi

In a remarkable turn of events, Pump.Fun, a memecoin launchpad, has surpassed all other platforms in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, achieving the highest gross revenue in the last 24 hours. According to data from DeFiLlama, Pump.Fun amassed $867,429 during this period, surpassing Ethereum’s $844,276. This achievement underscores the growing influence of memecoin infrastructure within DeFi.

Pump.Fun Revenue Milestones

The impressive revenue numbers go beyond daily performance. Pump.Fun is generating $315 million in annualized revenue, averaging $906,160 per day over the past week. This revenue surge is largely due to the recent memecoin frenzy, with Solana-based memecoins being particularly popular among on-chain enthusiasts. The platform’s user-friendly interface allows non-technical users to quickly launch their own tokens, spending as little as $2 without needing to provide any initial liquidity.

How Pump.Fun works

Pump.Fun’s operating model is designed to facilitate the use and rapid launch of tokens. Users can create new tokens in minutes, which are then allowed to trade along a bonding curve until they reach a market cap of approximately $75,000. At this point, the bonding curve is burned on Raydium, establishing a secure liquidity pool. The platform generates revenue through a 1% fee on transactions made on the platform. However, once a token is bonded and burned on Raydium, Pump.Fun stops charging this fee.

Ethereum: Traditional Power

Despite its daily revenues, Ethereum remains a cornerstone of the DeFi ecosystem. It is the blockchain of Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $395 billion. Ethereum powers many applications and digital assets, backing over $60 billion worth of smart contracts. Revenue generation on Ethereum is done through transaction fees, called gas, which are paid in ETH for executing transactions and smart contracts.

Comparative analysis of revenue models

While Ethereum’s revenue model relies on gas fees for transactions and smart contract executions, Pump.Fun takes a different approach. By enabling easy and low-cost token launches, Pump.Fun caters to a broad audience, including non-technical users. This inclusiveness, combined with the excitement surrounding memecoins, has led to rapid revenue growth. The 1% transaction fee ensures continued revenue generation until the token transitions to Raydium, creating a sustainable business model.

Memecoin frenzy

The recent rise in popularity of memecoins has been a major contributor to Pump.Fun’s success. Memecoins, particularly those based on Solana, have captivated the DeFi community, generating substantial activity on platforms like Pump.Fun. This trend highlights a shift in DeFi dynamics, where niche platforms catering to specific interests can achieve significant revenue milestones.

Future prospects

Pump.Fun’s recent successes suggest a potential shift in the DeFi landscape. As the platform continues to attract users with its simple token launch process and low-cost entry point, it could solidify its position as a leader in the DeFi space. The memecoin phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down, indicating that platforms like Pump.Fun could continue to see robust growth.

In conclusion, Pump.Fun’s ability to surpass Ethereum in terms of daily revenue underscores the evolving nature of the DeFi space. By providing a user-friendly platform for launching memecoins, Pump.Fun has tapped into a lucrative niche, demonstrating the potential for niche platforms to thrive alongside traditional blockchain giants like Ethereum. This development signals a broader trend toward diversification and innovation within the DeFi ecosystem, with new entrants challenging established players through unique value propositions and targeted services.

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$10 Billion Venture Firm May Target 10x Opportunities in Ripple (XRP) and This DeFi Token

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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$10 Billion Venture Firm May Target 10x Opportunities in Ripple (XRP) and This DeFi Token

According to recent reports, one of the largest venture capital firms is looking for new opportunities in the cryptocurrency space as Bitcoin (BTC) attempts to break its all-time high and start a new bull run in the cryptocurrency market. They are balancing risk with low-risk, low-reward and high-risk, high-reward opportunities.

The first investment candidate is a top cryptocurrency, Ripple (XRP); it doesn’t have much growth potential because it’s already a large cap. Another scenario the firm is targeting is DTX ExchangeThe new hybrid exchange is expected to revolutionize the foreign exchange industry. According to analysts, its growth potential is immense and the risk is also very limited due to its low price.

Market is bullish as Trump wants to make US a Bitcoin (BTC) superpower

Over the past 30 days, Bitcoin (BTC) has increased by about 10%, and one of the catalysts for this price increase has been Donald Trump recently speaking out as a crypto pro. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to make the United States the world leader in cryptocurrencies if elected in November. Speaking at the Bitcoin2024 conference in Nashville, Trump compared Bitcoin (BTC) to the steel industry of 100 years ago, highlighting its potential.

Trump’s plans include firing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and immediately creating a “Presidential Advisory Council on Bitcoin (BTC) and Cryptocurrencies.” He stressed the importance of American leadership in the cryptocurrency space, saying, “I am laying out my plan to ensure that the United States is the cryptocurrency capital of the planet and the Bitcoin (BTC) superpower of the world.”

$600 Million Worth of Ripple (XRP) to Be Released in August

Ripple (XRP), the company behind the XRP Ledger blockchain and its native token Ripple (XRP), unlocks up to 1 billion tokens on the first day of every month. Since 2017, they have used several major escrow wallets, including Ripple (XRP) (24) and Ripple (XRP) (25), to evenly distribute these monthly unlocks.

However, Ripple (XRP) often relocks a large portion of newly issued XRP. For example, on June 1, Ripple (XRP) relocked 800 million XRP but still sold about 300 million XRP, worth $182 million at the time.

While Ripple (XRP) releases up to 1 billion XRP tokens each month, the actual amount released into circulation is typically much lower due to this re-escrow process, as noted in a 2017 XRP Ledger blog post.

DTX Exchange Follows Bitcoin (BTC) Path

The main target of large private equity firms is the DTX exchange (DTX), the reason being a clearly high utility like Bitcoin (BTC). This project has attracted global attention thanks to its exceptional pre-sale performance, offering early buyers a 100% return on investment and raising over $1 million. Projections suggest that this figure will reach $2 million by the end of August 2024.

DTX Exchange offers a revolutionary hybrid trading platform, combining the best features of centralized (CEX) and decentralized (DEX) exchanges. Traders can enjoy a seamless experience with access to over 120,000 asset classes, no KYC verification upon registration and ultra-fast transaction speeds of 0.04 seconds.

These benefits have attracted traders to this new cryptocurrency exchange. Currently, in Phase 2 of its pre-sale, DTX Exchange is listed at $0.04, which is double its starting price of $0.02. Market analysts predict that the upcoming listing of DTX Exchange on the Level 1 CEX in late 2024 could trigger a 100x bullish rally, making DTX Exchange the top cryptocurrency exchange to watch.

Learn more:

Visit the DTX Presale

Read White paper

Join the DTX community

Disclaimer: The statements, views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily represent those of Crypto Reporter. Crypto Reporter is not responsible for the reliability, quality and accuracy of the materials contained in this article. This article is provided for educational purposes only. Crypto Reporter is not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Do your research and invest at your own risk.



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