Pilot Using XRP To Settle Corporate Debts and Credits in Japan Hits New Milestone

Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings and crypto startup FXcoin Ltd.

Argentinean Startup Accelerator Launches Crypto Mining Farm in Mar Del Plata

The Technological District of Mar del Plata, Argentina, will host a massive crypto mining operation backed by a domestic startup accelerator.

Thailand’s largest movie theater chain accepts Bitcoin

Major Cineplex Group is starting to accept Bitcoin as part of a crypto pilot project. Major Cineplex Group, the largest operator of movie theaters in Thailand, has reportedly enabled some of its customers to buy tickets with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). According to a Thursday report by local news agency Siam Rath, Major Cineplex has announced the launch of its cryptocurrency payment pilot project in a move to support innovation and new technologies. In order to unlock the new payment option, the company has partnered with local crypto exchange Zipmex and lo digital payment startup RapidZ. Major Cineplex debuted the new feature at Bangkok’s Major Cineplex Ratchayothin movie theater on March 4, allowing customers to buy tickets with Bitcoin via RapidZ by scanning a QR code.

Crypto Tax Compliance Startup Taxbit Raises $100 Million, Targets International Expansion

US crypto tax compliance startup Taxbit has raised $100 million in a Series A funding round led by investment firms Paradigm and Tiger Global.

PayPal in Talks To Buy Crypto Storage Startup Curv for Around $500 Million, Reports

According to several reports, PayPal wants to go one step further on its crypto services, and is buying a crypto storage startup for $500 Million.

US crypto tax startup TaxBit to channel $100M raise into UK expansion

Utah-based startup TaxBit prepares to provide global crypto-oriented tax expertise with a newly raised $100 million. Major cryptocurrency tax compliance startup TaxBit has raised $100 million as it expands into Europe. According to a March 3 blog post, TaxBit has secured the funds in Series A round led by Paradigm and Tiger Capital.

Sports Token Startup Chiliz Invests $50 Million in US Expansion

CEO Alexandre Dreyfus outlines ambitious plans for a five-fold increase in fan tokens in 2021. 

Sensitrust Rewards Liquidity Providers via GYSR.io Following Uniswap Listing

[PRESS RELEASE – Please Read Disclaimer] Sensitrust LTD is a hi-tech startup incorporated in the United Kingdom, that is implementing an online platform where customers and professionals get in touch, strengthen their network, make deals, and design new projects, in a totally remote environment.

Defi on Bitcoin Cash Gets a Boost- Smart Money Startup General Protocols Raises $3 Million from Investors

On March 1, the startup General Protocols announced the company has raised $3 million in a Series A financing round led by a number of strategic investors.

After XRP and Litecoin, Flare Plans To Bring Smart Contract Functionality to Stellar

Ripple-backed blockchain startup Flare Networks is announcing its plans to integrate Stellar Lumens (XLM) into its smart contract platform.

Blockchain soccer gaming startup Sorare raises $50M

Sorare has raised $50 million in a Series A round, bringing its total funding to $60 million. Sorare, a major blockchain-based soccer gaming platform, has raised $50 million from high-profile investors backing major companies like Twitter, Instagram and Discord The fresh Series A round brings Sorare’s total funding to $60 million, the company told Cointelegraph Thursday. The funding round was led by Benchmark, an investment giant famous for funding companies like Twitter, Uber and Snap.

Bitcoin Startup BottlePay Raises $15 Million in Seed Funding

Bottlepay, a Bitcoin wallet and payments app, has raised £11 million ($15 million) in a seed funding round.

Stablecoin RAI launches, a pure, decentralized alternative for DeFi

The RAI stablecoin will attempt to bring stability to DeFi markets with the long-term goal of becoming a stable global reserve asset not tied to any nation’s currency. New Ethereum-backed stablecoin RAI hopes to be the savior of the DeFi sector by providing a truly decentralized stablecoin alternative.  Developed by blockchain startup Reflexer Labs, RAI is not pegged to any fiat currency and its monetary policy is managed by an on-chain, autonomous controller.

Enterprise blockchain of today: While some fail, others show potential value

Enterprise blockchain startup Insolar ceases operations, but what went wrong? While the price of Bitcoin (BTC) continues to reach record-breaking all-time highs, the hype around enterprise blockchain adoption may seem like it’s dwindling.  Enterprise blockchain started gaining traction in 2017 when Bitcoin’s price hit a high of nearly $20,000.

The Bahamas gets a card for its sand dollar national digital currency

The Central Bank of the Bahamas partnered with Mastercard and digital payment startup Island Pay to launch a card for its central bank digital currency. The Bahamas is moving to make its national digital currency more accessible by launching a prepaid card for the “sand dollar.” The Central Bank of The Bahamas has partnered with global payment giant Mastercard and local payment startup Island Pay to create a card that supports the sand dollar central bank digital currency. According to a Wednesday announcement, the card is running under a new program from Mastercard and Island Pay, allowing users to convert the digital currency to traditional Bahamian dollars and pay for goods and services.

Crypto Wallet Startup Blockchain.com Raises $120M From Investors Including Google Ventures

Blockchain.com said the institutional backing will power an increasingly institutional-minded business.

Celsius Network, Argo Blockchain Back Pre-Seed Round for Bitcoin Mining Startup

Luxor Technologies will use the funds to expand its hashrate and hire more engineers.

Why your startup can benefit by copying Tesla and MicroStrategy

Leo Polovets of Susaventures mentioned in a curious tweet today that he increasingly feels that startups would benefit from copying Tesla and MicroStrategy by putting a fraction of their cash into Bit The post Why your startup can benefit by copying Tesla and MicroStrategy appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Bitcoin Bull Market Sentiment Is Sparking New Blockchain Startup Deals

The evolving and promising blockchain applications are emerging in parallel to technological advancements, enhancing customer experience and utilizing digital assets.

Payments Startup Celo Raises $20M From a16z, Electric Capital

Celo offers a blockchain payments platform using customers' cellphone numbers to secure their public keys.

7 Challenges Facing Fintech Startup and Their Solutions

The text below is an advertorial article that was not written by Cryptonews.com journalists. FinTech startups seek to provide the consumer as well as businesses varied options when it comes to money management.

Growing list of billion-dollar crypto ‘unicorns’ suggest the best is yet to come

More than 53 blockchain projects have emerged as multi-billion dollar market cap crypto unicorns, a signal that the 2021 bull market is just getting started. In the traditional investing world ‘unicorn’ is a term used by venture capitalists to describe a privately held startup valued at more than $1 billion.  Typically these startups have strong fundamentals and oftentimes a first-mover advantage that helps them rapidly rise in value to become prized investment opportunities for yield-seeking funds.

You Can Soon Win Bitcoin by Playing Counter-Strike

Crypto startup ZEBEDEE will roll out CS:GO servers that let players of Valve’s popular PC shooter win BTC through competition.

Crypto Startup Metal Pay Files for National Bank Charter

Metal Pay's "First Blockchain Bank and Trust" would be FDIC-insured, CEO Marshall Hayner told CoinDesk.

Bitcoin Startup Casa Raises $4M Led by Fidelity-Linked Avon Ventures

Coinbase Ventures also joined the round.

NFT Marketplace Rarible Closes $1.75M Seed Raise From 1kx, Coinbase Ventures

The startup will use the funds to build a DAO governance structure.

Visa reaffirms commitment to crypto payments & fiat on-ramps

The payments giant is bullish on stablecoins, but may be overlooking the potential of DeFi During the Visa Q1 earnings call on Thursday, chairman and CEO Al Kelly devoted a portion of his comments to reaffirming the financial giant’s commitment to crypto payments and onramps, as well as explaining “how Visa thinks about crypto in general and our approach.” The financial services firm with over $72 billion in assets as of 2019 has been aggressively pursing crypto payments as of late, including by way of partnerships enabling crypto debit cards, and investing Zap, a crypto payments startup.

Crypto Exchange Operator Affiliate to Launch Blockchain Genome Platform

An affiliate of the Japanese crypto player and securities giant Monex Group is set to make use of a new blockchain technology-based platform as part of an ambitious genome research project. Per a press release, Genex, a Tokyo-based startup founded last year that is 40% owned by Monex, is looking to build a comprehensive health platform using blockchain technology.

FINDORA Research Foundation Grants 2 Million to LZMicro

[PRESS RELEASE – Please Read Disclaimer] FINDORA announced the investment in the startup LZMicro in the amount of two million US dollars, as part of its strategic investment to achieve the expansion of its fast-growing ecosystem.

DeFi Exchange Startup dYdX Raises $10 Million in Series B

Three Arrows Capital and DeFiance Capital led the round.

Coinbase Backs $2 Million Seed Round in Insurtech Firm Nayms

Insurtech startup Nayms has closed a £1.5 million ($2 million) seed round led by XBTO.

CoinMetro Raises €2.5M to Fuel the Growth of Their NextGen Fintech Platform

Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that was not written by Cryptonews.com. CoinMetro, a fintech startup based in the unicorn breeding ground of Tallinn Estonia, has raised €2.5M in their tokenized bond offering.

Coinbase Buys Blockchain Infrastructure Startup Bison Trails

Bison Trails already partnered with Coinbase through its custody service.

Crypto startup Amber Group raises $530 million AUM as institutions, retail arrive

The crypto-finance company reported a 275% annual increase in assets under management in 2020.

New ‘market fear’ index lets traders bet on crypto volatility

COTI’s new Crypto Volatility Index allows traders to profit from highly-volatile cryptocurrency markets. COTI, a blockchain-powered fintech startup, has launched a new cryptocurrency index enabling traders to profit from the market volatility. The new Crypto Volatility Index, or CVI, brings the traditional “market fear index” to the crypto market, allowing users to deposit and open positions with Tether (UDST). Gibraltar-based COTI explained that the new index allows traders to open CVI positions for high and low volatility.

Algorithmic asset experiments continue to entice traders & developers

On the frontiers of algorithmic assets, trading isn’t the only activity that will raise your heartrate As the team behind Morph.Finance can attest, developing an algorithmic stablecoin project can be every bit as frustrating and thrilling as investing in one.  While algorithmic assets have retreated from mid-December marketcap highs, the space has nonetheless continued to attract intrepid investors and developers aiming to position themselves at the forefront of a new financial vertical — though it remains an open question if such projects will ever achieve stability.

Bitcoin Startup Ramp Expands to US and Canada

Residents of the United States and Canada now can buy Bitcoin, Etherum, USDC, and DAI via Ramp’s platform.

Crypto Futures Exchange Bakkt Going Public at a Valuation of $2.1 Billion

Bitcoin futures exchange Bakkt is going public via a merger with VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) created for taking startup firms public.

Shanghai Government Invests $5M in Blockchain Startup Conflux

The Shanghai government has invested over $5M in public permissionless blockchain startup Conflux while putting the project in the list of 57 companies that focus on emerging technologies such as 5G and aerospace.

Binance Partners With Orbs Blockchain to Launch a DeFi Accelerator

An Israeli blockchain startup and Binance have partnered to launch a new initiative aiming to support new projects within the DeFi space.

Eligma Raises Additional €4 Million Equity Investment at €50 Million Valuation

PRESS RELEASE. Crypto payments startup Eligma has announced it recently completed a new funding round of €4 million at a €50 million valuation.

Coinbase Acquires Routefire to Beef Up Institutional Bitcoin Offering

Leading US crypto exchange Coinbase has acquired trade execution startup Routefire.

Strike Visa Cards To Launch in US, EU, and UK Within First Half of 2021

Jack Mallers. Source: Twitter/@JackMallers Strike, a popular bitcoin (BTC) banking service by US-based Bitcoin Lightning startup Zap, aims to have their Strike Cards rolled out in countries on two continents in the first half of 2021. Per the rollout plan as presented by Zap founder Jack Mallers, Strike will be issuing the Strike Card in the US already in Q1 2021.

Visa-backed Bitcoin startup to launch Lightning-based global payments app

Zap is announcing Strike Global, a Bitcoin payments app for global remittances. Zap, a Lightning Network payments startup backed by Visa through its Fintech Fast Track program, announced on Jan.

PayPal, Coinbase Invest in Crypto Tax Automation Startup TaxBit

PayPal Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and Winklevoss Capital invested an undisclosed amount in the firm.

Dfinity’s $10 Billion ‘Internet Computer’ Finally Launches

The startup raised $195 million in 2018 from the likes of Andreessen Horowitz and Polychain Capital.

Bitcoin Lightning Startup Zap Goes Global, Adding Multiple Fiat Pairs, Stablecoins

Visa partner Strike is adding support for multiple fiat currency pairs plus stablecoins as part of its journey to become a “Bitcoin neo-bank.”

Ripple Faces New Lawsuit While Institutional Giant Removes XRP From Large Cap Fund

Payments startup Ripple is facing a fresh lawsuit from a multi-billion-dollar asset manager.

Ghanaian Startup Bitsika Africa Processed $40 Million in Crypto Remittances in 2020, up 3,900% Year-on-Year

Bitsika Africa, a crypto startup operating out of Ghana and Nigeria, said Monday that it processed almost $40 million in remittances in 2020, up from just under $1 million the previous year.

Ripple Says ‘Countless Innocent XRP Retail Holders’ Affected by SEC’s Lawsuit

Ripple is addressing the impact that the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) case against the payments startup has had on the cryptocurrency XRP.

SEC Lawsuit: Tierion to Refund Investors From Its $25 Million Token Sale

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken action against another startup in the crypto space for selling unregistered securities.

Crypto Startup Backed by Binance Launches Airdrop of New Ethereum-Based Asset

A startup backed by Binance Labs is launching an airdrop featuring a new Ethereum-based crypto asset.

Waves Enterprise and Conflux partner to promote hybrid blockchain adoption

Waves Enterprise and Conflux Network are working together to enable companies in Asia to adopt hybrid blockchain data storage protocols. Corporate blockchain solutions provider Waves Enterprises has partnered with Chinese decentralized ledger technology (DLT) startup Conflux Network to boost hybrid data transactions in permissioned networks.

XRP Likely to Plunge towards $0.20 as SEC Woes Rattle Investors

XRP has seen some incredibly bearish price action as of late, with the selling pressure seen over the past 48 hours coming about due to news surrounding the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple – the San Francisco-based FinTech startup that is closely tied to the cryptocurrency.

Flare to Distribute 45,827,728,412 Spark Tokens to XRP Holders

The Ripple-backed crypto startup Flare is tracking how many Spark tokens it will airdrop to XRP investors in the first half of 2021.

A lifetime in 24 Tweets: The rise of Inverse.Finance

"I felt like I wanna do things my way for once," says solo developer Nour Haridy. Consisting of 24 Tweets over a 48-hour period, Inverse.Finance’s social media presence reads like a decentralized finance (DeFi) startup story in hyperdrive.  Over the course of its short life the fledgling protocol has already attracted $4.3 million in total value locked (a figure that seems to be rising as fast as solo developer Nour Haridy can raise the hardcap), luring depositors with the promise of passive ETH gains on DAI — gains powered by permissioned early access Yearn.Finance’s forthcoming, yield-bearing v2 vaults.

Crypto Traders Can Now Buy Bitcoin and Ethereum With Apple Pay – Here’s How

The crypto startup Lumi is making it possible for anyone who uses Apple Pay to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum and a long list of altcoins.

S&P, State Street Lead $15M Investment in Crypto Data Startup Lukka

Lukka is looking to go mainstream with a strategic investment from three stalwarts of traditional finance.

3 Bullish News For Bitcoin From Fidelity, JPMorgan & Microstrategy + More

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news. Bitcoin news Fidelity Digital Assets (FDA) will allow its institutional customers to pledge bitcoin (BTC) as collateral against cash loans in a partnership with blockchain startup BlockFi, Bloomberg reported, citing

Crypto Startup BitPay Files to Become Federally Regulated US Bank

Crypto payments firm BitPay has filed to become a national bank in the US, according to a Dec.

Nigeria’s Yellow Card Processes $165 Million in Crypto Remittances So Far This Year

Nigerian crypto startup Yellow Card says it processed over $165 million in volume during the first eleven months of this year.

Streamix.io Launches High Yield APY DeFi Farming on ValueDeFi.io

PRESS RELEASE. Streamix.io, a crypto currency DeFi startup and social media platform for streaming and gaming, partnered with ValueDeFi.io, which allowed Streamix to be one of their first cryptocurrency projects to use their FaaS (Farming-as-a-Service) platform and drive more value.

Visa Partners With Crypto Startup Circle, Will Allow Credit Card Issuers to Use Stablecoin USDC for Payments

Visa is partnering with US Dollar Coin (USDC) issuer Circle Internet Financial to integrate USDC payment methods with Visa credit cards.

Million-dollar startup taps Algorand to fight climate change

Climatetrade will launch its marketplace for carbon offsetting on the Algorand blockchain. Blockchain marketplace Climatetrade will be building its new CO2 carbon offsetting platform on Algorand, a top-50 cryptocurrency project that is gunning for scalability and transactional performance.  Climatetrade announced Wednesday that it has selected the Algorand blockchain to power its carbon offsetting marketplace, which is designed to help organizations achieve CO2 neutrality — a key pillar in the fight against climate change.

MXC to Launch Polkadot Parachain to Power Smart Cities Across Asia

MXC Foundation, a Berlin-based startup creating the data transmission infrastructure for tomorrow’s cities, is to launch a Polkadot parachain.

SBI Holdings Testing XRP-Based Payments Platform and Use of Digital Asset in Trillion-Dollar FX Market

Cryptocurrency startup FXcoin Ltd.

Ideaology’s IDEA Token – Uniting Freelancers and Startup Innovators

PRESS RELEASE. The term “ecosystem” flies on the radar within the blockchain and business development industries nowadays.

Flare Posts XRP Utility Fork Update, Warns Some Must Move Their Crypto to Receive Airdrop

Smart contract startup Flare says some XRP investors will need to take action to ensure they receive their fair share of the upcoming Spark token airdrop.

Bitcoin and Crypto Now Buy Pizza and Wings at All Pizza Hut Locations in Venezuela

Pizza Hut is now accepting cryptocurrency payments at all locations in Venezuela through a partnership with Panamanian crypto payments startup Cryptobuyer.

Ripple Is Cashing Out a Third of Its Stake in Surging MoneyGram

It is the first such sale of MoneyGram stock since the startup invested in the remittance giant in 2019.

Bitcoin Startup Lolli Teams Up With eBay to Bring BTC Rewards to 127 Million Users

Bitcoin rewards startup Lolli is teaming up with eBay to give its 127 million users a chance to get their money back in BTC when they shop on eBay’s marketplace.

US Grants Crypto Startup Circle Authority to Use Stablecoin in Venezuela

Stablecoin (USDC) issuer Circle is partnering with the US government, crypto exchange Airtm, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiadó, to attempt to deliver some much-needed relief in the form of USDC directly to Venezuelans.

Blockchain Infrastructure Firm BSN Adds Polkadot, Oasis, Bityuan to Network

China’s state-sanctioned blockchain infrastructure provider BSN is adding cross-chain protocol Polkadot, decentralized cloud data startup Oasis and China-based project Bityuan to its network.

Ripple-Backed Startup Pushing to Bring XRP to $140 Billion Gaming Industry Announces Slew of Partnerships

Ripple-backed Forte is revealing a slew of new partnerships in its push to bring blockchain technology and XRP to the $140 billion video game industry.

Finance Platform Backed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Launching Crypto Trading Services in Africa

Chipper Cash, a fintech startup, is expanding its products to include crypto trading services in Africa after raising $30 million worth of funds and getting the support of billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist Jeff Bezos.

TrustSwap Leverages its Escrow and Time-lock Services to Build a Startup Launchpad

In recent months, a new DeFi upstart has been making a name for itself in the cryptocurrency arena.

Blockchain Startup Raises $12M Series A to Turn Brands Into Cellular Networks

Blockchain startup OXIO raised a $12 million Series A to make “Telecom-as-a-Service” as common as SaaS.

AdEx Begins Community Governance with Vote on Token Staking Rewards

Decentralized advertising startup AdEx has invited its community to participate in the governance of the platform.

Crypto-friendly Telecom Startup Raises $12 Million in Series A

OXIO isn't trying to shoehorn in cryptocurrency to impress investors.

MakerDAO Loans Can Be Gamed to Hold Out Funds From Liquidation, Startup Finds

A loophole in MakerDAO’s collateralized debt market enables positions to be closed far more leniently than intended due to an oversight in the auction process.

Shifting Tides in US Blockchain Regulation May Signal Brighter Days Ahead

You don’t have to go far to find a blockchain startup that is flying blind due to a lack of regulatory clarity in the United States.

Crypto Startup Wants to Break Chainlink’s Grip on Oracle Market

API3 wants to be the next big thing in providing off-chain data.

‘Bitcoin Undo’ Button Comes to Ethereum Blockchain

Developed by Israeli blockchain startup Kirobo, the service allows users to revert their ETH transactions.

African Startups Should Tokenize to Break Biased Funding Cycles

Startup capital in Africa still favors foreign founders at the expense of homegrown projects.

3 Major Reasons Why Chainlink (LINK) Could Fall by 25%

As a startup, Chainlink solves a significant obstacle that concerns transferring data between blockchains and the real world.

Ripple Joins Business Alliance Advocating ‘Safe and Accessible’ US Election

Blockchain payments startup Ripple has joined an alliance comprising of almost 1,000 major US companies and CEOs calling for calm and fairness in Tuesday's presidential election.

Flare Says XRP Ledger Will Enter $10 Billion Market With Launch of Smart Contract Integration

A senior executive at the crypto startup and Ripple partner Flare says the XRP Ledger is poised to dive into a new realm with the launch of smart contract integration.

DeFi Trading App Dharma Now Connects Directly to US Bank Accounts

The startup for trading in decentralized finance (DeFi), Dharma, has now enabled automated clearing house (ACH) purchases in 10 US states.

Crypto Startup Avanti Receives License To Operate as National Bank in Wyoming

Crypto startup Avanti Financial Group has been granted a license to offer banking services by the Wyoming State Banking Board.

US Charges Stanford Crypto Group Director With Defrauding His Former Employer – the Fed

Lawrence Rufrano allegedly hid his work at Stanford and blockchain startup Factom from disability benefits regulators.

Casa Rolls Out ‘Bank-to-Wallet’ Bitcoin-Buying Services for US Customers

The cryptocurrency custody startup announced on Thursday that users will now be able to buy bitcoin (BTC) on the Casa app using their bank accounts.

This Paradigm-Backed Startup Is Offering DeFi’s First ‘T-Bill’

Newly launched DeFi lending project Yield Protocol is offering stable interest rates for investors.

This Document Highlights Why Ripple, the Largest Holder of XRP, Is Eyeing Move to United Kingdom

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says the payments startup is analyzing whether to relocate the company’s headquarters to the United Kingdom.

CasperLabs Raises $14M From Launch-Day Node Runners

Blockchain startup CasperLabs has banked $14 million from investors who pledged to secure its proof-of-stake Casper network at launch.

Kik’s Prospective Settlement With SEC Boosts KIN’s Value

Following the release of the proposed settlement between the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Canadian social media startup Kik Interactive, the latter’s cryptocurrency rallied, spurring optimism over the future of the instant messenger service and its crypto-related activities.

ETC Cooperative, IOHK publish analysis on preventing 51% attacks

Blockchain research and development startup IOHK, and Ethereum Classic Cooperative today announced a collaboration to provide ETC community with solutions that aimed to improve security of the network The post ETC Cooperative, IOHK publish analysis on preventing 51% attacks appeared first on AMBCrypto.

Tech Startup Using Chainlink to Record US Election Results on the Blockchain

Tech startup Everipedia is teaming up with the Associated Press to sign and distribute election results on the blockchain using distributed oracle network Chainlink (LINK).

Total Value of All Ethereum Assets Surpasses Staggering $100,000,000,000

The total value of all assets in the Ethereum ecosystem has breached $100 billion dollars, according to the blockchain database startup Messari.

How the DeFi Craze Made Its Way to China

DeFi is booming in China, with startups adapting and building on popular western projects within the nation's active crypto economy.

Crypto Startup Brings 401k-style Automated Investing to DeFi

Compound or Maker? Aave or Uniswap? A new platform, Vesper, spreads investors' money across a range of platforms so they don’t have to keep up with individual DeFi protocols.