In-depth analysis, tutorials, and insights from our research team
Hyperliquid is an exchange that owns its own chain, and HYPE is one of the few tokens in DeFi where fees genuinely reach holders. But the share reaching them has fallen from 94% to 74% in four quarters. Five revenue lines, three scenarios, and the one number the current price already assumes.
The standing answer to where DeFi yield is worth taking. Every position on the board carries a Safety Score, the mechanism that produces the yield, and the specific thing that would break it. Reviewed and revised every month; previous editions are archived.
A data-driven ranking of 100 smart contract auditors for DeFi in 2026, scored on verified client portfolios, in-scope incident history, and audit methodology.
Two ways to be 3x long BTC, identical price exposure, wildly different bills. One of them charges roughly 11% a year just for showing up — and half the time that fee has nothing to do with the market. Six years of funding and borrow data on which route to take, and the catch nobody mentions.
The second edition of our monthly yield guide — and the first to widen past stablecoins. Nine vetted positions across low, medium and high risk, plus points farming and a spot-accumulation case, each with its Safety Score and the exact thing that would break it.
A working guide to our DeFi Token Valuation screener — what each table shows, how to read it, and what every control does. Why a multiple means nothing until you check whether revenue reaches the holder, and why a headline 14% yield can still be negative once dilution is netted out.
Deposit, borrow, swap back, deposit again — but how many times? There is a limit, the market sets it rather than you, and if you already hold the money you can skip the whole ritual and open the identical position in one step. A plain-English walkthrough, no maths background needed.
Everyone pitches a faster chain, but nobody asks the harder question: does the dapp need the chain, or the chain need the dapp? Killer apps hold the leverage — and they increasingly build their own chains. Here's the framework I use before believing any new-chain hype.
GENIUS legitimized the dollar on-chain. The CLARITY Act is the second half — it decides who regulates everything the dollar trades against, hands stablecoin yield to venues like Pendle, and turns RWAs into a global gateway that finally lets non-US users reach markets they were locked out of. Here's how to trade it.
The DeFi Sentinel Research Academy is a library of independent research articles covering DeFi protocol risk analysis, rating methodology, stablecoin design, smart contract auditor rankings, and yield strategy walkthroughs. Free articles are open to all readers; advanced research is reserved for members.
Each protocol receives a 0-100 safety score weighted across five risk dimensions: Smart Contract & Technical Risk (30%), Economic Design & Market Risk (25%), Governance & Centralization Risk (20%), Sustainability & Competitive Position (15%), and Reputation & Social Trust (10%). The score maps to letter grades from AAA (highest safety) to CCC (highest risk).
Most articles are free, including the rating methodology, common DeFi risks, and starter guides. A subset of in-depth research (marked Member Only) requires a DeFi Sentinel Pro membership, which mints a soulbound ERC-1155 badge to the reader's wallet.
Foundational explainers are reviewed quarterly. Methodology updates, auditor rankings, and risk-event analyses are published as conditions change. Each article displays its publish date and a 'Last updated' field where applicable.
