| Asset Management refers to protocols that actively manage user capital on-chain. These applications automate investment strategies, optimize yield, construct on-chain indexes, or maintain diversified token baskets. Asset management platforms may utilize smart contracts to rebalance portfolios, deploy assets across DeFi protocols, or provide structured products such as leveraged farming or yield aggregation. | Yearn Finance is a decentralized asset management protocol that automates yield strategies across DeFi. By routing user deposits into optimized strategies and periodically rebalancing positions across platforms like Curve, Aave, or Compound, Yearn enables passive yield generation while abstracting away the complexity of manual interaction with multiple protocols. |
| Blockchains include Layer 1, Layer 2, and emerging Layer 3 networks that support smart contract execution and decentralized applications. These ecosystems may differ in consensus mechanisms, throughput, security models, and architectural designâranging from general-purpose L1s to rollups, app-specific chains, and modular blockchain stacks. | Ethereum is a leading Layer 1 smart contract blockchain that enables developers to deploy decentralized applications through the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Ethereum also anchors a large ecosystem of Layer 2 rollups, such as Optimism and Arbitrum, which inherit security from Ethereum while offering lower fees and increased throughput. |
| CeFi (Centralized Finance) represents centralized financial institutions that participate in the crypto ecosystem through smart contracts or on-chain wallets. These entitiesâsuch as exchanges, market makers, or custodial firmsâuse blockchain infrastructure for trading, liquidity provisioning, and settlement while being operated by centralized organizations subject to traditional regulatory frameworks. | Binance operates custodial wallets and on-chain market-making infrastructure used to move assets between internal systems and decentralized protocols. These wallets actively provide liquidity, facilitate exchange operations, and interact programmatically with on-chain markets. |
| Bridges enable the transfer of assets and data across disparate blockchains. They rely on mechanisms such as liquidity networks, message-passing systems, routers, and cross-chain validation to securely transmit information between ecosystems. These bridges support multi-chain application development and enhance interoperability across L1s, L2s, and rollups. | Wormhole is a cross-chain messaging protocol that facilitates data and token transfers between networks like Solana, Ethereum, Avalanche, and various Layer 2s. Applications can use Wormhole to move assets, pass governance messages, or synchronize application state across chains. |
| DeFi (Decentralized Finance) encompasses permissionless financial applications built on public blockchains. DeFi protocols facilitate peer-to-peer trading, lending, derivatives markets, synthetic assets, options, and other financial primitives without intermediaries. They rely on smart contracts to ensure transparency, composability, and trustless execution. | Aave is a decentralized lending protocol that allows users to supply and borrow digital assets through over-collateralized smart contracts. Aave employs dynamic interest rates, multiple collateral types, and algorithmic risk management to enable flexible and permissionless borrowing activity. |
| Staking encompasses protocols that allow users to secure blockchain networks or earn staking rewards by delegating or pooling assets. This includes liquid staking, restaking, staking pools, restaked BTC, and new models where staked assets are reused as security for additional services. | Lido is a liquid staking protocol that allows users to stake ETH and receive stETH, a token that represents staked Ether and accrues staking rewards. stETH can be used across DeFi applications, enabling users to earn staking rewards while maintaining liquidity and composposability. |
| DePIN (Decentralized Physical & Digital Infrastructure Networks) consists of networks that incentivize users to contribute physical or digital resourcesâsuch as compute, bandwidth, storage, or real-world sensorsâthrough tokenized economic models. These networks crowdsource resources that traditionally require large centralized providers. | Helium is a decentralized wireless network where participants deploy hotspots to provide IoT connectivity. In return, they earn tokens for contributing network coverage, enabling a distributed alternative to centralized telecom infrastructure. |
| Oracle protocols provide verified external dataâsuch as price feeds, real-world events, randomness, or cross-chain messagesâto smart contracts. By bridging on-chain and off-chain environments, oracles enable decentralized applications to execute logic based on reliable, tamper-resistant information. | Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that supplies smart contracts with secure external data such as asset prices, weather data, and verifiable randomness. Many DeFi protocols rely on Chainlink price feeds for accurate collateral valuations and liquidation logic. |
| RWA (Real-World Assets) refers to protocols that tokenize off-chain assetsâincluding real estate, treasury bills, bonds, equities, and credit products. By bringing real-world assets onto blockchains, RWA protocols enable fractionalization, global accessibility, transparent settlement, and programmable financial products. | Ondo Finance offers tokenized U.S. Treasury products on-chain, allowing users to gain exposure to yield-bearing off-chain assets through blockchain-based tokens. The protocol issues compliant, redeemable tokens backed by traditional financial instruments. |
| Gaming includes blockchain-based virtual worlds, gaming platforms, prediction markets, sportsbooks, and gambling environments. These applications use digital assetsâsuch as NFTs or in-game tokensâto support player-owned economies, tradable assets, and decentralized governance. | Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game where users collect and battle digital creatures represented as NFTs. Players earn tokens through gameplay, trade in-game assets, and participate in an on-chain player-owned economy. |
| Infrastructure encompasses foundational tools that enable the operation, scalability, and usability of blockchain ecosystems. This includes smart contract wallets, indexing solutions, data availability layers, privacy tools, storage networks, name services, shared sequencing layers, and other core components that support decentralized application development. | The Graph is a decentralized indexing protocol that allows developers to query blockchain data efficiently. Applications use The Graphâs subgraphs to access structured on-chain data without running independent indexing infrastructure. |
| NFT Apps include marketplaces, launchpads, NFT finance platforms, lending protocols, and collectible platforms that support the creation, trading, and financialization of NFTs. These applications enable users to mint, buy, sell, collateralize, or fractionalize digital assets. | Blur is an NFT marketplace optimized for professional traders, offering advanced tools, deep liquidity, and real-time data feeds. Blur enables fast bidding, listing, and portfolio management for NFT collections. |
| Payments refers to systems that facilitate fiat â crypto conversion, remittances, merchant payments, and on/off-ramp infrastructure. Payment protocols streamline asset transfer between blockchain networks and traditional financial systems. | MoonPay provides fiat on-ramps and off-ramps that allow users to purchase cryptocurrencies with credit cards, bank transfers, or other payment methods. It serves as a bridge between traditional payment rails and blockchain networks. |
| Stablecoin protocols issue digital assets designed to maintain stable value, typically pegged to fiat currencies, commodities, or algorithmic mechanisms. Stablecoins serve as a medium of exchange, store of value, and on-chain settlement asset. | USDC is a fiat-backed stablecoin that maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar. Issued by Circle, USDC is backed by cash and short-term U.S. Treasuries held in regulated financial institutions, making it one of the most widely used stablecoins in DeFi. |
| MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) refers to the value that validators or block producers can extract by reordering, inserting, or censoring transactions within a block. MEV-related protocols aim to minimize harmful extraction, enable fair ordering, or facilitate MEV smoothing across participants. | Flashbots is an ecosystem of tools that mitigates harmful MEV extraction by enabling private transaction submission, transparent auction systems, and collaborative block building between searchers and validators. |
| Other includes emerging or uncategorized blockchain applications such as AI agents, memecoins, social networks, creator platforms, insurance protocols, governance incentives, and experimental crypto-native products. These may span multiple verticals or represent early-stage categories that are rapidly evolving. | Friend.tech is a social tokenization platform where users can trade âsharesâ of creators, enabling access to gated chats and social interactions. It blends social networking with crypto-native incentive structures and novel on-chain economics. |
| Token refers to standalone cryptoassets that may not directly correspond to a protocol category. These tokens can represent utility, governance rights, memes, experimental economics, or other on-chain value systems not tied to a single functional application. | PEPE is a memecoin whose value and market activity are driven by community engagement and speculative dynamics rather than a specific underlying protocol. |
