Bybit Arbitrage is a trading tool that simplifies arbitrage trading by capitalizing on funding rate and price differences.

If you're seeking consistent returns with minimal risk, Bybit Arbitrage is the perfect ally.

 This robust tool empowers you to generate regular profits with minimal risks by capitalizing on price disparities across different markets. Its user-friendly interface lets you easily spot and exploit these differences, so that you can execute flawless arbitrage trading in the crypto market with confidence. Read on to learn how Bybit Arbitrage makes arbitrage trading an effortless way for you to achieve low-risk gains.

 is the buying and selling of the same or similar asset(s) at the same time across different markets to earn from slight price deviations. This act of purchasing an asset at a fixed price — while simultaneously selling it at a higher price — allows a trader to instantly make profits without any risks. 

While arbitrage trading has long been a staple in traditional financial markets, such as stock and forex, the advent of crypto trading has propelled arbitrage trading to new heights — thanks to the heightened volatility of the crypto market. Additionally, unlike traditional stock markets, crypto markets are traded 24/7, offering more opportunities for arbitrage traders to reap profits from the price gaps across exchanges and markets. 

 across exchanges or within a single exchange. Keep in mind that if you opt to arbitrage trade across different platforms, accessing your profits may prove to be complex, due to the need to transfer your assets between the exchanges, which can take up to several days to complete. On the other hand, arbitrage trading on a single platform is more straightforward — but more competitive as well.

There are multiple arbitrage trading strategies, but the most common ones in the crypto market include funding rates arbitrage, spot-futures arbitrage and futures arbitrage. 

Funding rates arbitrage allows traders to profit from variations in funding rates between 

 contracts. In contrast, spot-futures arbitrage enables traders to profit from price disparities between the spot and 

 for the same asset. Meanwhile, futures arbitrage involves profiting from price discrepancies between futures contracts with different expiration dates.

Bybit Arbitrage is a trading tool that helps traders identify arbitrage trading opportunities in two ways: funding rate and spread. 

The user-friendly interface organizes trading pairs based on either funding rates or spreads in different markets, so that traders can easily spot disparities in funding rate or price across the markets at a glance. 

Bybit Arbitrage is exclusively available to 

 mode. It facilitates arbitrage trading for USDT Perpetual, USDC Perpetual and USDC Futures contracts, thereby allowing you to enjoy arbitrage trading opportunities between USDT 

Spot pairs and USDT Perpetual pairs, or USDC Spot pairs and USDC Perpetual/Futures pairs. 

The Funding Rate Arbitrage feature exploits differences in funding rates between the Spot and Perpetual/Futures markets on the Bybit exchange. With the Funding Rate feature, traders can earn funding fees while simultaneously managing their positions in order to minimize potential losses and maximize gains through positive and negative arbitrage strategies.

Funding rates for the different trading pairs are listed in descending order. This helps traders to easily leverage the interest rate differential between Spot and Perpetual/Futures contracts.

The Funding Rate feature also allows you to 

 orders (with the same amount, but in different directions) in both Spot and Perpetual/Futures, which enables you to earn funding fees while mitigating potential losses (with potential gains).

holders in Futures/Perpetual contracts pay short position holders. You can leverage this situation by executing a positive arbitrage, which involves

 buying a Spot pair and taking a short position in 

Perpetual to earn steady funding fees. Alternatively, if the funding fee is negative, short position holders pay long position holders. In this case, you would perform a negative arbitrage by shorting a Spot pair and going long in a 

The Spread Arbitrage feature helps traders capitalize on price discrepancies between different markets for the same cryptocurrency asset. With this feature, you can easily compare the market prices of an asset traded across various trading pairs and contracts. While Spread Arbitrage may be similar to spot-futures arbitrage, it offers more arbitrage opportunities since it covers a broader range of markets, unlike spot-futures arbitrage, which targets specific markets

With Spread Arbitrage, the aim is to profit from the eventual price convergence as you buy the crypto asset at a lower price in one market (e.g., Spot) and sell it at a higher price in another market (e.g., Futures). 

As the futures price will eventually align with the Spot price when the contract expires, you’ll be able to take advantage of the simultaneous price disparity for the same asset.

In order to trade with Bybit Arbitrage, you’ll first need to 

. Currently, Bybit Arbitrage is exclusively accessible via the 

 for the web version, which will be launched soon!

Bybit Arbitrage offers multiple advantages.

Bybit Arbitrage is a powerful tool for traders seeking low-risk gains in the volatile crypto market. With its intuitive interface and exclusive features, traders can effectively leverage funding rate and price differences to maximize profits while minimizing risks. Bybit Arbitrage offers diverse benefits that make arbitrage trading more accessible and profitable than ever before.

Beginner

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How to Use Bybit Arbitrage to Achieve Funding Rate and Price Difference Arbitrage

An Ethereum Spot ETF is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the real-time price of Ether and allows investment through traditional stock markets. Learn more.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave the green light to a number of Bitcoin Spot exchange-traded funds (

), sparking optimism that similar approval might be extended to Ethereum Spot ETFs. Adding to the excitement, news of Ethereum Spot ETF approval in Asia’s first region has heightened anticipation for a potential approval and launch in the U.S. However, despite the buzz, some industry observers remain skeptical. This article explores the potential impact of Ethereum Spot ETF approval on the broader crypto market.

An Ethereum Spot ETF is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the real-time price of 

 and allows investment through traditional stock markets. It offers investors a way to invest in Ether without having to actually buy or hold the asset itself.

An Ethereum Spot ETF operates by pooling investor funds to purchase Ether, which is held in reserves by the ETF.

Rather than navigating the complexities of 

 and exchanges, investors buy shares of the ETF through regular brokerage accounts, just as they would with traditional stocks. These shares represent a stake in the Ether held by the ETF, providing a simple and regulated way to own Ethereum indirectly.

In order to create ETF shares, authorized participants — usually financial institutions — purchase Ether in exchange for ETF shares of equal value, which are then sold onto the market. An authorized participant can also redeem shares by buying enough ETF shares and exchanging them for Spot Ether and taking those shares away from the market.

As a result, the price of ETF shares tends to fluctuate in line with Ethereum's Spot market price. If it didn’t, there would be an 

 opportunity to profit from any mispricings in the ETF price. However, it’s still theoretically possible for the ETF to trade at different prices simply because of supply-and-demand factors.

ETFs as securities are regulated by the SEC, so an Ethereum Spot ETF provides a regulated product that investors can purchase. By contrast, Spot Ether is being investigated by the SEC to determine whether it should be classified as a security, and currently lacks regulatory clarity. 

This setup offers numerous benefits for investors. It simplifies the investment process, allowing anyone with a brokerage account to invest in Ethereum without setting up a crypto exchange account or managing storage. This can save time and give some investors greater peace of mind. An ETF structure also provides the regulatory clarity that institutional investors need, which can enhance liquidity and trading volumes.

Security is paramount in the realm of cryptocurrency, and the ETF provider takes it seriously. To safeguard Ether holdings, ETF providers employ a combination of 

 and insured custodial services. As a result, they could potentially minimize the risk of theft or loss that individual crypto investors may encounter.

The Ethereum Spot ETF bridges traditional finance (TradFi) and the exciting (but still growing) cryptocurrency space. It offers the security and ease of trading associated with traditional financial markets while opening up investment opportunities in Ethereum for a broader audience.

Both excitement and regulatory scrutiny characterize the current landscape of Ethereum Spot ETFs. Major financial institutions like 

 and Fidelity have submitted applications for these ETFs to the SEC. Still, decisions have been delayed, with the next 

If applicants begin updating their filings by April, this may indicate they’re incorporating feedback from the regulator, which could be interpreted as a positive sign. However, a lack of updates to filings could indicate that the SEC isn’t maintaining the same level of discussions with issuers that led to its 

Another challenge is that the SEC is still investigating whether Ether should be classified as a security, especially since it transferred its consensus mechanism to 

. Earning rewards through staking could meet criteria that determine whether an asset is a security. Ethereum also provides a foundation for 

 (DeFi), which could add to the complexity of the review. 

Analysts' opinions vary regarding the likelihood of ETH ETF approval. One Bloomberg analyst, for instance, 

 chance of approval by May. However, the SEC's recent silence might hint at a less favorable outcome.

The approval of Ethereum Spot ETFs is eagerly awaited because it could mirror the impact of Bitcoin Spot ETF approval, which led to an influx of capital in the market. It would mark a pivotal milestone, likely to attract increased investment and further validate cryptocurrency. The crypto community is closely monitoring these developments, as the coming months will be crucial in shaping the future of Ethereum investment opportunities.

 was recently given to the first Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in one of the Asian regions. This landmark decision positions the city as a trailblazer in the Asian financial landscape, embracing the integration of popular cryptocurrencies into mainstream investment avenues.

This milestone has sparked excitement within the crypto community, indicating a positive reception toward digital assets in that region. Analysts believe this move could set a precedent for other jurisdictions to follow, potentially leading to broader acceptance and recognition of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class.

These newly approved ETFs are expected to attract a wave of fresh investors — both retail and institutional — by offering a regulated and familiar investment option for exposure to cryptocurrencies. This growth of interest could increase stability in the crypto markets, possibly influencing the price movements of Bitcoin and Ethereum in the region.

The timing of this approval is noteworthy, considering that the U.S. could also be on the cusp of approval of an Ethereum Spot ETF. If this proactive approach inspires other financial centers beyond the U.S. to consider similar approvals, it will palpably contribute to the global expansion and maturation of the cryptocurrency market.

Current Impact of Ethereum Spot ETF Applications on the Crypto Market

The buzz surrounding Ethereum Spot ETF applications is noticeably affecting the crypto market, particularly Ethereum's price and overall sentiment. Submission of new ETF applications to the SEC has coincided with an 

, pushing it to around $3,700. This uptick reflects the market's optimism and positive sentiment regarding the potential for easier access to Ethereum. However, the market has exhibited some volatility as well, with Ether dropping over 14% in a week in early April. 

Despite these fluctuations, there's a general expectation that ETF developments would significantly impact Ethereum's price dynamics, similar to what was observed with the recent Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals. Moreover, the recent approval of cryptocurrency ETFs has further fueled optimism and positive expectations for increased investment inflows and a broader recognition of cryptocurrencies.

To sum up, the current impact of Ethereum Spot ETF applications on the crypto market is marked by heightened anticipation along with some volatility. Ethereum's price is responding to changes in the regulatory landscape and the potential for broader adoption of cryptocurrency-based investment products.

What Will It Mean if an Ethereum Spot ETF Application Is Approved?

The approval of an Ethereum Spot ETF application by the SEC would mark a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency market, especially for Ethereum. Following are some of the potential benefits.

Drawing parallels to the earlier Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals, some pundits expect an initial surge in Ethereum's price following the expected announcement, reflecting renewed confidence and interest in Ether as an asset. Over the long term, Ethereum Spot ETFs could contribute to growth and stability, similar to the impact that Bitcoin Spot ETFs have had on BTC’s price.

However, there are key differences to consider. The SEC's cautious stance on Ethereum — notably because of its PoS consensus mechanism — could influence the approval process and subsequent market reactions. In addition, Ethereum's unique ecosystem, including its role in DeFi and 

, could lead to different market responses as compared to those following the Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals.

The potential approval of Ethereum Spot ETFs is a crucial turning point for the crypto market, promising easier access, increased investment and greater legitimacy. Although short-term price fluctuations may occur, the long-term effects could echo the positive growth recently witnessed with Bitcoin Spot ETFs, promoting a more mature investment environment for Ethereum.

Intermediate

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Ethereum Spot ETF Approval: Its Impact on Crypto Markets

Grayscale Investments has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC to register shares of its Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) as part of efforts to uplist the trust to a spot Ethereum ETF on the NYSE Arca.

Daily Top Performer — Automata Network (ATA)

The SPX index is up 0.02%, investor focus on earnings and U.S. interest rates continues. The broader cryptocurrency market is down, with Bitcoin and Ether dropping by 3.78% and 2.41%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today’s outperformer is ATA, which jumped 8.9% after Automata launched Multi-Prover AVS on Eigenlayer Holesky Testnet to boost decentralized security.

Automata Network (ATA), founded in 2019, is a Web3 platform providing private web services for decentralized applications, focusing on secure, anonymous transactions and governance. Key features include a private voting system and MEV minimization to enhance user privacy and security. Automata's Multi-Prover AVS, which utilizes TEE Coprocessors to enhance security, is now available on the Eigenlayer Holesky testnet. This system employs the TEE Prover as a secondary security measure in decentralized systems. Operators, restakers, and developers are encouraged to learn more about this advancement on their website.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

Grayscale Investments, the world's largest crypto asset manager, has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC to register shares of its Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) as part of efforts to uplist the trust to a spot Ethereum ETF on the NYSE Arca. This filing follows NYSE Arca’s application and is a crucial step in the regulatory process required for offering shares continuously upon approval. The shares will not be sold until the registration is declared effective, and this offering is subject to the Securities Act of 1933. Grayscale emphasizes that the trust, not registered under the 1940 Act, involves high risk and volatility, is focused solely on Ethereum, and does not offer direct investment in Ethereum.

BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF, IBIT, has significantly impacted the firm's overall ETF flows, comprising 24% of its total. Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg's Senior ETF Analyst, highlighted the fund's success during a panel on Hong Kong's newly approved spot crypto ETFs. Since its launch in January, IBIT has attracted consistent inflows for over 70 days, accumulating more than $18 billion in assets under management and becoming one of the most successful ETFs in history. The IBIT fund is second only to Grayscale's ETF in terms of assets but has seen remarkable trading volume along with other spot bitcoin ETFs, totaling nearly $230 billion.

Gamium, supported by Parachain Ventures, DAO Maker, and Mr. Beast among others, has its token $GMM listed on major exchanges with a fully diluted valuation of around $43M. The platform is promoting a beta points airdrop to reward early users, where participants can sign up and earn points through various activities like launching an MST, trading, daily logins, and referrals. Details on point earning and distribution are available in a dedicated blog post. However, potential users are cautioned to research due to the inherent risks associated with DeFi protocols and trading.

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Grayscale Files for SEC Registration to Convert Ethereum Trust into a Spot ETF on NYSE Arca

Sharky is a Solana-based lending and borrowing DeFi solution that utilizes NFTs as loan collateral.

Cryptocurrency lending and borrowing has always been a prominent niche of the decentralized finance (

) industry, championed by platforms like Aave (

). A much rarer variant of DeFi borrowing and lending is based on non-fungible tokens (

Sharky.fi, or simply Sharky, is a Solana-based lending and borrowing protocol that uses NFTs as collateral to facilitate the DeFi processes on the network. By putting up NFTs as collateral, users can borrow funds via short-term loans in Solana's native SOL tokens. For lenders, the platform is also a great way to earn high APY rates in just 7 to 14 days, while having their loaned funds protected by the NFTs.

Having established itself as the leader of NFT-based lending and borrowing on Solana, the Sharky project has ambitious plans to integrate two more highly popular crypto asset types — Ordinals and real-world assets (RWAs).

 (SHARK) is a lending and borrowing app on the 

 (SOL) blockchain that lets users provide NFTs as collateral to access short-term loans in SOL tokens.

 Lenders can view NFTs offered as collateral, and make loan offers secured by their preferred NFTs.

Although Sharky's public launch on the Solana mainnet dates back to April 2022, the platform operated without its 

, SHARK, for its first two years in the market. The SHARK token was eventually launched in mid-April 2024.

Using its innovative business concept, Sharky quickly established itself as the leader of NFT lending. According to the project’s team, Sharky has a 90% share of the NFT lending market on Solana and has issued more than 1.4 million NFT loans.

Following the recent launch of its SHARK token, the project aims to integrate additional crypto asset types in the future. These include 

 (RWAs). Another ambitious product type considered for future implementation on the platform is uncollateralized consumer loans.

As a lender on Sharky.fi, you can browse NFTs from a variety of collections offered on the platform and make a loan offer for potential borrowers. The collections available on Sharky include the platform's own 

 collection, Mad Labs, Solana Monkey Business (SMB), Tensorians, Namaste and more. Lenders’ offers are shown to potential borrowers on the platform, who then choose the best offer based on their borrowing needs.

The NFT provided by the borrower is used as collateral, and the lender makes their funds available in SOL tokens. Lenders earn interest on the funds, with the loan duration typically between 7 and 14 days. Interest rates, naturally, will vary depending upon on-platform activity. Usually, 

 for active loans range between 120% and 220%, though they can go up to 360%. As such, Sharky loans are an excellent way for lenders to earn some serious interest quickly. If a borrower fails to repay the loan in full, the NFT used as collateral is transferred to the lender.

For borrowers, the Sharky platform is an excellent opportunity to access SOL funds for short-term needs quickly and flexibly using their NFTs, rather than cryptocurrency, as collateral. The best part of the platform's borrowing mechanism is that you remain in possession of your NFT during the loan period as a borrower. While your NFT is used as collateral, its ownership isn't transferred to the lender while the loan is active. The ownership transfer may only happen at the end of the loan period if you fail to repay the loan in full.

Maintaining the ownership of your NFT allows you to keep using it on various DeFi and other apps for purposes such as staking or satisfying 

 eligibility requirements, among other potential uses.

Sharx is the platform's own NFT collection. One of the most popular collections used in Sharky's lending and borrowing operations, sharx is made up of 10,111 adorable shark characters. Purchasing a sharx NFT not only opens up borrowing opportunities but also entitles you to upgrade or boost your Chowder points, rewards that are used in Sharky's loyalty program. 

As a sharx holder, you're entitled to the airdrop of Sharky.fi’s governance token, SHARK, and you can also stake sharx to earn FISHY tokens.

The newly launched SHARK token is envisioned as the platform's governance asset, with a total supply of 100 million. As of the time of writing in late April 2024, only some specific details on the actual governance processes powered by SHARK are available. Thus, the token's actual use in on-platform governance is expected to be outlined in the future.

SHARK will be airdropped in two phases, with 4.25% set aside for the first phase and 3.5% for the second. Of the former, 70% is allocated to its community, with the remaining 30% is distributed to partner communities. Meanwhile, the second phase is held as a staking pool event with a lockup duration of 30 to 60 days exclusively for OG, new users and sharx holders.

 of Sharky. Unlike the brand-new SHARK token, FISHY was issued back in 2022 at the start of the platform's operations. FISHY can be earned by staking sharx NFTs, accumulating reward points and participating in Sharky's social media campaigns. The token can be used to boost sharx NFTs, which in turn can earn you additional Chowder points. FISHY also gives you access to NFT raffles and auctions held on Sharky.

The SHARK token can be bought on Bybit through a Spot pair with USDT (

). Additionally, you can also take part in Bybit's current campaigns for the token for the chance to grab a share of the 

, which includes a Token Splash event featuring 456,000 SHARK through Apr 30, 2024, 9AM UTC, and a Lucky Draw with 58,000 SHARK in rewards through Apr 30, 2024, 9:59AM UTC.

Lending and borrowing using NFTs as collateral is a novel concept that has earned Sharky leadership positions in this niche. As more platforms adopting this business model emerge, the competition in the field is likely to intensify. However, as of now, Sharky remains the absolute leader of the Solana-based NFT lending and borrowing market. 

As NFTs experience a resurgence in popularity following the post-2021 dip, DeFi solutions that make innovative use of these assets, such as Sharky, stand to benefit. Later in 2024 and beyond, we’ll likely hear more about NFTs being used as legitimate collateral in crypto finance — a new trend helped to no small degree by the Sharky platform.

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Sharky.fi (SHARK): The Decentralized Platform for Instant NFT Loans

Investing

Keen on the potential of earning high yields? Learn what is liquidity mining and why it's one of the best passive income strategies.

In recent years, the use of blockchain and cryptocurrency has grown rapidly. While the main cryptocurrency investing strategy is to purchase and hold a crypto until it increases in value, also known as 

ing (holding on for dear life), there are several additional methods you can use instead to earn passive income. One such strategy involves liquidity mining, which leverages on the 

Simply put, liquidity mining is a way for users to earn a steady stream of passive income by using their cryptocurrencies to provide liquidity for 

 (DEXs). By providing liquidity, you’ll be rewarded with trading fees and governance tokens. In this article, we’ll be exploring what liquidity mining is, how you can start earning passive income with it, and its benefits and risks.

Before we learn more about liquidity mining, let’s take a quick look at DEXs, which make liquidity mining possible. 

Traditional finance exchanges typically use an order book model. An orderbook is a centralized database that stores all the buy and sell orders at different prices that have been inputted by users. Should there be a match between the buy and sell order of two different users, the transaction will then be carried out. 

DeFi introduced a new order book mechanism, known as the 

. AMMs facilitate permissionless cryptocurrency trading between users by utilizing 

, removing the need for a centralized entity to match transactions. These pools are created with smart contracts and are operated by algorithms, making them fully autonomous.

These pools achieve deeper liquidity as participants deposit their cryptocurrencies, allowing for more capital-efficient swaps for users, minimizing 

 and maximizing the number of cryptocurrencies they can receive.

 is a DeFi mechanism in which participants provide some of their cryptocurrency assets into various liquidity pools, for which they receive tokens and fees. Participants who provide their cryptocurrencies are known as liquidity providers (LPs) and often receive an 

, which they can eventually use to exchange for a percentage of the trading fees earned by the platform. Distribution of fees is based on the amount of liquidity each provider has contributed.

Liquidity mining gained significant traction in the summer of 2020, which is also known as DeFi Summer. DeFi became more widely known in the market, and the architecture of efficient and permissionless trading brought a lot of market participants on board. At the same time, protocols were offering extremely high rewards, with the 

 (APY) offered by some protocols reaching triple digits or even more, fueling DeFi’s growth even more.

Liquidity mining thus became extremely profitable, especially for LPs who could begin providing liquidity with large sums of capital, allowing them to grab a bigger portion of a protocol's transaction fees distributions. This in turn also improved liquidity within pools, making it more attractive to trade and increasing the activity taking place on the protocols.

Currently, the APYs offered by most protocols have come down significantly. This is, however, a relatively good sign, as it demonstrates the market is maturing and makes it more sustainable for market participants.

Nonetheless, activity on DeFi protocols is still high, with market participants constantly seeking the next best opportunity.

To begin liquidity mining, you can start with one of the oldest protocols: Uniswap.

Other protocols users can consider providing liquidity to are 

, one of the older DeFi protocols. Curve is recommended for users with a smaller risk appetite, given its lower risk of impermanent loss with stablecoin swaps (see below under 

Now that we understand what liquidity mining is, it’s time to learn about the benefits of utilizing this investment strategy. When you provide assets into liquidity pools, you can be confident in the returns that your investment will deliver. The primary benefits associated with DeFi liquidity mining are:

Liquidity mining is one of the best ways for cryptocurrency market participants to generate passive income. Providing liquidity into liquidity pools is often a passive strategy, as users just have to hold onto their LP tokens, and rewards will automatically be added to their LP token holdings.

More importantly, when users provide liquidity into a pool that manages to attract market participants, the growth in activity will translate to greater rewards for LPs. These rewards will automatically go toward the LP tokens held by the LPs. Thus, LPs can benefit from changing market conditions without having to actively manage their positions. 

Before beginning to participate in liquidity mining, it’s important to understand that your yield is proportional to the overall risk you take with your investment — which makes liquidity mining a beneficial strategy for any type of investor. If you want to make a sizable investment, the rewards you receive will proportionately match your contribution. The same holds true if you first want to dip your toes in before fully committing to the liquidity mining strategy.

DEXs can’t be operated unless a certain amount of liquidity is in place for traders who want to exchange tokens from different cryptocurrencies. When you provide liquidity in this manner, exchanges are incentivized to give you rewards for your contributions.

Since your investment is essentially used to facilitate decentralized transactions, your rewards usually come from trading fees that accrue whenever trades occur on an exchange. Since your share of the liquidity pool dictates what your yields are, you can essentially estimate what your rewards will be before you’ve even invested.

When markets are active and there’s a lot of trading activity going on, the rewards provided by protocols can be relatively high — and significantly higher than simple bank deposits.

Distribution of Governance and Native Tokens

A core benefit of DeFi liquidity mining is that it allows for the relatively equitable distribution of governance via native tokens. Before liquidity mining existed, token distribution was largely unfair and imbalanced. In many cases, DeFi protocol developers would favor institutional investors over low-capital investors, due to the amount of funds that institutional investors have at their disposal.

DeFi liquidity mining provides low-capital and institutional investors alike with equal opportunity to obtain native tokens. These tokens give you a certain amount of voting power within the DEXs that you’ve invested in. When you have tokens for a specific exchange, you can use them to influence that protocol’s characteristics. The primary privileges of holding native tokens include:

Even though tokens are primarily used for governance, they’re highly versatile and can also be used to stake, earn money via yield farming or take out a loan.

Engaging in liquidity mining is permissionless. As long as a user owns a noncustodial wallet, such as 

, and holds onto a certain amount of cryptocurrency, they can provide liquidity. Rewards earned from providing liquidity can also be redirected into the pool, which grows the user’s base capital and stake in the pool, allowing them to receive a larger share of the rewards over time.

Liquidity Mining Benefits the DeFi Market

It can be argued that liquidity mining is an essential component of DeFi.

LPs play a part in making the DeFi ecosystem more robust, helping more people to participate in DeFi when they have access to more capital efficient swaps. This increased liquidity also permits more applications to be built to tap on the ecosystem.

One benefit of liquidity mining that’s often overlooked is the fact that it nurtures a trusting and loyal community, since many investments occur within new exchanges. When a liquidity mining program occurs, the investors who provide liquidity typically become active in the community, while the exchange itself continues to grow.

The individuals who provide liquidity also tend to use the protocol and hold tokens well after they’ve invested their cryptocurrency assets. With liquidity mining, the benefits don’t end with the income that you receive as a liquidity provider. By continuing to engage with the protocol, you’ll continue to receive additional benefits.

Despite the many benefits of liquidity mining, there are also some inherent risks to be aware of before you engage in it. Once you understand the potential risks, you should be able to mitigate these issues and reduce their chance of occurring in the first place.

Before you begin liquidity mining, it’s important to know about 

 and how it can affect you. This can occur when the price of the tokens that you’ve contributed to liquidity pools changes in comparison to what it was when you first invested. A more substantial price difference makes it more likely that you’ll encounter an impermanent loss.

If the tokens have a lower price when you decide to withdraw them than they had when you first placed them into the liquidity pools, you lose money. You can offset this particular risk with the gains you obtain from trading fees. However, the volatility of the cryptocurrency market means that you should be at least somewhat cautious when depositing your money into DEXs.

In addition, in the event that you receive more of a cryptocurrency that has decreased in price, then you would have made fewer losses by holding onto the cryptocurrency itself, instead of providing liquidity.

There are also some technical liquidity mining risks to be aware of that are inherent to any protocol. The more highly advanced the protocol, the more complex the source code that it runs on. This complexity means that protocols are open to technical liquidity mining risks. If you don’t perform an in-depth audit of the code, it’s possible for cyber criminals to exploit the protocol and the assets within.

Of the several liquidity mining risks in this guide, the one to focus on is the potential risk to the protocol and its project. Even though all projects can be exploited, it’s still highly recommended you perform extensive research on a project and its platform before you decide to place your assets into its liquidity pool. 

The research and due diligence you perform should provide you with an acceptable level of protection against hacks and similar exploitation. It’s also important that the projects you invest in are audited on a regular basis by independent agencies.

Despite the many advantages that come with decentralized investing, the system does have a few built-in risks that could arise. One of these involves the potential for 

, a type of fraud that occurs when liquidity pool developers and protocol developers decide to shut the protocol down and take all of the money that’s been invested in the project.

Since all decentralized protocols offer anonymity, projects can be started without any kind of verification or registration. One example is the now-defunct 

), whose developers closed the project in 2020 and ran away with $10.8 million of investor assets, allegedly via a backdoor coding mechanism.

If you don’t want to fall prey to liquidity mining fraud, it’s essential that you perform your due diligence to learn as much as you can about a project before investing in it.

Liquidity Mining vs. Other Passive Investment Strategies

Before you settle on an investment strategy that’s right for you and your portfolio, be sure to compare DeFi liquidity mining to other passive investment strategies. 

The first type of passive earning strategy to consider alongside liquidity mining is 

, which allows users to pledge their cryptocurrency as a form of collateral within proof-of-stake (PoS) algorithms. When users lock up their cryptocurrency, they’re helping to validate transactions and secure the blockchain. This is a rather passive strategy, as users can simply delegate their cryptocurrency holdings to validators.

Users who stake higher amounts typically receive higher rewards, similar to what occurs when liquidity mining crypto. 

Another clear advantage of staking is that the risks are comparatively low. While project failure is possible, liquidity mining risks are considerably more severe, given the volatility of the market and the increased chances for exploits. 

 interchangeably, it’s important to understand that liquidity mining is a subset of yield farming, which involves locking crypto assets in various blockchain protocols to earn passive income.

While liquidity mining results in an investor earning native tokens, the investments that occur with yield farming will result in the investor earning interest. The two strategies share similar benefits and risks.

Even though you now may have a firm grasp of the concept of liquidity mining, this strategy isn’t right for everyone — and may not be worth it for you personally, depending on your current investment strategy. To determine if liquidity mining cryptocurrency is right for you, make sure that you weigh the pros and cons. 

What Is Liquidity Mining: How to Profit from a Decentralized Ecosystem

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards