This Is What’s Happening in DeFi: dYdX, 3Jane, MakerDAO, and More

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The decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, with groundbreaking updates and innovative protocol launches reshaping how users interact with digital assets. From fixed-income solutions to cross-chain clearing layers and new yield opportunities, the ecosystem continues to mature. Here's an in-depth look at the latest developments driving momentum across key DeFi projects.

Term Structure Launches Institutional-Grade Fixed-Income Protocol on Ethereum

Term Structure has officially launched its mainnet on Ethereum, marking a pivotal moment for fixed-rate lending and borrowing in DeFi. As the first market-driven, institutional-grade fixed-income protocol, it introduces a structured approach to managing liquidity—offering both lenders and borrowers predictable terms and rates.

Users can now borrow tokens at fixed rates using liquid staking tokens (LSTs) or liquid restaking tokens (LRTs) as collateral. In return, they earn staking rewards and platform-specific points. The primary market leverages an auction mechanism to match borrowers and lenders efficiently, while the secondary market features a real-time order book that enhances tradability and liquidity for fixed-income tokens.

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This innovation enables users to lock in funding costs while pursuing higher floating APYs or capitalizing on potential asset appreciation—offering strategic advantages previously unavailable in decentralized markets.

Jerry Li, CEO of Term Structure, emphasized the platform’s broad appeal: “Our mainnet, designed to cater to institutional clients, traders, and retail investors, marks a pivotal development in DeFi. It allows users to leverage their digital assets with fixed rates and terms.”

Powered by zkTrue-up—a custom zero-knowledge rollup—the protocol ensures privacy and scalability while maintaining non-custodial peer-to-peer interactions. By bridging traditional finance principles with DeFi flexibility, Term Structure sets a new benchmark for institutional participation in decentralized markets.

dYdX Expands Accessibility with Android App and Chain Upgrade

dYdX, a leading decentralized exchange for perpetual contracts, has taken two major steps forward: launching its native Android app and upgrading to dYdX Chain v5.0.

The new Android application brings full access to dYdX’s core features—including 24/7 trading, up to 20x leverage, 65+ markets, and low gas fees—directly to mobile users. This move significantly improves accessibility for retail traders who prefer on-the-go engagement with DeFi markets.

Simultaneously, the chain upgrade to v5.0 was implemented following overwhelming community support, with 90% of voters approving the proposal. Key enhancements include:

These upgrades collectively boost performance, security, and usability across the network.

As of this writing, dYdX Chain’s total value locked (TVL) stands at $146.28 million according to DefiLlama, reflecting sustained user confidence and active participation.

3Jane Introduces Derivatives Yield Layer on EigenLayer

3Jane is revolutionizing restaking economics by launching a derivatives yield layer on EigenLayer. Founded by Chudnov Glavniy, the protocol unlocks new income streams for restakers by enabling them to collateralize restaked ETH in derivatives contracts—specifically call options.

“3Jane is the first ETH yield source for all EigenLayer assets and the first step towards ‘financializing’ EigenLayer by sourcing yield not just from AVS security but also from financial derivatives,” Glavniy explained.

Users can wrap various yield-bearing assets—including eETH, ezETH, sUSDe, sDAI, and other LRTs—and deposit them into 3Jane Vaults. These vaults sell deep out-of-the-money options and collect premiums, which are then distributed back to depositors as additional yield.

This model creates a novel revenue stream beyond traditional staking returns, effectively turning idle restaked positions into productive financial instruments. With increasing interest in EigenLayer-based protocols, 3Jane positions itself at the forefront of next-generation yield innovation.

Everclear Rebrands from Connext, Launches Clearing Layer

Formerly known as Connext, Everclear has rebranded and introduced the industry’s first “Clearing Layer” aimed at solving cross-chain fragmentation. The live testnet is now active, signaling a shift toward more efficient multichain interoperability.

The Clearing Layer operates by netting fund flows between chains before final settlement. Instead of bridging every transaction individually, market participants coordinate settlements—reducing costs by up to 10x. On average, 80% of daily cross-chain flows are nettable; coordinated clearing could cut bridging fees by over five times.

Built as an Arbitrum Orbit rollup via Gelato RaaS and secured through EigenLayer’s Interchain Security Module (ISM), Everclear connects multiple chains using Hyperlane. This architecture supports seamless liquidity movement and permissionless chain expansion for integrated protocols.

By abstracting chain complexity away from end users, Everclear advances the vision of true chain abstraction—where users no longer need to manage individual chain states or rebalance liquidity manually.

TrueFi Expands to Arbitrum with On-Chain Credit Pools

TrueFi has gone live on Arbitrum, expanding its on-chain credit offerings in partnership with Cicada Credit. This deployment targets market-neutral borrowers and brings real-world asset (RWA) financing deeper into the DeFi ecosystem.

Arbitrum was chosen due to its leadership in Layer 2 adoption—boasting the highest TVL among L2s, a dense DeFi ecosystem, and strong stablecoin circulation. Additionally, Arbitrum’s ongoing investments in RWA initiatives like the STEP program align strategically with TrueFi’s mission.

The initial credit pools will feature Gravity Team and AlphaNonce as borrowers, with more to follow. Over the coming weeks, TrueFi will disclose detailed configurations and risk parameters for each pool.

This expansion strengthens access to undercollateralized lending within a secure, transparent framework—bridging institutional-grade credit practices with decentralized infrastructure.

Nostra Reveals NSTR Tokenomics in Fair Launch Initiative

Nostra has unveiled the tokenomics for NSTR, its governance token, featuring a total supply of 100 million tokens—fully unlocked at launch. Notably, 11% will be distributed via airdrop to early community contributors.

The launch sequence includes:

All proceeds from the LBP will fund treasury-owned DEX liquidity, reinforcing long-term sustainability. By avoiding private sales and pre-mines, Nostra claims this will be one of the fairest token launches in DeFi history.

NSTR will govern protocol upgrades, fee structures, and future integrations—empowering community-driven development across the Nostra ecosystem.

Solv Protocol Integrates Ethena for Enhanced BTC Yield

Solv Protocol has partnered with Ethena to launch the 'SolvBTC Yield Vault – Ethena', enabling users to earn yield on SolvBTC through advanced strategies like delta-neutral trading and restaking—while maintaining full exposure to Bitcoin price movements.

There are two primary ways users can generate returns:

  1. Deposit SolvBTC into Yield Vaults to access premium yield sources.
  2. Use SolvBTC across various DeFi protocols to explore additional earning opportunities.

This integration marks the first of several planned collaborations aimed at expanding the SolvBTC ecosystem with diversified yield streams.

MakerDAO Proposes Adding weETH to SparkLend

MakerDAO has initiated a proposal to onboard Etherfi’s weETH as collateral on SparkLend. As the largest liquid restaking token (LRT) with fully enabled withdrawals, weETH offers stable liquidity and a reliable peg to ETH.

Phoenix Labs submitted the proposal to increase DAI borrowing demand using LRT-backed collateral—a currently underutilized opportunity given limited competition.

Proposed parameters include:

If approved via executive vote, this integration would further diversify SparkLend’s collateral base and strengthen its position as a leading DeFi lending market.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Term Structure’s main innovation in DeFi?
A: Term Structure introduces fixed-rate lending with institutional-grade infrastructure on Ethereum, allowing users to lock in borrowing costs and improve capital efficiency.

Q: How does 3Jane generate yield for restakers?
A: 3Jane lets users collateralize restaked ETH in call options contracts. The premiums collected from selling these options are passed back as additional yield.

Q: Why did TrueFi choose Arbitrum for expansion?
A: Arbitrum leads in L2 TVL, DeFi activity, stablecoin usage, and decentralization progress—making it an ideal environment for scaling on-chain credit solutions.

Q: What makes Nostra’s NSTR launch “fair”?
A: With no private sale or pre-mine and full token unlock at TGE funded entirely through community-focused mechanisms like LBPs and airdrops, NSTR emphasizes equitable distribution.

Q: How does Everclear reduce cross-chain costs?
A: By netting multiple transactions between chains before settlement, Everclear reduces redundant bridging activity—cutting fees and improving capital efficiency.

Q: Can I earn yield on Bitcoin through SolvBTC?
A: Yes. By depositing SolvBTC into Ethena-powered Yield Vaults or using it across DeFi platforms, users earn yield while retaining BTC exposure.

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