The End of DeFi Lego: Vaults Are Left with Nothing but Deposits
This article argues that the era of "DeFi Lego" – the complex, interlocking composability of decentralized finance protocols – is ending. The primary user behavior has collapsed into a single action: depositing stablecoins into yield-bearing vaults for a return.
Major exchanges like Binance, OKX, and HTX are forging their own paths by subsidizing and promoting their own stablecoin products (e.g., USD1, USDG) to capture user value directly. On-chain, the yield landscape has become homogenized, with vaults competing almost solely on the APY they offer for USDT and USDC deposits. Users no longer care about the underlying protocols (Morpho, Aave, etc.) or their governance tokens; they are primarily attracted by high yields and the branding of the platforms offering them (e.g., Kraken, Coinbase).
This shift has led to several consequences: governance tokens are losing value, DeFi ecosystem has become a flattened landscape of competing vaults rather than a collaborative system, and the end-user experience is now a simple flow of converting fiat to stablecoins on a CEX, finding the highest-yielding vault, and spending via crypto debit cards.
The article concludes that DeFi must learn from traditional finance (TradFi), which successfully serves human needs and builds network effects. To survive, DeFi protocols must move beyond being mere back-end yield generators and find ways to re-engage users, rebuild trust, and create value beyond just high APYs.
marsbit21h ago
