Pendle Finance Review: Unlock Yield Trading on Tokenized Assets

In this article, I will explore Pendle Finance, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that allows users to trade tokenized future yield. By dividing assets into principal and yield tokens, Pendle helps investors maximize their returns, manage risks, and refine their yield strategies.

Operating on Ethereum and Arbitrum, it provides deep liquidity and automated yield management. Whether you’re a yield farmer or a DeFi investor, Pendle Finance offers a distinctive approach to managing and boosting your crypto earnings. Continue reading to find out more!

What Is Pendle Finance?

Pendle Finance is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that allows users to trade tokenized future yield. It enables investors to separate and sell the yield from their crypto assets while still keeping ownership of the principal.

This unique approach opens up opportunities for yield farming, hedging, and maximizing returns in the DeFi space. Pendle supports a range of assets, including liquid staking tokens, and functions across multiple blockchain networks.

Pendle Finance Overview

How does vePENDLE work?​

Lock PENDLE for vePENDLE. The greater the lock duration, the greater your vePENDLE value. Your vePENDLE value decays over time, but your lock duration can be extended to negate the decay.

Use vePENDLE to channel PENDLE incentives. Vote for your desired pool to incentivize liquidity. The more vePENDLE you have, the more voting power you hold. Voting for a pool entitles you to 80% of the swap fees collected by the pool. This APY is shown in the “Voter APY” prior to casting your vote.

vePENDLE holders also receive a portion of protocol revenue, earned from swap fees and YT fees.

Core Technology

Yield Tokenisation

Split any yield-bearing asset into separate yield and principal components for maximum control

Pendle AMM

Designed for yield trading with concentrated liquidity, dual fee-structure, and negligible IL concerns

vePENDLE

Lock $PENDLE for a stake in the protocol.

Tokenomics

As of September 2024, all team and investor tokens have fully vested. Any increase to circulating supply will be contributed by incentives and ecosystem building.

Weekly Emission​

Weekly emission as of Sept-2024 is 216,076 with a 1.1% decrease each week until April 2026. At that point, it will switch to a terminal inflation rate of 2% per annum for incentives.

As the industry matures, governance may propose changes based on the evolution of ecosystem best practices.

Circulating Supply​

Circulating Supply refers to all freely circulating Pendle token which does NOT include:

1. Pendle locked in vePendle contract.
2. Pendle in Ecosystem Fund address.
3. Pendle in Governance Multi-signature address.
4. Pendle in Team Multi-signature address.

The total supply of Pendle tokens at any point in time is the Circulating Supply plus Pendle in the 4 addressses above.

Pendle Finance Features

Yield Tokenization

This feature allows users to convert their assets into principal and yield tokens, enabling them to trade future yield separately while still owning the principal. This enhances flexibility in DeFi investments.

Yield Trading

Users can buy or sell future yield, which opens up opportunities for profit optimization, risk management, and strategic investment decisions across various assets and protocols in the DeFi space.

Automated Yield Optimization

The platform offers automated strategies designed to maximize returns, allowing users to earn optimized yield on their investments without the need for active management in the often volatile DeFi market.

Multi-Chain Support

Pendle supports several blockchain networks, including Ethereum and Arbitrum, which ensures broader accessibility, lower transaction fees, and increased liquidity for users engaged in yield trading.

No-Loss Principal Ownership

Users maintain complete ownership of their principal assets while they sell or trade future yield, allowing them to benefit from long-term asset appreciation without losing control.

Deep Liquidity

The platform includes an automated market maker (AMM) that facilitates smooth and efficient yield trading, ensuring minimal slippage and sufficient liquidity for both buyers and sellers.

Security

Pendle smart contracts have been audited by Ackee, Dedaub, Dingbats, and some of the top wardens from Code4rena. All of Pendle’s smart contracts are open source.

Pendle Finance Alternatives

Yield Protocol

A DeFi platform that facilitates fixed-rate lending and borrowing by tokenizing future yield, much like Pendle’s yield trading approach.

Element Finance

This platform enables users to separate principal from yield, creating opportunities for fixed-income returns and yield optimization through various DeFi strategies.

Silo Finance

A decentralized lending protocol that mitigates risk by establishing distinct lending pools for each asset, while also providing yield-generating opportunities.

Tempus Finance

Focuses on fixed yield trading, allowing users to deposit assets and secure either fixed or variable yield returns through a distinctive DeFi model.

Sense Finance

Offers structured yield products by distinguishing between yield and principal, enabling investors to tailor their risk and return strategies across different DeFi assets.

Conclusion

Pendle Finance is transforming the DeFi landscape by allowing users to trade tokenized future yield, which brings a new level of flexibility to yield management and investment strategies.

With its features such as yield tokenization, automated optimization, and support for multiple chains, Pendle offers a distinctive approach to maximizing returns while keeping ownership of assets.

Whether your goal is to hedge against risks or boost profits, Pendle Finance presents an innovative solution for yield trading in the cryptocurrency market.