2020S DEFI CRAZE: THE BEST, WORST AND FISHIEST PROJECTS IN CRYPTO

Last updated: June 20, 2025, 01:32 | Written by: Ari Paul

The 2020s have been a wild ride for the cryptocurrency market, and at the forefront of much of that volatility and innovation has been Decentralized Finance (DeFi). However, it s hard not to be in awe of DeFi s progress over 2025. Crypto tends to ebb and flow: the down periods feel painfully sluggish, and the up periods move so quickly we might as well measure them in dog-years. This past year definitely fits into the latter category, just like 2025 did during the ICO craze.Like the crypto world itself, DeFi is a realm of groundbreaking ideas and, let's face it, some rather questionable projects. cointelegraph.com - As 2025 comes to a close, it s a good time to reflect on the biggest crypto developments and the wild ride the sector took investors on. At the 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in cryptoAs we reflect on the incredible developments, it's clear that DeFi’s growth has been nothing short of spectacular.Remember the ICO boom?The DeFi craze has been just as explosive, marked by periods of intense excitement and, inevitably, some sobering realities.The year 2025, in particular, saw DeFi protocols explode onto the scene. DeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equal measure. Continue reading 2025 s DeFi craze: TheNames like Uniswap, Yearn, SushiSwap, and Yam became synonymous with DeFi, sometimes for good reasons, and sometimes...well, not so much.This article takes a closer look at the DeFi craze of the 2020s, highlighting the best, the worst, and the outright ""fishiest"" projects that emerged during this transformative period.Get ready to dive deep into the world of yield farming, automated market makers, and the sometimes-turbulent waters of decentralized finance.

The Rise of Decentralized Finance

What exactly is DeFi and why did it become so popular? DeFi represents a paradigm shift in financial services, aiming to recreate traditional financial systems like lending, borrowing, trading, and insurance, but in a decentralized and permissionless manner.Built primarily on blockchain technology, especially Ethereum, DeFi seeks to eliminate intermediaries like banks, brokers, and exchanges, putting users in direct control of their assets.

The core appeal of DeFi stems from several key advantages:

Accessibility: DeFi protocols are accessible to anyone with an internet connection, regardless of their location or financial status.
Transparency: Transactions are recorded on a public blockchain, fostering transparency and accountability.
Efficiency: Smart contracts automate processes, reducing costs and increasing speed.
Composability: DeFi protocols can be easily integrated with each other, creating new and innovative financial products.

The explosion of DeFi in the 2020s can be attributed to a combination of factors, including increased interest in cryptocurrencies, the limitations of traditional finance, and the development of user-friendly DeFi platforms.The promise of high yields through yield farming and liquidity mining further fueled the frenzy, attracting both seasoned crypto investors and newcomers alike.

The Best DeFi Projects: Innovation and Sustainability

Amidst the hype and volatility, several DeFi projects stood out for their innovative approaches, robust technology, and long-term sustainability.These projects have not only contributed to the growth of the DeFi ecosystem but have also laid the foundation for a more decentralized and accessible financial future.

Uniswap: Pioneering Decentralized Exchange

Uniswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) that utilizes an Automated Market Maker (AMM) model. DeFi is the hottest topic in the crypto space this year, After the end of the 2025 ICO craze, it was assumed that it would be difficult for new projects to find their footing in a marketInstead of relying on traditional order books, Uniswap uses liquidity pools to facilitate trading. This website is for Private Investors only. I am a private investor I am not a private investor I am not a private investorLiquidity providers deposit tokens into these pools, earning fees from trades proportional to their contribution.Uniswap's simplicity and ease of use made it a popular choice for trading a wide range of ERC-20 tokens, fueling the growth of the DeFi ecosystem.

Uniswap’s impact can be seen in:

Democratizing Token Listing: Anyone can list a token on Uniswap by providing liquidity, eliminating the gatekeeping of centralized exchanges.
Driving Innovation in AMMs: Uniswap pioneered the AMM model, which has become a standard in the DeFi space.
Facilitating Price Discovery: Uniswap's liquidity pools provide a real-time indication of token prices, which can be used by other DeFi protocols.

Aave: Revolutionizing Lending and Borrowing

Aave is a decentralized lending and borrowing protocol that allows users to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets against collateral. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto. DeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equal measure. By: Cointelegraph Jordan Finneseth Title: 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in cryptoAave offers a wide range of supported assets, including stablecoins and cryptocurrencies.One of Aave's key innovations is its flash loans, which allow developers to borrow assets without collateral for a short period of time, enabling arbitrage and other advanced DeFi strategies.

Aave’s contributions include:

Variable Interest Rates: Aave introduced variable interest rates that adjust based on market supply and demand, providing users with more competitive rates.
Flash Loans: These uncollateralized loans have opened up new possibilities for DeFi developers, enabling them to create innovative applications.
Security Measures: Aave has implemented robust security measures to protect user funds, including audits and bug bounty programs.

Yearn.finance: Optimizing Yield Farming

Yearn.finance is a yield aggregator that automatically moves user funds between different DeFi protocols to maximize returns. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto DeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equal measure. Total viewsYearn.finance uses a variety of strategies to optimize yield, including lending, borrowing, and liquidity mining.The protocol is governed by a decentralized community, which votes on proposed changes and improvements.

Yearn.finance stood out due to:

Automated Yield Optimization: Yearn.finance simplifies the process of yield farming by automatically selecting the best opportunities.
Vault Strategies: Yearn.finance uses vaults, which are smart contracts that execute complex yield farming strategies.
Community Governance: The protocol is governed by a decentralized community, ensuring that it is aligned with the interests of its users.

The Worst DeFi Projects: Red Flags and Cautionary Tales

Not all DeFi projects are created equal. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto. DeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equal measure. By: Cointelegraph Jordan Finneseth Title: 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in cryptoSome projects emerged during the craze that exhibited red flags, ultimately failing to deliver on their promises and leaving investors with significant losses. DeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equal measure. As 2025 comes to a close, it s a good time to reflect on the biggest crypto developments and the wild ride the sector took investors on.These projects serve as cautionary tales, highlighting the importance of due diligence and risk management in the DeFi space.

Yam Finance: A Cautionary Tale of Hype and Hubris

Yam Finance was one of the first popular yield farming projects, capturing the attention of the DeFi community with its high yields and innovative rebasing mechanism. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in cryptoHowever, the project was quickly plagued by a critical bug in its smart contract, leading to a massive sell-off and a significant loss of funds.Yam Finance serves as a reminder of the importance of thorough code audits and the risks associated with unaudited DeFi projects.

What went wrong with Yam?

Unaudited Code: The smart contract contained a critical bug that was not discovered before launch.
Overhyped: The project generated excessive hype, attracting investors who did not fully understand the risks involved.
Lack of Sustainability: The project's rebasing mechanism was unsustainable in the long run.

Projects Lacking Fundamental Value

Many projects during the DeFi craze lacked underlying fundamental value or real-world use cases.These projects often relied on unsustainable tokenomics, such as high inflation rates or Ponzi-like schemes, to attract users. As 2025 comes to a close, it s a good time to reflect on the biggest crypto developments and the wild ride the sector took investors on. At the beginning of the year, Bitcoin waWithout a solid foundation, these projects were inevitably short-lived, collapsing once the initial hype faded.

Characteristics of these projects included:

Unsustainable Tokenomics: High inflation rates or Ponzi-like structures that could not be sustained over time.
Lack of Use Case: No clear purpose or utility beyond speculation.
Copycat Projects: Simply cloned existing projects without adding any unique value.

The Fishiest DeFi Projects: Scams and Rug Pulls

Unfortunately, the DeFi space also attracted its fair share of scams and fraudulent projects. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto: DeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equalThese ""fishy"" projects were designed to exploit unsuspecting investors, often through deceptive marketing tactics and unaudited smart contracts. Rug pulls, where developers suddenly withdraw all liquidity from a project, leaving investors with worthless tokens, became a common occurrence.

How to Spot a ""Fishy"" Project

Protecting yourself from scams and rug pulls requires vigilance and a critical eye.Here are some red flags to watch out for:

Anonymous Team: Be wary of projects with anonymous or pseudonymous teams.While some legitimate projects may choose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, it's generally a sign of potential risk.
Unaudited Code: Never invest in projects with unaudited smart contracts.Code audits are essential for identifying vulnerabilities and potential exploits.
Unrealistic Promises: Be skeptical of projects that promise unrealistically high returns or guaranteed profits. DeFi projects aim to democratize finance, enhance financial freedom and privacy, and circumvent censorship. Most issue a native cryptocurrency token. As of 2025, DeFi is a $50 billion market, with the Ethereum blockchain dominating as the most widely used infrastructure. Why Invest in a DeFi Project? There are several reasons to considerIf it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Aggressive Marketing: Scammers often use aggressive marketing tactics to create hype and FOMO (fear of missing out).
Lack of Transparency: Be wary of projects that lack transparency about their technology, team, or tokenomics.
Sudden and Unexplained Price Spikes: While price volatility is normal in crypto, be cautious of sudden and dramatic price spikes, which could be a sign of manipulation.

Examples of Common Scams

Pump and Dump Schemes: These involve artificially inflating the price of a token through misleading marketing and then selling off their holdings for a profit, leaving other investors with losses.
Honey Pots: These are smart contracts that appear to allow anyone to deposit funds, but only the owner can withdraw them.
Phishing Attacks: Scammers often use phishing emails or websites to trick users into revealing their private keys or seed phrases.

Key Lessons Learned from the DeFi Craze

The DeFi craze of the 2020s was a period of intense innovation, experimentation, and, unfortunately, some significant losses.However, the experiences gained during this period have provided valuable lessons for both investors and developers.

Due Diligence is Crucial: Thoroughly research any DeFi project before investing. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in cryptoSource: CointelegraphPublished onUnderstand the technology, team, tokenomics, and risks involved.
Security Matters: Prioritize projects with audited smart contracts and robust security measures.
Understand the Risks: DeFi is a high-risk, high-reward environment. The summer of DeFi, as spectacular and consequential for the ecosystem as it was, was still a time of irrational exuberance and excesses, and nowhere is that more evident than in Yam Finance. The project was among the first popular yield farming projects and set the stage for the era of projects named after foods, or food tokens.Be prepared to lose your investment.
Diversify Your Portfolio: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.Diversify your investments across multiple DeFi projects.
Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the DeFi space.Follow reputable news sources and industry experts.

The Future of DeFi

Despite the challenges and setbacks, the future of DeFi remains bright. 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto 2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in crypto2025 s DeFi craze: The best, worst and fishiest projects in cryptoDeFi, like crypto as a whole, features brilliant and questionable projects in equal measure.By: Cointelegraph Jordan FinnesethTitle: 2025 sThe underlying principles of decentralization, transparency, and accessibility have the potential to revolutionize the financial industry.As the technology matures and regulatory frameworks become clearer, DeFi is poised to play an increasingly important role in the global economy.

Some key areas to watch for in the future of DeFi include:

Cross-Chain Compatibility: Bridging DeFi protocols across different blockchains to unlock new opportunities.
Institutional Adoption: Increased participation from institutional investors as the DeFi space matures.
Regulation: The development of clear and consistent regulatory frameworks to foster innovation and protect investors.
Layer-2 Solutions: Scaling solutions like Layer-2 networks to improve transaction speeds and reduce costs.
Real-World Asset Integration: Bringing real-world assets like stocks, bonds, and commodities onto the blockchain.

Conclusion: Navigating the DeFi Landscape

The 2020s DeFi craze was a period of explosive growth and innovation, but also one marked by risks and challenges.While many projects proved to be valuable contributors to the ecosystem, others were nothing more than hype-driven schemes or outright scams. La DeFi, come il settore crypto, presenta progetti geniali e discutibili in egual misura . Speciale nuovo anno . Mentre il 2025 volge al termine, diamo uno sguardo alAs an investor, it is critical to approach the DeFi landscape with caution, conducting thorough research and understanding the risks involved.By learning from the successes and failures of the past, we can build a more sustainable and secure future for decentralized finance.Remember that not every shiny new protocol is the next big thing. Focus on projects with strong fundamentals, security audits, and transparent teams. As 2025 comes to a close, it s a good time to reflect on the biggest crypto developments and the wild ride the sector took investors on. At the beginning of the year, Bitcoin (BTC) was hovering just above $7,000, and the top-ranked digital asset had started to gather steam as the block reward halving approached.Diversify your investments and always be prepared to lose what you invest.The future of finance is being written in code, but it's up to each of us to navigate this new world wisely.As you continue your journey in the world of DeFi, always remember: knowledge is your best defense, and responsible investing is the key to long-term success.