Venus is an algorithmic money market and synthetic stablecoin protocol exclusively developed on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). It allows users to engage in high-speed borrowing against collateral while minimizing transaction fees. Additionally, users can mint VAI stablecoins almost instantaneously by posting at least 200% collateral to the Venus smart contract.
Venus operates on the Binance Smart Chain using a hybrid consensus mechanism called Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) which combines Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of Authority (PoA). It integrates functionalities from existing DeFi projects like Compound and MakerDAO to facilitate lending, borrowing, and minting stablecoins. The XVS token is used for governance within the Venus ecosystem, letting holders vote on important changes and protocol upgrades.
Venus serves multiple financial functions, such as decentralized lending and borrowing, synthetic stablecoin creation, and liquidity mining. It is also integrated into gaming ecosystems to support in-game purchases and transactions through collaborations with platforms such as EggDrop and GOMBLE Games. Furthermore, it offers liquidity mining and yield farming, enhancing cross-chain compatibility in the DeFi space.
Launched in 2020 by Swipe, a prominent cryptocurrency credit card issuer, Venus was created to link traditional and decentralised finance. Major events in its history include its CertiK audit in December 2020, and a significant V4 upgrade in November 2022, which improved risk management and governance. It was developed by drawing insights from platforms such as Compound and MakerDAO and has maintained a strong market presence with integrations across various DeFi platforms.