Ethereum and DeFi are forcing smart contract platforms to evolve.

[Malam90]

Smart contract platforms are evolving, with DeFi at the center of it all — but the Ethereum factor is impossible to ignore.

The decentralized finance movement was a ticking time bomb waiting to detonate when it finally exploded in 2020. From automated market makers to the industry’s current obsession with liquidity mining, DeFi has grown leaps and bounds over the last year.

Most decentralized finance applications are deployed on the Ethereum blockchain, bringing billions of dollars onto the network and pushing it to its maximum operational threshold. While the capabilities of the underlying network may seem like the only thing holding DeFi back, Ethereum isn’t slacking either.

As Ethereum 2.0 gears up for its transition, there’s a lot in store for 2021. Both DeFi and Ether (ETH) have been doing exceptionally well, with the native Ethereum token recently retracing its all-time high and even reaching a $2,000 valuation.

While some vocal community members believe this pump is the result of a bubble similar to the initial coin offering boom of 2017, there are many reasons to think this isn’t the case.  Source Link