This Week in DeFi: Slow Start to Uptober
This Week in DeFi: Slow Start to Uptober
🐢 Uptober's stumbling start?
International tensions led to a bearish start for crypto this week, with ETH facing additional pressure from decreased L1 activity and fees.
Key developments:
- SWIFT to trial digital asset transactions with banks in 2025
- Synthetix community approves major governance change
- EigenLayer token debuts with $7B valuation
- FTX creditors approve reorganization plan
- Solana DEX volumes surpass Ethereum again
- Japan to review crypto financial regulations
Despite the slow start, the DeFi ecosystem continues to evolve with significant governance changes, new token launches, and regulatory developments shaping the landscape.
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 Can you believe it’s already Friday again? Time flies when you’re busy… Let’s take a look at what happened this week in DeFi 👀
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 Economic and geopolitical fears sent crypto tumbling on Monday, before it started to recover during the week - Nearly 275K crypto traders were liquidated @unusual_whales - Digital assets had over $500M in outflows @beincrypto 1/6
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 After last week’s wild ride, this week was relatively quiet as crypto and DeFi started to recover - Grayscale Ethereum Trust posted its first daily inflow after 2 weeks straight of outflows - Coinbase teased its cbBTC launch 👀
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 From a cease and desist against @Uniswap to a hack on a protocol in the @pendle_fi ecosystem, it was another eventful week in DeFi Let’s dig in ⛏️
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 Back in New England, they say if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes. Well the same could be said about crypto…
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 The Federal Reserve cutting rates helped bring crypto bulls back to life, and this translated to another busy week in DeFi 🚀
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 There’s never a shortage of news in DeFi! Here’s what happened this week ✍️
🐢 This Week in DeFi 🐢 Total Value Locked (TVL) across DeFi stayed stable at around $84.8B with liquid staking, restaking, and lending commanding much of the TVL
🗺️ Onchain Risk Map Launches: Six-Dimension Framework for DeFi Risk Assessment
A new institutional framework for understanding blockchain risk is launching February 11th. The **Onchain Risk Map** categorizes onchain risk across six core dimensions: - Custody - Transactions - Protocols - Digital Assets - Staking - Systemic Risk Built in collaboration with OpenCover, this comprehensive taxonomy aims to help risk professionals, protocols, and institutional DeFi users navigate the complex landscape of decentralized finance. **Launch Event Details:** - Date: February 11, 2026 - Time: 17:00 CET - Format: Live webinar with expert Q&A - Platforms: X (Twitter) and LinkedIn - Featuring experts from the project team The framework represents the first comprehensive approach to categorizing DeFi risk for institutional use. Attendees will receive priority access to the full report and recording. [Join the launch event](https://nexusmutual.io) for a detailed walkthrough of the framework and the opportunity to ask questions directly to the development team.
🛡️ Digital Asset Risk Management Panel at DAF Global
A panel discussion on risk management for digital assets is taking place at DAF Global, featuring industry experts from leading organizations. **Panel participants include:** - Hugh Karp from [Nexus Mutual](https://nexusmutual.io) - Simon Peters from Xerberus - Laeeq Shabbir from EY - Darren Jordan from Komainu Custody - José Ángel Fernández Freire from Prosegur Global The session focuses on strategies and practices essential for long-term survival in the digital asset space, covering critical aspects of protecting and managing crypto holdings.
Nexus Mutual Reports Strong January with Product Milestones and Risk Expertise Focus
Nexus Mutual released its January 2026 monthly update, highlighting key developments across product integrations and DeFi risk management. **Key Updates:** - Product milestones and new integrations completed - DeFi risk insights and legal analysis published - Ecosystem updates and events coverage The protocol also published analysis on building risk expertise in DeFi, arguing that trust in code alone is insufficient. Their approach combines: - Transparent onchain data - Expert networks for risk assessment - Collaborative rather than competitive risk sharing Full details available in their [monthly recap](https://nexusmutual.io/blog/nexus-mutual-monthly-january-2026) and [risk expertise analysis](https://nexusmutual.io/blog/why-defi-needs-real-risk-expertise).
DeFi Risk Briefing: Protecting Institutional Capital in Crypto
A DeFi risk management discussion is scheduled for January 22nd, featuring industry experts Hugh Karp and tokendata. The briefing will cover: - Vault security and architecture - Institutional participation in DeFi - Recent hacks and vulnerabilities - Claims processes and risk mitigation The session aims to address the critical challenge of maintaining institutional confidence in decentralized finance as traditional players enter the space. [Join the discussion](https://x.com/i/spaces/1ynJOMBYWLAKR)
Nexus Mutual Releases Q4 Report on DeFi Risk and Claims
Nexus Mutual has published **The Nexus Review**, their Q4 and 2025 wrap-up report covering DeFi risk management and claims processing. The report, introduced by Hugh Karp, emphasizes the protocol's consistent approach to onchain risk. Key areas covered include: - DeFi risk assessment and management - Claims processing and payouts - Vault operations - Institutional adoption trends The full report is available at [docs.nexusmutual.io](https://docs.nexusmutual.io/bookshelf/NM_Q4_REPORT.pdf)