Curve DAO is a decentralized organization that controls Curve Finance, an automated market maker and decentralized exchange that focuses on swapping Ethereum-based digital assets, particularly stablecoins. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, stablecoins are often pegged to an underlying asset, which allows them to maintain price stability even during extreme market movements.
Built on the Ethereum blockchain, the Curve platform is fully automated and supports multiple cryptocurrencies and ERC-20 tokens. Curve features pools of crypto assets, known as liquidity pools, that users contribute to with "loans" to the platform for a set period of time in order to earn fees.
Users earn CRV, which is the Curve DAO's native token, by adding stablecoins to liquidity pools that traders can then buy and sell. By supporting stablecoins like USDT, USDC and PAX that are pegged to the U.S. dollar, or wBTC that tracks the price of Bitcoin, Curve differentiates itself from other automated market makers.
The CRV token powers the ecosystem and gives holders voting rights on decisions concerning the platform. Users who hold CRV tokens for the longest time have more weight when it comes to voting rights on issues such as rewards and new assets to be added to the platform.
As the protocol mainly supports stablecoins, exposure to extreme market volatility is much lower and instances of impermanent loss are also reduced. However, as with all automated market makers, there are inherent risks users should be aware of.