Michael Bentley (Euler) on Modular Lending (EP.552)
Aug 15, 2024
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Michael Bentley, Co-Founder & CEO of Euler, shares his journey from research scientist to crypto lending innovator. He discusses the evolution of decentralized lending, highlighting the launch of Euler v2 and its modular approach to finance. Bentley dives into the interplay of DeFi and biological concepts, explaining autonomous interest rate settings. He reflects on resilience learned from a significant security exploit and touches on the future of DeFi with growing institutional involvement and new innovations like Uniswap v4.
Michael Bentley discusses the evolution of decentralized lending, emphasizing the importance of spontaneous interest rate emergence compared to centralized finance.
The resilience of the Euler team in overcoming a significant security exploit led to improved security practices and the development of Euler V2.
Deep dives
Michael Bentley's Journey into Crypto
Michael Bentley, the founder of Euler, began his journey into the world of cryptocurrency in 2015 as a skeptic but became intrigued by Ethereum in 2017. His background as a research scientist at the University of Oxford, focusing on mathematical modeling of biological populations, provided him with a strong foundation in game theory and system dynamics. Bentley’s experience led him to participate in hackathons, where he met his co-founder Doug and they developed their ideas around a decentralized lending protocol. This collaboration peaked during the pandemic, ultimately resulting in the launch of Euler in 2021.
The Unique Approach of Euler in DeFi
Euler is a decentralized crypto lending and borrowing platform that aims to improve interest rate discovery without centralized control. Bentley and his team focused on creating a protocol that would allow spontaneous interest rate emergence, contrasting traditional finance where rates are usually set by centralized entities. They also recognized the need for permissionless markets, particularly for a wider range of digital assets beyond leading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The protocol was designed to improve user experience by providing unique features like batch transaction processing, enabling users to execute complex trades more easily.
Learning from Security Challenges
Euler faced a significant challenge with a security exploit that resulted in the loss of $200 million worth of assets shortly after Bentley's son was born. Despite the setback, the team demonstrated remarkable resilience and camaraderie, working together to recover a portion of the stolen assets. This event prompted a thorough examination of their security practices leading to the development of Euler V2, which incorporates comprehensive testing and auditing. The lessons learned reinforced the team's commitment to security and improved their protocols to ensure a more robust system moving forward.
Future Prospects and Institutional Adoption
As the DeFi landscape evolves, there is growing optimism regarding institutional adoption, suggesting a new wave of users may emerge over the next few years. Bentley highlights that institutions are already exploring decentralized finance, as seen with BlackRock's recent initiatives, indicating a shift towards integrating traditional asset classes into the crypto market. Euler’s V2 aims to capitalize on this momentum by offering innovative solutions for lending and borrowing real-world assets. Bentley's vision emphasizes that as the sector matures, it will continue to see advancements in user experience and functional capabilities, making it more appealing to both individual and institutional investors.