Pendle Finance: Core Principles

(Source: pendle_fi)
Pendle Finance is a decentralized finance protocol specializing in the segmentation of yield-generating crypto assets. It converts a single asset into two distinct, independently tradable tokens:
- Principal Token (PT): Represents the asset’s principal. At maturity, investors redeem PT at a 1:1 ratio, functioning similarly to a zero-coupon bond. Conservative investors can use PT to seek stable returns.
- Yield Token (YT): Grants the holder rights to all yield generated by the asset before maturity. Market interest rates influence YT’s price, so investors focused on speculation or interest rate hedging may find YT suitable.
This structure allows investors to tailor their investment approach based on individual risk appetite and return objectives.
How Pendle Works
Pendle Finance operates through the following core steps:
- Asset Packaging and Standardization
Yield-generating assets (such as stETH or other Liquid Staking Tokens) are wrapped into standardized yield tokens (SY). - Token Splitting
Pendle splits SY into PT and YT, enabling separate trading of principal and yield components. - Yield and Principal Management
- PT holders redeem the principal at maturity.
- YT holders receive all yield generated before maturity and can freely trade these tokens or deploy them in various strategies.
Key Advantages and Use Cases
Pendle delivers a range of investment strategies and application scenarios:
- Strategy Flexibility:
Conservative investors can lock in fixed returns with PT. Aggressive investors can use YT to capitalize on interest rate volatility. - Interest Rate Trading:
Users can take long or short positions on interest rates directly on-chain, effectively hedging against rate fluctuations. - Enhanced Capital Efficiency:
PT serves as collateral across other protocols and increases capital utilization and flexibility. - Foundational layer:
Many new projects leverage Pendle as the base for building yield strategies.
Integration with the Open Gas Initiative
According to PANews, ETHGas has launched the Open Gas Initiative. The program provides gas subsidies without requiring code, helping protocols lower user transaction costs. This improves the on-chain experience.
- The initiative is currently live on Ethereum mainnet. Expansion is planned to BNB, Base, and Arbitrum.
- Initially integrated protocols include EigenLayer, ether.fi, Pendle, and Velvet Capital.
- Infrastructure partners GasHawk and Blocknative deliver transaction optimization and data analytics support.
This integration further increases Pendle’s usability and capital efficiency within the DeFi ecosystem.
To learn more about Web3, visit https://www.gate.com/ to register.
Conclusion
Pendle Finance’s innovative token splitting mechanism empowers investors with flexible strategy choices, supports interest rate trading, and enhances capital efficiency. Its partnership with the Open Gas Initiative further demonstrates Pendle’s commitment to improving the on-chain user experience, solidifying its unique competitive position in the DeFi sector.