When you plant a tree, you don’t expect it to drop fruit the same day. But give it sunlight, water, and time, and eventually, it bears fruit. Some trees even keep producing year after year, feeding you season after season. That’s exactly what yield farming is like in DeFi.
Yield farming turns your idle tokens into productive assets that generate returns over time.
You’re planting your tokens instead of seeds. And instead of fruits, what grows are rewards, in the form of trading fees, governance tokens, or incentives from the protocol.

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What Is Yield Farming

Yield farming is a process where you put your idle tokens to work in DeFi protocols so that they earn you interest over time.
Think of yield farming as putting your money in a high yield savings account, but with potentially much higher returns and risks.
Instead of allowing your tokens to sit in your wallet, you can deposit them into DeFi platforms and earn a share of what the platform earns from using your money, and sometimes extra bonuses when the platform provides them.

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Where Does the Yield Come From?

Depending on the protocol’s design, they may earn fees, and the yield could be derived from a revenue split to incentivize (or, in some cases, bribe) you to deposit your tokens, allowing them to earn more and share it with you.
Always understand where the yield comes from. Sustainable protocols generate revenue from real economic activity.
Protocol TypeHow It Generates Yield
DEX (Decentralized Exchange)Charges trading fees on token swaps.
AMM (Automated Market Maker)Collects swap fees from liquidity pool trades.
Lending / BorrowingEarns interest paid by borrowers.
Analytics PlatformsGenerates revenue from subscriptions, API access, or token gating.
Liquid StakingCollects staking rewards from the underlying network.
Perps Trading PlatformsCharges trading and funding fees on leveraged perpetual contracts.
Yield Farming ProtocolsOffers protocol-native incentives (tokens) to attract liquidity.
AggregatorsTakes a cut from routed trades or yield strategies.
Stablecoin ProtocolsEarns fees from minting, redeeming, or yield on collateral reserves.
CLOBs (Central Limit Order Books)Collects maker/taker fees from order execution.
Leverage FarmingGenerates interest and liquidation fees from leveraged users.
Yield Trading ProtocolsEarns via trading fees and spread on yield derivatives or future yield contracts.
Cross-Chain BridgesCharges bridging and relayer fees when moving assets across chains.
Some platforms stack multiple sources of revenue, such as a DEX with a staking token that earns a cut of fees, as well as benefits from governance votes. Others focus purely on one aspect, such as lending protocols or earning interest. It is your responsibility to ensure the protocol generates fees/revenue from real economic activity before depositing your tokens. Some protocols may be running a Ponzi scheme where they pay with newer users’ money, and that is not sustainable
Beware of unsustainably high APYs (>100%). They often indicate token inflation or Ponzi like mechanics that will eventually collapse.