## What Is Curve Finance? Curve Finance is a [decentralized](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/decentralized) [liquidity pool](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/liquidity-pool) for [stablecoin](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/stablecoin) trading. Instead of an [order book](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/order-book), it uses an [AMM](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/automated-market-maker-amm) (automated market maker) model to match [liquidity](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/liquidity). As a decentralized and permissionless protocol, anyone can [provide](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/liquidity-provider-tokens-lp-tokens) liquidity to one or more of the [liquidity pools](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/liquidity-pool). The constant product formula of the AMM ensures maximum efficiency while incurring a minimum of [slippage](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/slippage) for traders. The Curve pools are [smart contracts](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/smart-contract) implementing the StableSwap invariant and enabling the exchange of two or more tokens. Token [swaps](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/token-swap) can be performed between paired stablecoins (Plain Pools) or between [wrapped](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-wrapped-ethereum-weth) tokens, with the underlying collateral lent out on another protocol (Lending Pools). Finally, Metapools pair stablecoins against LP-tokens from another pool. The protocol is available multi-chain — on [Ethereum](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/ethereum/), [Arbitrum](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-arbitrum-the-ultimate-guide-to-the-arbitrum-ecosystem), [Aurora](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/aurora-near/), [Avalanche](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/avalanche/), [Fantom](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/fantom/), [Harmony](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/harmony/), [Optimism](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-optimism-the-ultimate-guide-to-the-optimism-ecosystem), [Polygon](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/polygon/), [xDai](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/xdai/) and [Moonbeam](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/moonbeam/). Users typically have to [bridge](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/bridges) funds from Ethereum to these chains to use the Curve protocol. Due to its systemic importance for [decentralized finance](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/defi) (DeFi), the protocol has attracted several other protocols fighting over its [governance](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/governance) in the so-called [Curve Wars](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/curve-wars-and-the-emergency-dao). ## Who Is the Curve Finance Founder? Curve Finance was founded by Michael Egorov, the former co-founder and CTO of NuCypher, a cryptocurrency infrastructure protocol. He also founded LoanCoin, a decentralized bank and loans network. Before his work in the cryptocurrency industry, Egorov studied at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the Swinburne University of Technology. ## When Did Curve Finance Launch? Curve Finance was launched in June 2020, amidst the so-called DeFi Summer, and is considered one of the core building blocks of the nascent [DeFi](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/defi) sector. ## Where Is Curve Finance Located? According to CBInsights, Curve Finance has its headquarters in Switzerland. ## Curve Finance Restricted Countries At the time of writing, there is no information about possible restricted countries. However, users from countries under US financial sanctions may be subject to geoblocking. ## Curve Finance Supported Coins List The exchange supports liquidity pools for major stablecoins like [DAI](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/multi-collateral-dai/), [USDC](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/usd-coin/), [USDT](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/tether/), [FRAX](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/frax/) and [TUSD](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/trueusd/). It also offers swaps between wrapped tokens like [wBTC](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/wrapped-bitcoin/), [wETH](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/weth/) and [stETH](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/steth/) (a derivative of staked Ether native to [Lido](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/lido-dao/)). ## How Much Are Curve Finance Fees? According to the protocol, the standard fee on all pools is 0.04%. Half of the fee goes to liquidity providers, the other half to veCRV holders. veCRV holders receive enhanced governance rights in return for [staking](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/staking) their tokens for fixed periods of time. ## Is It Possible To Use Leverage or Margin Trade on Curve Finance? This exchange offers only token swaps and thus does not have leverage or margin trading.