MakerDAO

MakerDAO is one of the oldest and most prominent projects in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. Founded in 2015 by Rune Christensen, its mission is to create a transparent and inclusive global financial system. The core of the project is the Maker Protocol, which governs the generation of Dai, a decentralized stablecoin soft-pegged to the US Dollar. Users can generate Dai by locking approved crypto assets (like ETH) as collateral in smart contracts known as Maker Vaults. The protocol is governed by holders of its governance token, MKR, who vote on critical parameters such as stability fees and collateral types to ensure the stability and health of the Dai stablecoin. The original Maker Foundation, which bootstrapped the project, was formally dissolved in 2021 to transition the project to full decentralization.