Gearbox

Gearbox Protocol is an advanced DeFi credit layer offering users the power of up to 10x composable leverage across leading protocols without compromising custody or complexity. Built with modularity and composability at its core, Gearbox enables both passive lenders and active borrowers to participate in the same ecosystem under a secure and decentralized architecture. Lenders deposit single-asset liquidity into risk-segmented pools to earn passive, risk-adjusted yields, while leverage users borrow those assets via isolated Credit Accounts—self-contained smart wallets designed for safety, abstraction, and seamless interaction with external protocols.

The protocol does not silo liquidity. Instead, Gearbox users can deploy borrowed funds across integrated protocols like Uniswap, Curve, Yearn, Lido, Convex, Balancer, and more—without leaving the Gearbox interface. This deep integration allows for spot margin trading, yield farming, leverage staking, delta-neutral strategies, and other advanced use cases. With V3, Gearbox introduced multicall batching for 1-click interactions, automated routing via smart routers, segmented pools, and improved adapter architecture. The result is a full-stack prime brokerage experience with unprecedented UX in DeFi.

Unlike traditional platforms, Gearbox avoids synthetic perpetuals and funding rates. Leverage is executed with real assets across DeFi, meaning your strategies are capital-efficient and fully transparent. Risk isolation ensures every user has their own Credit Account, so no shared-pool exposure exists, making liquidation processes cleaner and reducing contagion. Credit Accounts are permissionless and can be extended for NFT leverage, RWA strategies, or DAOs looking to plug into Gearbox to offer their users integrated credit infrastructure.

Security has been a cornerstone since inception. With over $3M invested in audits and bug bounties, the protocol has been live since 2021 with zero bad debt. Secured by firms like Chaos Labs, Sigma Prime, and PeckShield, the protocol is under constant scrutiny. Gearbox also empowers the GEAR DAO, which governs upgrades, parameters, and funding transparently, with no central entity or admin key.

As a composable infrastructure layer, Gearbox can be integrated into any DeFi app as a backend module—think “leverage as a service.” This opens the door to an entirely new category of tools that can plug into the protocol to offer embedded leverage to their users. Competitors such as Aave, and MakerDAO offer lending primitives, but none match Gearbox’s execution of modular, composable, and user-directed leverage across the DeFi stack.

Gearbox Protocol offers powerful benefits and features that make it a leading solution in the DeFi leverage infrastructure landscape:

• Composable Leverage: Deploy up to 10x leverage across protocols like Uniswap, Curve, Yearn, Lido, and more—executing complex strategies without leaving your wallet.
• Credit Account Abstraction: Every user has an isolated smart contract wallet, providing risk isolation and allowing custom financial strategies while keeping funds secure.
• One-Click Interactions: Batch multiple DeFi actions like swaps, staking, and farming into a single transaction using the built-in multicall engine.
• Permissionless Architecture: Anyone can lend, borrow, or integrate Gearbox into their protocol—offering “leverage as a service” for other DeFi apps and DAOs.
• Integrated Security: Gearbox has no history of bad debt, is audited by top-tier firms, and features active bug bounty programs, live monitoring, and DAO-managed parameters.
• Yield Without Liquidation: Lenders earn passive yield with no impermanent loss and no risk of liquidation, supported by organic rate models and segmented pools.
• DAO Governance: All changes and protocol operations are managed transparently by the GEAR DAO, with no centralized admin key or backdoor control.
• Modular & Open Source: The protocol is highly extensible, with adaptable smart contracts and adapters that can be composed for new asset classes like NFTs and RWAs.

Getting started with Gearbox Protocol is straightforward and designed for both DeFi power users and passive yield seekers:

• Visit the official app: Head to the Gearbox Protocol website and click on “Open App” to access the platform.
• Connect your wallet: Use a supported wallet such as MetaMask, WalletConnect, or others to connect to Gearbox. The platform supports Ethereum Mainnet and several L2s.
• Choose your role: Decide whether you want to act as a lender (to earn passive yields) or a borrower (to use leverage). You can switch roles at any time.
• Deposit assets: As a lender, deposit ETH, BTC, or stablecoins into segmented pools to start earning risk-adjusted APYs without fear of liquidation.
• Open a Credit Account: As a borrower, you can open a Credit Account with your initial collateral and gain access to up to 10x leverage.
• Execute strategies: Use your Credit Account to interact with third-party protocols like Curve, Yearn, Lido, Uniswap, and more. Farm, stake, trade, or compose custom DeFi strategies with a single click.
• Track performance: Manage your health factor, monitor your positions, and rebalance—all from the dashboard with transparent data and no hidden logic.
• Participate in the DAO: Join the GEAR DAO to vote on protocol parameters, propose features, or contribute to community discussions. Everything is open-source and transparent.
• Stay secure: Review audit reports, use permissioned bots with caution, and follow the latest updates on Gearbox’s official resources and social channels.