Is crypto lending halal? What about earning yield on platforms like Aave or Compound?
Question context
CoinStudy's answer
Research opinion from the CoinStudy Sharia team. Not a fatwa.
Crypto lending is Haram across all forms. Our Shariah Board Chairman confirmed: "Taking profit on a loan is Haram in Islamic jurisprudence." This applies to centralized platforms like Nexo, DeFi protocols like Aave and Compound, exchange earn programs with advertised APY rates, and collateralized loans where you are the borrower. The blockchain implementation does not change the economic relationship. Depositing capital and receiving a proportional return over time is Riba regardless of whether it happens in a bank or a smart contract. The variable rate does not make it permissible. The source of the return, which is interest paid by borrowers, is what determines the ruling.
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