Bitwise Debuts First DeFi Fund Amid Boom in Crypto Frontier (1)

Exposure to one of the fastest growing and most controversial corners of the crypto world is now available in an index fund format.

The Bitwise DeFi Crypto Index Fund launched on Wednesday, according to a statement from Bitwise Asset Management. The fund will track companies and securities involved in what’s been referred to as decentralized finance, in which people borrow and lend money from each other directly, without intermediaries such as banks.

Decentralized finance -- known as DeFi -- has boomed in use, with some of the more popular applications including instant borrowing known as flash loans and the arbitrage ...