Full Case Study
Project breakdown
Key Takeaway
A DeFi protocol startup launched a yield optimization vault on Arbitrum. ERC-4626 compliant with pluggable Aave, Compound, and Morpho strategies. Trail of Bits audit. 3-of-5 Gnosis Safe. $15M TVL in 90 days. $76,000 protocol revenue in first 90 days. Key growth driver: Yearn-compatible interface enabled automatic listing on yield aggregators.
Client:
DeFi protocol startup (confidential — active protocol)
Use case:
Yield optimization vault — automatically compounding yield across Aave, Compound, and Morpho
Blockchain:
Arbitrum One
Timeline:
22 weeks from kickoff to mainnet
Investment:
$195,000 development + $45,000 security audit
Architecture
ERC-4626 compliant vault. Pluggable strategy system (AAVE strategy, Compound strategy, Morpho strategy). Automated keeper network (Chainlink Automation) for harvest triggers. UUPS upgradeable proxy with 48-hour timelock.
Security: Trail of Bits audit. 3-of-5 Gnosis Safe for protocol admin. Emergency pause with 1-hour timelock.
Results (90 Days Post-Launch)
| Metric | Day 30 | Day 60 | Day 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TVL | $2.1M | $7.4M | $15.2M |
| Unique depositors | 189 | 412 | 847 |
| Protocol revenue (cumulative) | $8,400 | $29,600 | $76,000 |
| APY delivered to users | 5.8% | 6.2% | 5.9% |
What Drove TVL Growth
Yearn-compatible interface:
Implementing ERC-4626 made the vault automatically compatible with yield aggregators that auto-route to highest-yielding vaults. Convex-equivalent protocol listed our vault in week 6 — this drove $3.2M of the $7.4M day-60 TVL.
Transparency:
Publishing weekly oracle health reports and daily TVL metrics (via Dune dashboard) built trust faster than marketing.
