Curve DEX
Best for audited, multi-chain deployment
How it rates
- Audit report linked from a public dataset
- Documentation published at a public address
- Deployed across 31 chains
- Several indicators could not be verified from public sources at this check
Each indicator scores 2, 1 or 0. A pillar is the points earned over the points available; the overall score is the weighted sum. Every source below is public — check any of them yourself.
- MetIndependent audit published with a linked report
Audit report linked from the public protocol dataset.
docs.curve.finance/references/audits/ - Met
- MetProtocol tracked by an independent analytics platform
Listed with published TVL and history.
defillama.com/protocol/curve-dex - Met
- Met
- MetDocumentation published where fees are described
Documentation reachable for fee review.
docs.curve.finance/ - Met
- MetIndependent dataset publishes protocol economics
TVL and change history published independently.
defillama.com/protocol/curve-dex - PartialFee model documented publicly
Documentation available; specific fee tiers not captured at this check.
docs.curve.finance/ - Met
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- Met
- PartialListed on the independent dataset for over a year
Listing date recorded in the dataset.
defillama.com/protocol/curve-dex
- MetIndependent analytics page published
Public protocol page with history.
defillama.com/protocol/curve-dex - Met
- Met
- MetProtocol identity and chains disclosed
Chains and category published: Dexs.
defillama.com/protocol/curve-dex - Met
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The standard venue for trading between similar assets, using the stableswap invariant across 31 chains, with $1.30bn locked and linked audit reports.
Our assessment
Curve is where you trade one dollar-pegged asset for another, or one staked-ETH derivative for another, with minimal slippage. Its stableswap invariant is a different piece of mathematics from a constant-product AMM, and it holds $1.30bn across 31 chains at this check.
Why the maths matters
A constant-product AMM prices two assets as if they could diverge infinitely, which is wrong when both are meant to be worth a dollar. Stableswap concentrates liquidity near parity and only behaves like a normal AMM when the peg breaks. That single design choice is why almost all stablecoin routing in DeFi passes through Curve.
The July 2023 Vyper exploit
Several pools were drained after a reentrancy vulnerability in specific versions of the Vyper compiler — not in Curve's own contracts. Roughly $70m was taken and a substantial portion was later returned. It remains one of the clearest demonstrations that a protocol's security includes the tools it was compiled with, and it belongs in any honest assessment.
Governance is the other thing to understand
veCRV vote-escrow locks tokens for up to four years in exchange for voting power over emissions, which created an entire market in buying that influence. It aligns long-term holders and concentrates decision-making among those able to lock capital for years. Both effects are real.
Who it suits
Curve fits anyone swapping between stablecoins or between staking derivatives, and liquidity providers who want minimal divergence exposure. Volatile pairs belong on Uniswap or PancakeSwap.
How rivals compare
Frequently asked
Does this score mean Curve DEX is safe to use?
No. It measures what an outsider can verify: linked audits, published documentation and independently recorded market data. Contract behaviour is not tested by us.
Where does the TVL figure come from?
An independent public analytics platform, queried at the verification date. Anyone can re-run the same query.
Why do some protocols score zero on audits?
Because no audit report is linked in the public dataset. It records what a user can reach, not a claim that no audit was ever performed.