Maple and Elwood Join Forces to Expand Institutional Crypto Credit On-Chain
Maple Finance with Elwood Technologies to expand access to institutional-grade crypto credit markets on-chain, aiming to bridge traditional finance and decentralized lending.
Under the agreement, Maple will integrate Elwood’s infrastructure for connectivity, execution, portfolio management, and risk tools.
The collaboration will enable institutions to access Maple’s on-chain credit products—such as structured and secured lending—with the identical oversight and compliance mechanisms they expect from traditional finance.
“Credit is the missing piece in crypto’s institutional adoption story,” said Chris Lawn, CEO of Elwood Technologies. “By combining Maple’s origination and lending expertise with our infrastructure, we’re giving institutions the confidence and scalability they need to participate.”
Sid Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, added that the partnership strengthens Maple’s mission to build transparent and scalable lending markets. “Working with Elwood allows us to provide institutional investors with the infrastructure they require while extending access to new on-chain credit opportunities,” he said.
The initiative comes at a time when institutional demand for yield diversification and transparent lending products is rising. While DeFi has viewn significant innovation, risk management and compliance remain hurdles for larger financial players.
By pairing Maple’s lending platform with Elwood’s risk and portfolio tools, the companies aim to create a foundation that mirrors the standards of traditional markets.
If successful, the Maple–Elwood collaboration could open the door for more banks, asset managers, and institutional investors to enter on-chain credit markets, potentially unlocking new liquidity and accelerating DeFi’s integration with global finance.
remains one of the leading protocols in the DeFi landscape, valued at about $2.593 billion. Since inception, the company has raised $17.7 million and projects annualized fees of $88.21 million.
This rapid growth since its launch in the first quarter of this year highlights why its partnerships continue to scale. At publication time, the protocol’s native token had a market capitalization of roughly $427 million, trading at $0.38 per unit.
Following the announcement, the token recorded a 2.5% gain from its previous daily close.
DeFi Market Is Booming
The DeFi market continues to expand with several protocols supporting a range of financial activities similar to those in traditional markets but with added benefits.
According to DeFiLlama, the sector is now worth $155.35 billion. The on-chain credit market has grown significantly, with protocols like Morpho and JustLend ranking 8th and 14th globally, valued at $7.058 billion and $4.87 billion respectively—a clear signs of sustained growth.
Institutional interest in channeling capital into niche blockchain sectors has risen despite tightening regulatory frameworks, particularly from the United States and .
Beyond credit markets, other protocols have thrived. , now boasts a valuation above $14 billion and revenue of $9.78 million.
Notably, YiZi Labs, the family fund of Binance’s former CEO Changpeng Zhao “CZ,” as the company prepares to launch the USTA stablecoin, aiming to compete with established issuers like Tether in the United States.
