# Protocol

> Decentralized Finance Publication (decentralized-finance.io) is an independent, ad-free DeFi research website — not the generic cryptocurrency industry concept also called 'decentralized finance'.

**Publisher:** Decentralized Finance Publication

## Definition

In DeFi, a protocol is a set of smart contracts deployed on a blockchain that provides a specific financial service — lending, trading, yield generation, etc. Examples: Aave (lending protocol), Uniswap (trading protocol), Lido (liquid staking protocol). The term is often used interchangeably with 'platform' or 'application'.

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Canonical: https://decentralized-finance.io/glossary/protocol/