Summary
vaultsNG merges the vaults and curation teams into a single team that develops and operates Yearn Vaults, Curation, and Flex.
- Request: $208,000 for 12 weeks (Oct 16, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027).
- Cost: 50% less than the previous vaults and curation requests combined, excluding audits. We expect to cut further over the next one to two BRs, at a pace that keeps the transition responsible.
- Focus: advance yvUSD and yvETH, launch yTranche, curate Morpho vaults and markets, and build out Flex.
- Upside: new revenue from yTranche and Flex: the FLEX token, yvUSDx and yvETHx (yvUSD and yvETH looped on Flex), yield-bearing stocks, and routing more of Yearn’s lending through Flex instead of external markets like Aave.
Scope
Fund vaultsNG, the team developing and operating Yearn Vaults, Yearn Curation, and Flex.
vaultsNG succeeds the vaults team, and the curation team merges into it.
The scope covers smart contracts and strategies, Morpho vaults and market curation, new Flex markets, UIs, backend services, infrastructure, security, risk monitoring, protocol risk reports, and the FLEX token and DAO.
Product development, business development, and legal/access work will proceed in parallel to grow usage and capitalize on the emerging DeFi/TradFi merge and its opportunities.
Plan
1) Vaults
Manage vault allocations and evaluate new yield opportunities and associated risks.
Advance yvUSD and yvETH, launch yTranche, and expand availability on L2s.
Develop new strategies and integrations that drive adoption and revenue.
2) Curation
Manage Yearn’s curated Morpho vaults and markets, vetting and adjusting markets in real time.
Deploy new Morpho vaults and markets, and add support for new chains.
Keep up with Morpho updates: deploy new adapters, add Morpho Midnight fixed-rate markets to vaults, and optimize allocations to them.
Work with ecosystems that want to bring Yearn’s curation services to their users, and run TVL incentive programs for curated vaults.
3) Flex
Develop and maintain Flex contracts, new markets, UI, backend services, bots, and infrastructure.
Develop and launch the FLEX token and DAO, including governance and incentive mechanisms.
Build integrations connecting Flex, Yearn vaults, and partner ecosystems.
4) Business Development
Collaborate with partners to deepen existing integrations and grow usage of Yearn products.
Pursue and close deals with new ecosystems and institutions looking to integrate Yearn vaults, curation, or Flex.
Run TVL incentive programs, educate partners on Yearn’s offerings, and represent Yearn on Twitter, spaces, podcasts, and events.
5) Legal & Access
Pursue opportunities where access depends on legal and regulatory solutions.
Evaluate CLARITY and the broader regulatory landscape, identifying ways to capitalize on DeFi/TradFi convergence.
Work with counsel to establish viable access routes for new strategies, assets, integrations, and distribution.
6) Operations & Security
Complete the transition of responsibilities from vaults to vaultsNG and align SMS, SAM, and WebOps around a shared roadmap.
Maintain security reviews, internal audits, bug bounty programs, monitoring, and production infrastructure.
Keep risk reports up to date for markets, assets, and protocols Yearn strategies use, add new reports with monitoring as needed, and maintain the risk scores that set strategy deposit limits.
Deliver support for yTranche vaults in the Yearn UI, and maintain interfaces (including the curation website), data services, documentation, support, and marketing.
Review recurring expenses and identify opportunities to further reduce costs.
7) New Product Exploration
Develop yvUSDx and yvETHx, vaults that loop yvUSD and yvETH on Flex and also use yTranche, offering higher yields than yvUSD and yvETH.
Explore yield-bearing stocks using yvUSD and Flex markets.
Assess technical, economic, and legal feasibility, alongside broader distribution opportunities.
Team
- SMS (johnny, dudesahn, wavey)
- SAM (spalen, tapir)
- WebOps (ross, daniil)
- Production engineering (matheus, marco)
- ySupport (J, barry)
Funding
- Total: $208,000
- SAM: $73,500
- SMS: $56,000
- Production engineering: $35,500
- WebOps: $34,500
- ySupport: $8,500
Compared with the previous vaults and curation requests combined:
- Total funding is reduced from $526,962 to $223,000 (90-day equivalent, before adjusting to the 84-day period).
- Excluding audits, funding is reduced from $446,962 to $223,000.
- This represents a 50% reduction in core funding.
Timeline
Oct 16, 2026 - Jan 7, 2027 (12 weeks)
Wallet address
0x74AccF0E223197b676C3CE5958a96daC18FE6412
Reporting
Report against deliverables at term end.