Project 0: The Largest DeFi Prime Broker, Only Possible on Solana

A new breed of DeFi infrastructure is emerging on Solana, and it's bringing Wall Street-style prime brokerage services to the blockchain. Project Zero, which launched just three months ago in September 2024, has already attracted $300 million into its systems and is now unveiling a suite of products that could fundamentally change how sophisticated DeFi users manage their positions across multiple venues.

Summary

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Project Zero is positioning itself as the first successful crypto prime broker—a bold claim considering past failed attempts in the space. The platform enables users to manage positions across multiple DeFi venues while maintaining unified margin and capital efficiency, something founder MacBrennan Peet argues is "only possible on Solana" due to the blockchain's speed, efficiency, and low transaction costs.

The company made three significant announcements at Breakpoint 2025: Project Zero Pay, an innovative payment infrastructure that lets users spend against their yield-generating DeFi positions; Brutus, a dynamic risk engine that will adjust loan-to-values and rates in real-time based on market conditions; and confirmation of a Q1 2025 token launch timed strategically before their derivatives integration.

What makes Project Zero different from previous prime brokerage attempts is its focus on yield strategies rather than pure trading. Users can currently execute multi-venue unified rate trades and carry trades—lending on one venue while borrowing against that position on Project Zero to capture rate differentials. This approach unlocks capital efficiency that simply wasn't possible in a generalized sense before.

The timing appears strategic: DeFi venues like Camino, Drift, and Jupiter have established staying power and carved out distinct market niches. This stability gives Project Zero confidence to build connective infrastructure across these platforms, knowing they'll remain relevant partners for years to come.

Key Points:

Why a DeFi Prime Broker Works Now

MacBrennan Peet identified two critical catalysts that make crypto prime brokerage viable for the first time. First, Solana provides the necessary execution layer—fast, efficient, and cheap enough to handle cross-margined derivatives at scale. Peet emphasized that attempting this on Ethereum would be "very, very difficult" due to its limitations.

Second, DeFi venues have matured to the point where they have genuine staying power. Camino, Drift, and Jupiter aren't flash-in-the-pan protocols; they've won specific market niches and are building sustainable businesses. This permanence gives Project Zero the confidence to invest heavily in integrations, knowing these venues will be around for the long haul.

The Yield Strategy Focus

Unlike trading-focused prime brokers, Project Zero is zeroing in on the yield segment of DeFi. This means enabling strategies like multi-venue unified rate trades and carry trades. A practical example: a user lends stablecoins on Camino earning 7% APY, then borrows against that position on Project Zero at 5%, capturing the 2% spread—and can lever up to amplify returns.

The roadmap includes derivatives integration, which will enable basis trades. Users will be able to short perpetual contracts on Drift while going long spot on Jupiter, capturing the basis spread with leverage. This type of institutional-grade strategy hasn't been available in a generalized, accessible way in DeFi until now.

Project Zero Pay: Not What You Think

The first major announcement defied expectations. Project Zero Pay isn't a new credit card, bank account, or DeFi venue requiring users to migrate their assets. Instead, it's backend infrastructure that lets users maintain yield-generating positions with their desired crypto exposure while tapping liquidity for real-world payments.

The system works by allowing users to take out a borrow against their entire portfolio at month's end, which then pays into their existing bank account. Users keep earning yield, maintain their Bitcoin or Solana exposure, and don't need to sacrifice their credit card rewards points. Sign-ups are open now with the product going live in January 2025.

Brutus: The Dynamic Risk Engine

Project Zero revealed Brutus, their proprietary risk engine already powering production variables for spot assets. The current version sets loan-to-values, rates, and caps, but the upcoming Brutus V2 will make these parameters fully dynamic—updating in real-time on-chain in response to market conditions.

When derivatives integration launches, Brutus V2 will add derivative risk systems on top of the existing spot risk framework. This sophisticated approach to risk management is essential for safely enabling the leveraged, cross-venue strategies that make Project Zero valuable.

Token Launch Strategy

The Project Zero token is targeted for Q1 2025, deliberately timed before their derivatives integration. Peet outlined specific prerequisites for the token launch: majority market share of lending venues on Solana, the Pay product live, and the Strategies product operational. With Strategies already live and Pay launching in January, alongside Drift integration coming online, these milestones are on track.

The strategic timing means token holders will be positioned before what Peet describes as their "biggest growth opportunity"—derivatives integration with platforms like Drift perps, Exponent, and Rate X.

Facts + Figures

• Project Zero has approximately $300 million in assets under management, normalized for the recent 50% crypto price decline
• The platform has grown by $60 million over the last three months
• Launched in September 2024, making it roughly three months old at time of presentation
• Currently has two venues live: Camino and PZERO
• Three markets are currently live on Camino
• Drift integration is complete and going live in January 2025
• Jupiter integration is actively being worked on and targeted for first half of Q1 2025
• Example yield spread: 7% lending rate on Camino vs 5% borrowing rate on Project Zero = 2% capturable delta
• Project Zero Pay opens for sign-ups immediately, with product going live January 2025
• Token launch targeted for Q1 2025, before derivatives integration

Top Quotes

"Solana is the only blockchain at scale that this works with. If you try to cross margin derivatives on Ethereum, for example, it would be very, very difficult."

"Venues now have staying power and they're starting to win their niches of the market."

"For the first time ever in crypto, people are running multi-venue unified rate trades and carry trades."

"Project Zero Pay is not a new credit card. It's not a new bank account. It's not a new DeFi venue that you need to move to in order to use it."

"The project zero token is aiming for Q1 of next year. And that is going live importantly before derivatives, which we expect to be our biggest growth opportunity."

"If you're using two or more venues today in Solana DeFi, project zero might give you better risk, better rates, better capital efficiency, better UX."

Questions Answered

What is a DeFi prime broker and why hasn't one succeeded before?

A DeFi prime broker provides unified margin and capital efficiency across multiple venues, similar to how prime brokers serve hedge funds in traditional finance. Previous attempts in crypto failed primarily because they lacked a sufficiently fast and cheap execution layer. Ethereum's transaction costs and speeds made cross-margining impractical at scale. Solana's architecture finally enables this functionality, with its high throughput and low fees allowing real-time position management across multiple protocols.

How can I earn yield while still being able to spend money in the real world?

Project Zero Pay solves this problem through backend infrastructure rather than creating new financial products. You can maintain your yield-generating positions on venues like Camino while keeping your desired crypto exposure. At month's end, you can borrow against your entire portfolio, and that borrowed amount pays into your existing bank account which pays your credit card. You don't need a new Chase account or crypto credit card, and you can keep earning rewards points while your crypto keeps earning yield.

What kind of trading strategies does Project Zero enable?

Project Zero focuses on yield strategies rather than pure trading. Currently, users can execute multi-venue unified rate trades—for example, lending stablecoins at 7% on one venue while borrowing at 5% on Project Zero, capturing the 2% spread with leverage. Once derivatives integration launches, users will be able to run basis trades like shorting perpetuals on Drift while going long spot on Jupiter, capturing and leveraging the basis spread between the two.

When is the Project Zero token launching and why does timing matter?

The token is targeted for Q1 2025, strategically timed before derivatives integration. The team set specific prerequisites: majority market share of Solana lending venues, the Pay product live, and Strategies operational. With Drift integration going live in January and Jupiter targeted for early Q1, these milestones are on track. The timing matters because derivatives integration—with platforms like Drift perps and interest rate products—represents their biggest expected growth opportunity, and early token holders will be positioned before this catalyst.

How does the Brutus risk engine work?

Brutus is Project Zero's proprietary risk engine that currently powers production variables for spot assets, setting parameters like loan-to-values, interest rates, and position caps. The upcoming fully dynamic version will update these parameters in real-time on-chain based on market conditions. When derivatives launch, Brutus V2 will add derivative-specific risk systems layered on top of the spot framework, enabling safe leverage across complex multi-venue positions.