How Does Boros Work?
Boros is Pendle Finance's derivatives platform for trading funding rates on-chain. It lets you take long or short positions on perpetual futures funding rates from Binance and other exchanges, using leveraged Yield Units (YU). Boros does not have its own token — 80% of trading fees go to vePENDLE holders. The platform launched on Arbitrum in early 2025 and has reached $6.9B in open interest, showing strong product-market fit in the nascent rate derivatives market. Plans include expanding to SOL, BNB, and equity perp funding rates.
TVL
$11M
Sector
Derivatives
Risk Grade
B-
Value Grade
B
Core Mechanisms
4.1.5
NovelYield Unit (YU) derivative tokenizing perpetual funding rate exposure until expiry
Boros tokenizes future funding rate earnings into Yield Units. Each YU represents realized funding yield on 1 unit of notional (1 ETH, 1 BTC) until expiry. Entirely novel primitive in DeFi.
4.4.3
NovelHybrid CLOB and AMM for interest rate swap trading with margin
Combines central limit order book with AMM for matching YU trades. Allows leveraged long/short positions on funding rates.
6.4.3
NovelOff-chain funding rate data sourcing from Binance and other CEXs
YU settlement depends on actual realized funding rates from centralized exchanges (Binance). Off-chain data sourced and brought on-chain for settlement.
2.2.1
80% of trading fees to vePENDLE holders; no separate token
Boros chose not to issue a separate token. 80% of trading fees flow to vePENDLE holders, 20% to Pendle protocol.
6.1.1
Margin-based leveraged positions on funding rate swaps
Traders deposit margin to take leveraged positions on funding rate direction. Long positions profit when funding rates rise; short positions profit when rates fall.
2.1.2
Trading fees on YU position opening and closing
Percentage-based fees charged on YU trades. Revenue distributed to vePENDLE holders and Pendle protocol treasury.
How the Pieces Interact
YU settlement depends on accurately sourcing funding rates from Binance and other CEXs. Data feed manipulation, CEX downtime, or calculation disputes could lead to incorrect YU settlement prices.
Funding rates can shift dramatically during market regime changes. Leveraged positions may face rapid margin calls when rates flip sign unexpectedly.
Funding rate derivatives are a new market. Thin liquidity during early growth phase means wide spreads and potential for slippage.
Boros fee revenue is highly dependent on trading volume in a nascent market. If volume disappoints, vePENDLE holder yield expectations may not be met.
What Could Go Wrong
- Novel Yield Unit (YU) primitive tokenizing funding rates is untested under extreme funding rate environments with sustained negative or volatile rates
- Dependency on off-chain CEX funding rate data (Binance) introduces centralized data sourcing risk for on-chain derivatives
- Leveraged interest rate swap positions can face rapid margin calls during funding rate regime changes
Funding Rate Regime Flip Cascading Liquidations
ModerateTrigger: BTC or ETH perpetual funding rates flip from sustained positive to deeply negative during a market crash
- 1.Market crash causes perpetual funding rates to go deeply negative — Long funding rate YU positions face immediate unrealized losses
- 2.Leveraged long positions receive margin calls as negative rates persist — Traders either add margin or face liquidation of YU positions
- 3.Cascade of liquidations floods the market with sell orders for long YU positions — YU prices drop further; thin liquidity amplifies the selloff
- 4.Short-side counterparties profit but reduce positions, removing liquidity — Market becomes one-directional; remaining longs face worse exit prices
Risk Profile at a Glance
Overall: B- (33/100)
Lower score = safer