25 JUL 2023 · In this episode of The 100X Show, host Ian Bellina introduces special guest Kamen, the founder of Nodus Protocol, a project focused on innovating decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions. Kamen, with over 15 years of finance experience, explains his interest in lending solutions in web 3 and how Nodus Protocol aims to address the limitations of existing crypto lending solutions. Kamen shares that he and his co-founder, Ivan, started Nodus Protocol as an idea and eventually built a team of more than 23 developers, along with a CTO experienced in blockchain technology. They have been working on the product for the past 15-16 months and recently launched it with full functionality. The connection between Nodus Protocol and Nexo is clarified by Kamen, stating that they were initially incubated by Credissimo, the same company that gave birth to Nexo. However, Nodus Protocol retained its focus on the crypto experience while Nexo grew into a larger company with its own path. The problem that Nodus Protocol aims to solve is explained by Kamen, highlighting the limitations of high collateral requirements, lack of asset ownership, high costs, and slow transactions in existing lending solutions. Nodus Protocol offers a non-custodial financial suite that allows users to manage their digital assets and engage in activities like buying, selling, swapping, staking, and taking out loans through their DeFi lease product. Ian asks Kamen about the uniqueness of Nodus Protocol in a market where centralized entities have struggled. Kamen emphasizes that Nodus Protocol is built on a layer one app specific chain using Cosmos SDK technology, providing flexibility and non-custodial control of digital assets. He highlights that Nodus Protocol offers the world's first DeFi lease, allowing borrowers to provide a down payment in any currency and receive a loan in stablecoins, providing larger exposure and full coverage of collateral. The episode goes on to discuss how Nodus Protocol's borrowing and lending model works, addressing concerns about its validity and uniqueness compared to competitors like Aave and Compound. Kamen explains the perks of using the Cosmo ecosystem for their DeFi platform and their future goals of integrating with EVM chains and partnering with different protocols. The launch of Nodus Protocol is eagerly anticipated, with a first pool on Stream Swap scheduled for June 13th and future plans to partner with various DEXs and increase liquidity. The team expresses gratitude for the support and involvement of their audience, as well as their excitement to disrupt the crypto and open finance industry. The episode concludes with a warm farewell from the hosts and a reminder to check out more content at Tokico Metrics.