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Fees are how a partner monetizes a vault. For the layers underneath, and who controls each, see Understanding DeFindex.

Performance-Based Fee Model

Partner fees in DeFindex follow a simple principle: fees are only charged on the yield generated, never on the deposited capital.

How It Works

  • If your vault generates yield, a percentage goes to the partner and DeFindex
  • If there’s no yield, there are no fees
  • Your principal investment is never touched by fees

Fee Limits

  • Maximum fee: 90% of generated yield
  • Typical range: 50%-30% of generated yield
This performance-based model ensures that partners only earn when users earn. There’s no incentive to charge fees on idle capital.

Transparency for Users

One of DeFindex’s core principles is transparency. When a user sees an APY displayed in their partner’s application:
  • The APY shown is already net of all fees
  • Users see exactly what they will receive
  • No hidden deductions or surprise charges

What Users See vs What Happens

This approach eliminates confusion. The number users see is the number they get.

Aligned Incentives

The performance-based fee model creates natural alignment between all parties:

For Partners

  • Earn revenue only when users profit
  • Incentive to promote well-performing vaults
  • No temptation to charge fees on underperforming products

For Users

  • Capital is protected from fees
  • Only pay when earning
  • Confidence that partners want the same outcome: good returns

For DeFindex

  • Protocol grows when users and partners succeed
  • Focus on building better yield strategies
  • Sustainable ecosystem development
This alignment means everyone benefits from the same goal: generating real yield for depositors.

Fee Distribution

When yield is generated, fees are distributed completely on-chain:
  1. Yield is generated by the vault’s strategies
  2. Partner fee is calculated based on their configured percentage
  3. Distribution occurs when the partner triggers it
  4. Fees are split between the partner and DeFindex
The split between partner and DeFindex is handled internally by the protocol.

Practical Example

Let’s walk through a concrete scenario:

Setup

  • User deposits $10,000 USDC through a partner’s app
  • The vault’s strategy generates 15% APY
  • Partner has configured a 50% performance fee

After One Year

Result

  • User receives: $750 in yield (7.5% net APY) — passive income with zero effort
  • User’s capital: $10,000 remains fully protected
  • Partner revenue before Defindex fee: $750 annually per user — recurring revenue stream
For a partner with 1,000 active users, this represents $750,000 in annual revenue while providing real value to their users.

Key Takeaways


Learn More

  • Understanding APY — How APY is calculated and what it means
  • Vault Roles — Understanding the different roles in vault management
  • Get APY — How to fetch APY programmatically