Vikram Arun, CEO of Superform, on The Future of DeFi, High-yield Stablecoins, and Why The Market Is Down | Ep. 428
Vikram Arun, CEO of Superform, joined the Cryptonews Spotlight Podcast to discuss the state of the crypto market, why stablecoins are crypto’s killer app, and how Superform’s V2 upgrade is designed to bring DeFi to the mainstream. Arun also shared his thoughts on capital efficiency, meme coins, and what’s next for real-world assets (RWAs).
Why the Market Is Down and Who Benefits
“We have a $30 trillion of debt that needs to be refinanced. We’re paying a trillion dollars in interest payments every year. How exactly do we solve that?” Arun suggests that the current market environment is being managed to justify lower interest rates, which would help the U.S. reduce debt-servicing costs – and crypto markets are caught in the crosswinds.
Leaving Wall Street to Build Superform
“We realized that a lot of that stuff should be accessible… The people that benefit the most from a better process around that were people who we entirely were not involved with.” Superform was born from Arun’s experience managing a $100M DeFi fund, where he saw firsthand how fragmented and inaccessible yield strategies were for regular users.
What Superform V2 Is Building
“We wanted to create this one app to be able to access yield opportunities in the best way possible.” Superform V2 simplifies DeFi by automating access to thousands of yield vaults, eliminating bridging, wallet management, and UI complexity, and introducing smart account features and mobile UX.
Why Stablecoins Are the Killer App
“SuperUSD is effectively an optimized index into individual stablecoins… earning on autopilot.” SuperUSD offers a single-point yield aggregator for stablecoins, giving users automated access to the best yields across protocols while minimizing risk and effort.
Where the Yield Actually Comes From
“Base layer yield from any of these assets comes from the demand for the underlying asset… and then you end up with an entire ecosystem of stuff that gets built on top.” Arun explains that stablecoin yield is initially driven by lending demand and then enhanced by composability across DeFi protocols like Pendle, which creates secondary markets for those yields.
On Timing for Mainstream Adoption
“I’m hoping it’ll all be there this summer, and from then on, it’s going to be us as an industry convincing and doing the required work.” With smart accounts, passkeys, and mobile-first UX on the way, Superform aims to make DeFi as seamless as any Web2 banking or fintech app.
Hacks Are Inevitable – but Crypto Is Still Worth It
“If hacks weren’t possible every week, then we wouldn’t have innovation every week, in a way.” Arun acknowledges the security concerns in crypto but argues that the pace of innovation justifies the risks, and that DeFi must self-police and improve its messaging.
What Makes a Sticky DeFi App
“The hardest thing for us has always been figuring out what our users actually will continue using Superform for.” In a fast-moving ecosystem, building sticky apps requires identifying the one core action users repeat despite changing narratives and tech trends.
Why Crypto Lacks Clear Winners (For Now)
“We’re just figuring out what those market leaders are and how we should be directing consumers.” Crypto still lacks clear Web2-style category winners, and Arun says the industry is still in the early stages of that evolution.
Capital Efficiency Is the Next Frontier
“Everything that’s made the blockchain really good for crypto assets, it can do the exact same stuff for real assets.” Tokenized RWAs will unlock new lending and composability use cases, especially for global users who can’t access traditional capital markets.
The RWA Advantage
“Those same investors can actually earn more off of Treasuries if they bought them onchain.” Onchain Treasuries can be more lucrative than their TradFi counterparts, providing better yield and accessibility.
On Meme Coins and Community
“Meme coins are culture… at its best, it’s a tokenization of a community.” Arun sees meme coins not just as speculation but as a powerful tool for culture-building and user engagement, especially when done right.
Superform’s Community-Driven Meme Project
“We have a community project called PIGGY that we’re going to be announcing some more fun things for.” Superform is embracing community-driven experimentation, blending yield infrastructure with cultural engagement.
What’s Next for Superform
“Excited for people to finally start using apps in the way that a lot of crypto builders have been aching for.” With V2 now live, Superform is focused on UX, safety, mobile access, and product transparency to make DeFi work for the masses.