ZK International Group Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: ZKIN) (“ZKIN”, “ZK International” or the “Company”), a designer, engineer, manufacturer, and supplier of patented high-performance stainless steel and carbon steel pipe products primarily used for water and gas supplies, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, xSigma Corporation, (“xSigma”) www.xsigma.com is launching a Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”) protocol which aims to provide a new level of transparency and legitimacy to decentralized financial blockchain-based smart contracts. In doing so, the Company with its investment in xSigma will become one of the first publicly traded enterprise to invest and enter the growing DeFi arena.
xSigma’s DeFi ecosystem will begin with the launch of its decentralized stablecoin exchange, offering fair farming terms for liquidity providers and an intuitive user interface for users. On the providers side who provide crypto for exchanges, it is the system that utilizes users’ cryptocurrencies and earns them a potential reward from the exchange’s trading fees. On the customer’s side who execute the exchanges, it provides liquidity to those wanting access to DeFi markets. The protocol being developed is expected to have an intuitive interface, and easy-to-use platform, offering decentralized exchange for stablecoins.
A DeFi Milestone
What is DeFi? DeFi is the hottest trend in the blockchain industry, with more than $9 billion locked into the ecosystem as of the end of September.[1] Decentralized financial systems allow users to participate in blockchain markets and other alternative markets that have been developed on blockchain based networks. Also it enables cross-border payments, as blockchain markets have no borders. As with any blockchain technology, there is ultimate privacy transparency and security, when used properly.
xSigma’s DeFi protocol is launching at an opportune time in the blockchain arena. In addition to the $9 billion currently locked in DeFi [1], the cryptocurrency market keeps growing and has added billions of dollars in market cap over the past 12 months as indicated in publications like Forbes, Bloomberg, and Asia Times, which have all declared that we are in the early stages of the next cryptocurrency bull market.
Many believe DeFi to be the new paradigm in global finance—one that is backed by foundational open-source networks unfettered by centralization and intermediaries. Despite its rapid growth, DeFi has generally been the domain of niche technology startups backed by unproven teams. On the other hand, xSigma, being a subsidiary of a NASDAQ listed public company gives xSigma the reputation and the best in class than many other companies in this space.
xSigma’s DeFi protocol plans to serve as an independent financial tool that provides a new level of transparency and legitimacy to decentralized financial blockchain-based smart contracts. Until the main net launch, users who want to be the first to participate in the DeFi protocol have a limited time to register for the whitelist, where they will be the first to receive updates on project developments. The protocol and additional details about the new project are expected to be released in the coming weeks on the official website of the protocol www.xsigma.fi
ZK International launched xSigma as a research and development lab back in 2018 to solve real-world infrastructure challenges. Its mandate was to explore new opportunities in smart contracts, supply chain management and other blockchain-based solutions. xSigma has since pivoted to decentralized finance, focusing on decentralized exchanges, stablecoins and lending protocols. The research lab is now actively working on its ecosystem of products beginning with its DeFi protocol. The ultimate objective is to build a range of financial tools and products for the flourishing decentralized finance industry.