What is Moonwell?
Moonwell is an open, decentralized lending and borrowing protocol. You can earn interest on your crypto or borrow against your collateral, all without handing your funds to a company or middleman. The protocol runs across several blockchain networks, and you stay in control of your assets the whole time.
If you've used a savings account or a line of credit, the ideas will feel familiar. The difference is that Moonwell runs entirely onchain through audited smart contracts, so the rules are transparent and the same for everyone.
How Moonwell Works
Moonwell brings lenders and borrowers together in shared markets:
People who supply assets earn interest.
People who borrow pay interest, backed by collateral they've supplied.
Interest paid by borrowers flows to suppliers, and rates adjust automatically based on supply and demand. (See Understanding Supply APY for how rates are set.)
Under the hood, Moonwell is built on established technology. Compound v2 powers Core Markets, and Morpho powers Isolated Markets and Vaults. This gives you a choice between the simplicity of large shared pools and the flexibility of more targeted markets, depending on what you need. (See Core Markets Overview, Isolated Markets Overview, and Morpho Vaults.)
Where You Can Use Moonwell
Moonwell operates on five networks:
Base: A Layer 2 network built by Coinbase. This is the primary network for Moonwell, where most of its users and assets live.
Ethereum: The main Ethereum network (Layer 1), with deep liquidity and strong security.
OP Mainnet: A Layer 2 network that uses Optimistic rollup technology.
Moonbeam: A parachain on Polkadot that supports the Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Moonriver: A canary network on Kusama. It hosts Moonwell Apollo, an earlier version of the protocol.
Your wallet address is the same across all of these networks, but each one holds its own separate markets and balances. (See Supported Networks for a closer look at each.)
What You Can Do
With Moonwell, you can:
Supply assets: Deposit your crypto to earn interest. (See How to Supply Assets.)
Borrow assets: Borrow against your collateral. (See How to Borrow on Moonwell.)
Use vaults: Deposit into curated vaults that allocate across markets for you. (See Morpho Vaults.)
Bridge assets: Send USDC across chains with USDC Anywhere. (See USDC Anywhere Overview.)
Get a payment card: Spend with the Moonwell Card. (See Moonwell Card Overview.)
Participate in governance: Vote on protocol decisions with WELL tokens. (See Governance Overview.)
Who Runs Moonwell
Moonwell is governed by its token holders, not a central company. WELL holders on all networks, except MFAM holders on Moonriver, shape the protocol through onchain voting and Snapshot voting. (See Governance Overview.)
The protocol was built by contributors, including Lunar Labs.
Get Community Support
Moonwell is backed by an active community. You can get help here and in the governance forum, where moderators are ready to answer your questions.
Key Features
Non-custodial: You always control your funds. No middleman can freeze your assets or change the rules.
Transparent: All code and decisions are visible onchain.
Flexible: Multiple networks and market types let you choose the right approach for your needs.
Community-driven: The community shapes the protocol's future through governance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to create an account?
No. You use Moonwell by connecting a crypto wallet. There's no signup, and you keep custody of your funds. (See Connecting Your Wallet.)
Which network should I start on?
If you're new, Base is a good starting point, with the most users and assets and low fees. (See Supported Networks.)
Do I need WELL tokens to use Moonwell?
No. WELL is used for governance and staking. You can supply, borrow, and use vaults without holding WELL.
Is Moonwell safe?
No protocol is risk-free, but Moonwell uses audits, an asset listing framework, and Chainlink price oracles, and is backstopped by the Safety Module. (See Safety Module Overview.)