Every number needs a job.
A percentage without context is not useful evidence. Before we publish a figure, we ask what it describes, where it came from, when it applied, and which assumptions make it comparable.
- SourceIdentify the calculation, document, or clearly stated hypothetical input.
- PeriodState whether a rate is annualized and whether the observed period was shorter.
- BasisDistinguish simple interest from compounding, and APR from APY.
- DragKeep fees, inflation, taxes, spreads, and access costs separate rather than hiding them in one number.
- UncertaintyDescribe which inputs can move and which conditions can fail.
An illustration is not a forecast.
Examples on this site exist to explain arithmetic. They do not describe a currently available rate, identify a product, or imply that the assumptions are likely to persist.
- Principal
- P
- Assumed annual rate
- r
- Time in years
- t
- Explicit annual drag
- d
This simplified expression omits compounding, taxes, changing rates, liquidity costs, principal loss, and failure events unless those are separately modeled. The omission is stated rather than treated as zero.
We separate display from mechanism.
“Yield” can refer to materially different cash flows. Interest paid by a borrower is not the same mechanism as a variable protocol incentive, an asset price change, or newly issued units. Similar percentages do not make these sources interchangeable.
- APRA stated annual rate that does not, by itself, include the effect of compounding.
- APYAn annualized result that assumes a compounding convention. Frequency and persistence matter.
- Real yieldA term used carefully. We state whether “real” means after inflation or supported by non-emission cash flow.
- Variable rateA rate that may reprice. Annualizing a brief observation does not make it durable.
No live-rate rankings. YieldMake does not select a “best yield,” publish leaderboards, or recommend depositing into any protocol.
Risk is not a footnote to the return.
A modeled return is incomplete until its failure modes are named. Principal availability, issuer solvency, borrower repayment, custody, contract behavior, governance, liquidity, and operational access can determine whether the arithmetic is realized.
On-chain yield is discussed as a broad class with smart-contract, counterparty, liquidity, oracle, governance, and operational risk. It is not presented here as a product to buy. A displayed rate does not compensate for these risks merely because it is higher.
We avoid forcing uncertain failure risk into a precise percentage when there is no defensible basis for doing so. Naming an unquantified risk is more honest than assigning false precision.
Dates and corrections stay visible.
Definitions, examples, and explanatory frameworks are reviewed for clarity and internal consistency. Material that depends on rules, market structure, or technical behavior should carry a review date. A review date indicates when the page was checked; it does not certify that every external condition remains unchanged.
For a factual correction or a note about unclear language, use the contact page. YieldMake can receive corrections and editorial notes, but cannot provide personal investment advice or assess whether an allocation is suitable for you.