The problem it solves

Most people want low‑risk crypto yield, but today it’s a maze: wallets, approvals, swapping, bridging, market selection—and then constant re‑allocation as rates change. Even on Aave, newcomers must find the right market, swap into the right asset, deposit, monitor APYs, and move funds again. The result: people fall back to bank/MMF products instead of on‑chain yield.

Two frictions block adoption:

1. Complexity at the door — fragmented UIs, asset/market choices, approvals, gas math.
2. Labor after the door — watching dashboards, withdraw → swap → re‑deposit when yields move.

What people can use AJEY for

AJEY is an agentic yield allocator & DeFi aggregator on Base that makes yield one tap:

• Set‑and‑earn: Deposit ETH (or one‑tap USDC→ETH swap, then deposit); AJEY allocates to Aave v3 with conservative defaults.
• Savings‑style crypto: Transparent, self‑custodied, on‑chain—without DeFi homework.
• Beginner‑proof UX: One product card → expected yield, short explainer, one amount field, one Deposit.

How it makes tasks easier/safer

Before: choose assets/markets, swap, approve, deposit, chase rates.

With AJEY: auto‑detect funding (swap if needed) → Deposit → receive vault shares; a bounded agent re‑allocates across Aave v3 as yields change. The portfolio shows one growing number from the vault exchange rate.

Safety by design:

• ERC‑4626 accounting (

  preview*

  ,

  convertToAssets

  ,

  totalAssets/totalSupply

  ).
• Allow‑listed agent controls; admin pause; idle buffers for withdrawals.
• Built on Base for low fees and responsive UX.

Built on Base — at a glance

1. Connect wallet → card shows expected yield.
2. Enter amount → Deposit (ETH or one‑tap USDC→ETH).
3. Funds supply to Aave v3 via an ERC‑4626 vault; you hold shares.
4. Agent maintains buffers and re‑allocates when rates move; withdraw anytime.

Why this matters now

• Right chain, right time: Base’s speed and low fees make one‑tap, on‑chain savings viable for mainstream users.
• Agentic leverage: Automating swapping, re‑allocation, and liquidity turns a power‑user workflow into a beginner‑friendly habit—today on Aave v3, tomorrow across broader DeFi venues with the same simple UX.

Challenges I ran into — and how I overcame them

1) Minimal UI experience

Hurdle. I’m strongest in contracts/backend; shipping a clean, trustworthy UI fast was hard.

What I did. Adopted a high‑quality free template, then iterated with AI‑assisted, small components:

• Reduced to a single Product Card (expected yield, one amount field, one Deposit).
• Auto‑detect ETH (or one‑tap USDC→ETH swap) and simplified states.
• Kept a consistent visual system and validated flows with hallway tests.

Outcome. A minimal UI that new users can finish: connect → enter amount → deposit.

2) Illiquid testnet markets & swap paths

Hurdle. On Base Sepolia, many Aave markets lacked usable faucets or swap routes; the agent couldn’t reliably acquire target assets to reallocate.

What I did. Focused the agent on WETH as the common denominator: accept native ETH, auto‑swap to WETH, mint ajWETH in the vault, and reallocate within markets reachable with WETH. Deferred unsupported assets until reliable paths exist.

Outcome. Stable, repeatable demos and real reallocations on testnet; mainnet contracts can autoswap/auto‑reallocate to any approved pool once granted permission.

3) Agent design: turning strategy into safe execution

Hurdle. Combining reasoning (where to allocate) with execution (how to call contracts) without risking funds.

What I did. Split into two roles:

• Reasoning Agent — consumes on‑chain data (rates, balances, buffers) and outputs signed JSON instructions (op, vault, amounts, constraints).
• Workflow Agent — executes those instructions deterministically (which contracts, order, gas), with idempotency and post‑tx reconciliation.

Outcome. Auditable decisions and predictable execution; easier debugging and safer reallocations.

4) Security & risk management

Hurdle. Delivering low‑risk yield requires tight privileges, liquidity safety, and transparent accounting.

What I did.

• ERC‑4626 vault core: deterministic

  preview*

  /

  convert*

  math and on‑chain

  totalAssets/totalSupply

  .
• Role‑based access: only a wallet with AGENT_ROLE can move funds; the agent never holds assets.
• Admin controls: pause/unpause to contain incidents; conservative buffers for instant withdrawals.
• On‑chain visibility: positions via

  aToken

  balances and events; portfolio shows one number derived from the exchange rate.

Outcome. Low‑touch, low‑risk behavior that matches the product promise—simple for users, tightly controlled under the hood.

https://github.com/cap-blurr/AJEY_contracts/https://github.com/cap-blurr/AJEY

https://ajey-ten.vercel.app/

AJEY — Unique Value Proposition

One‑tap, low‑risk on‑chain yield for people who don’t want to learn DeFi. AJEY compresses expert‑level yield workflows into a single action on Base. Users deposit ETH (or one‑tap swap USDC→ETH) and an embedded, allow‑listed agent allocates across Aave v3 supply markets, maintaining liquidity and re‑allocating when rates change. The portfolio shows one clear number—your asset value—that grows as yield accrues. No pool picking. No range math. No babysitting.

What makes AJEY different

1. Radical simplicity by design
   Most “aggregators” still ask users to choose assets, pools, or fee tiers. AJEY removes choice overload entirely: a single product card with on‑chain expected yield, a two‑sentence “how this earns” explainer, one amount field, and one Deposit button. Auto‑detects funding and routes ETH directly (or one‑tap USDC→ETH) so users never worry about token paths.

2. Agent‑managed, not user‑managed
   Yield moves. Instead of asking users to watch dashboards, swap, withdraw, and re‑deposit, AJEY’s bounded agent maintains idle buffers for instant withdrawals and re‑allocates within Aave v3 when markets shift—turning power‑user chores into background ops.

3. Safety and clarity at the core
   AJEY uses an ERC‑4626 vault architecture, starts with Aave v3 as the primary yield source, and enforces tight privileges (allow‑listed agent methods, admin pause). Accounting is transparent:

   preview*

   ,

   convertToAssets

   ,

   totalAssets/totalSupply

   , plus aToken balances. Users see one value that maps directly to on‑chain truth.

4. Built on Base for mainstream viability
   Base’s low fees and fast finality make this savings‑like UX practical and forgiving for first‑timers.

How the alpha validates the value

• Under‑a‑minute to earning. The alpha demonstrates the exact one‑tap flow: connect wallet → expected yield appears → enter amount → Deposit → portfolio value reflects the live exchange rate.
• Auto‑routing & previews work. Detects ETH (or one‑tap swaps USDC→ETH), then uses ERC‑4626

  preview*

  so expected shares match on‑chain confirmations.
• Real agentic maintenance. Live buttons run supply idle and replenish buffer operations end‑to‑end—proving background maintenance is real, not mocked.
• Transparent accounting. The portfolio pulls

  totalAssets

  ,

  totalSupply

  , and (optionally) aToken balances from contracts; what users see equals explorer‑verifiable state.

Signal from early users. After onboarding crypto‑savvy friends for feedback, we saw strong intent to use AJEY as a stable, savings‑style yield tool—validating the “one card, one button, one growing number” thesis.

In one line

AJEY’s edge is extreme simplicity + agentic automation + verifiable ERC‑4626 accounting—delivered on Base so anyone can earn yield without learning DeFi.

Who is our target customer?

Summary

Young professionals and Gen Z savers who want passive, low‑risk, on‑chain yield but don’t want to learn DeFi mechanics. They care about:

• A simple, trustworthy, “savings‑style” experience.
• Keeping assets self‑custodied while earning.
• Clear, single‑number feedback: “How much is my crypto worth now?”

AJEY’s UX is purpose‑built for them: one product card, one amount field, one Deposit button—then a portfolio value that grows as interest accrues.

Ideal users (personas)

1. First‑jobber saver (Ama, 22–28)
   • Income is steady, savings intent is high; wants a crypto alternative to a savings account.
   • Low tolerance for volatility and jargon; needs plain‑language guardrails.
   • Mobile‑first; expects an action to complete in under a minute.

2. Busy young professional (Sam, 25–35)
   • Tried DeFi once; found approvals, bridges, and pool choices overwhelming.
   • Prefers “set and earn” with transparent accounting and easy withdrawals.
   • Comfortable with ETH/USDC; not interested in hunting APRs across protocols.

3. Community saver / Pod user (Chama‑style)
   • Wants a simple, collective way to contribute monthly into a stable, on‑chain yield strategy.
   • Values clarity on each member’s share and the pod’s total value.
   • Starts with UI‑only scaffolding today; contract hookup later.

Why they’re the right audience (first‑principles fit)

• Motivation match: They want dependable, low‑touch yield—not trading or complex strategies. AJEY abstracts protocol selection and management into one tap.
• Friction removal: The largest blockers for newcomers are choice overload and maintenance burden. AJEY removes both via a single product card and agent‑managed upkeep (buffers now; rebalancing later).
• Cost reality: Built on Base, fees are low enough to make small, frequent deposits practical—critical for this audience.

How we validated the audience (research, testing, feedback)

1) Problem interviews (pre‑build):

• Conversations with crypto‑curious friends, early‑career peers, and community members: consistent desire for “earn without the DeFi homework.”
• Friction themes repeated: approvals confusion, pool choice anxiety, and fear of losing funds due to a wrong click.

2) Usability tests of early UI (wireframes → alpha):

• Multi‑option screens caused hesitation and drop‑offs.
• Switching to one card + one button resolved confusion; deposit completion improved in dry runs.
• Success modal explaining vault shares increased user confidence (“I understand what I own”).

3) Alpha instrumentation on Base Sepolia:

• Wallet telemetry confirmed users hold either ETH or USDC—so auto‑routing deposits (ETH via gateway, USDC via vault) removed the most frequent support question.
• Showing a single portfolio value (from

  convertToAssets(shares)

  ) reduced dashboard scanning; users checked one number.

4) Agent design feedback:

• Early testers wanted instant withdrawals when possible; a visible idle buffer and an agent‑replenish action aligned with expectations of a savings product.
• Splitting agents into Reasoning (plan) and Workflow (execute) created a clear, auditable trail—well‑received by testers who asked “what exactly did the system do for me?”

5) Pod concept checks:

• Community savers recognized the chama analogy immediately; they asked for a monthly contribution view and each member’s share breakdown. We shipped a UI‑only pod tab now, with contract hookup on the roadmap.

Why AJEY wins for this audience

• Zero jargon, zero clutter: one card → one deposit → one growing number.
• Verifiable safety: ERC‑4626 accounting, Aave v3 yield source, and allow‑listed agent privileges.
• Right chain: Base’s low fees make it feasible for small savers to participate without penalty.
• Future‑ready: Pods (chamas) unlock social saving flows without changing the core simplicity.

In Short

Young professionals and Gen Z savers who want passive, low‑risk, self‑custodied yield without learning DeFi; we validated this through interviews, usability tests that favoured a single‑card one‑tap flow, alpha telemetry showing ETH/USDC auto‑routing solved confusion, and feedback that agent‑managed buffers matched expectations for instant, savings‑style withdrawals.

Who are our closest competitors and how are we different?

Below are representative competitors across Traditional Finance (MMFs/savings products) and Crypto/DeFi. For each, we state what they do and how AJEY differs.

Traditional finance — money‑market & savings products

What they offer: low‑volatility yield with daily liquidity, but custody sits with the provider, access is via fiat rails, and transparency is periodic—not programmatic/on‑chain.

1. Kenya — NCBA Money Market Fund
   URL: https://ncbacapital.co.ke/unit-trust-funds/money-market-fund/
   AJEY vs NCBA MMF: AJEY is self‑custodied and on‑chain; users hold claim tokens with real‑time transparency (ERC‑4626

   totalAssets/totalSupply

   ) and global access on Base without brokerage paperwork.

2. Africa — Allan Gray Money Market Fund (South Africa)
   URL: https://www.allangray.co.za/our-funds/unit-trusts/allan-gray-money-market-fund/
   AJEY vs Allan Gray MMF: Traditional funds require KYC and local rails; AJEY uses crypto‑native rails (ETH, one‑tap USDC→ETH) and programmatic withdrawals with agent‑managed buffers.

3. USA — Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX)
   URL: https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/mutual-funds/profile/vmfxx
   AJEY vs VMFXX: MMFs provide simplicity but not programmability or self‑custody. AJEY delivers savings‑like UX plus on‑chain composability and continuous, verifiable state.

Why MMFs aren’t enough for our users: custody friction, gated access, and limited transparency. AJEY delivers a savings‑like UX without giving up self‑custody and with continuous, on‑chain state.

Crypto / DeFi competitors

What they offer: on‑chain yield via lending or strategy vaults. Gaps we observed: option overload, expert‑oriented UIs, or assumptions that users will manage rebalancing and liquidity themselves.

1. Aave‑centric optimizers (e.g., Instadapp Lite)
   URL: https://instadapp.io/
   AJEY vs Instadapp Lite: Powerful tooling but requires user decisions and multi‑step flows. AJEY removes choice overload with one card, one deposit, and agent‑managed re‑allocation across Aave v3 markets.

2. Yearn Finance — Multi‑strategy vaults
   URL: https://yearn.fi/
   AJEY vs Yearn: Many vault choices and strategist UX. AJEY targets non‑experts with auto asset detection, a single deposit path (ETH or one‑tap USDC→ETH), and a portfolio showing one growing number.

3. Sommelier — Strategy vaults (off‑chain computation)
   URL: https://www.sommelier.finance/
   AJEY vs Sommelier: Both use programmatic logic; AJEY’s edge is beginner UX + allow‑listed agent methods (supply/withdraw/buffer, re‑allocation) that tightly bound execution, on Base with L2‑level fees.

(Alternatives you might know: Morpho — https://www.morpho.org/; Idle Finance — https://idle.finance/)

Our distinct approach (why AJEY stands out)

• Radical simplicity: A single Product Card with expected yield (on‑chain derived), a two‑sentence explainer, one amount field, and one Deposit button. No menus, no pool picking, no fee tiers.
• Agent‑managed, not user‑managed: A bounded agent maintains idle buffers for instant withdrawals and re‑allocates within Aave v3 when yields move—turning expert chores into background ops.
• Verifiable safety: ERC‑4626 accounting, conservative defaults (Aave v3), allow‑listed agent privileges, and pause/rate‑limit circuit breakers.
• Built on Base: Low fees and fast settlement make small deposits practical and the UX responsive for first‑time savers.
• One clear number: The portfolio shows assets today, computed from

  convertToAssets(shares)

  —bridging the comprehension gap for newcomers.

TL;DR

MMFs give simplicity but remove self‑custody and programmability. DeFi tools give programmability but expect expert choices and maintenance. AJEY delivers both: self‑custodied, on‑chain yield with one‑tap simplicity and agentic automation—purpose‑built for newcomers on Base.