# DeFi 101: Vaults & Curators
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**The Basics**
**Vaults:** Users can supply assets into a vault and get a variable APY on their crypto assets.
**Curators:** Vault strategies are designed and maintained by curators, who oversee multiple facets of the process. Their primary aim is to manage risk and optimize yield.
**Infrastructure:** Vaults exist on a protocol, like Kamino, Morpho, Symbiotic, or Aera, and are deployed on a blockchain.
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DeFi presents institutional and individual participants alike with a complex landscape: dozens of protocols across multiple blockchains, diverse asset types, and numerous yield generation strategies. Navigating this ecosystem while maintaining proper risk management, conducting ongoing due diligence, and tracking performance across fragmented allocations creates significant operational overhead.
DeFi vaults solve this complexity by providing a standardized infrastructure layer for yield optimization. Explore our introductory materials.
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