# **Use $SOL In financial applications (DeFi)** (DeFi) increasingly rely on Solana due to its ability to support a variety of financial services with high efficiency.
1. *Cryptocurrency Trading*:
- Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Serum are built on Solana, allowing users to make instant transactions without the need for intermediaries.
- These platforms take advantage of Solana’s speed in executing orders and reducing trading costs.
2. *Lending and Borrowing*:
- Platforms like Solend and Apricot Finance run on Solana to provide lending and borrowing services.
- Users can deposit their digital assets as collateral and borrow other assets at low interest rates.
3. *Portfolio Management*:
- Decentralized applications on Solana provide tools to manage digital portfolios securely and quickly.
- Users can track their investments or transfer assets easily and efficiently.
4. **Provide liquidity and earn returns**:
- Through projects like Raydium, investors can provide liquidity and earn lucrative returns.
- These applications rely on Solana to provide a seamless user experience thanks to fast execution times.
*Why is Solana best for these uses?
1. *Scaling*:
Solana is designed to deliver high performance without sacrificing security or decentralization, making it ideal for complex applications like gaming and DeFi.
2. *Developer-friendly environment*
3. *Smooth User Experience*