This is a great question about the core liquidity provision mechanism in DEFI! Understanding the differences among MM, AMM, and VAMM is key to understanding centralized and decentralized finance.

MM: Market Maker

MM is the core liquidity mechanism of centralized finance (CeFi) and traditional financial markets.

AMM: Automated Market Maker

AMM is the core liquidity mechanism of decentralized finance (DeFi) used for spot trading.

VAMM: Virtual Automated Market Maker

VAMM is a variant of AMM, specifically designed for derivatives trading.

The core differences between the three

Brief summary:

  • MM provides liquidity on the order book by humans or algorithms, and is mainstream in the centralized world.

  • AMM provides liquidity through mathematical formulas via smart contracts, used for DeFi spot trading.

  • VAMM is a variant of AMM, using formulas for derivative pricing, but the assets in the pool are virtual, used to support high-leverage trading.

Understanding these three, you grasp the core engines behind different types of trading platforms in the crypto market.