BENQI operates as a decentralized non-custodial liquidity market and liquid staking protocol, functioning on the high-speed Avalanche smart contract network. This lending protocol empowers users to lend, borrow, or earn interest using their digital assets. Moreover, the Liquid Staking protocol enhances capital efficiency by enabling users to unlock their "staked" AVAX for use in Decentralized Financial protocols. The founding team opted for Avalanche due to its claimed high scalability, low fees, and compatibility with popular plugin wallets. Established in 2021 with $6 million in backing, BENQI counts among its strategic investors Ascensive Assets, Dragonfly Capital, Mechanism Capital, and others. Rome Blockchain Labs Inc. oversees BENQI's development. It is an incubator and software development firm specializing in decentralized finance (DeFi). JD Gagnon, Hannu Kuusi, and Alexander Shul are the co-founders. JD Gagnon holds a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting and has a background in algorithmic trading. Hannu Kuusi specializes in building institutional-grade infrastructure for fintech and military applications. Alexander Szul manages the development of the BENQI liquidity market platform. BENQI (QI) distinguishes itself as the first DeFi Lending project on the Avalanche platform, offering users from congested and centralized networks a seamless transition to BENQI with minimal hurdles and low network fees. It aims to alleviate Ethereum network congestion by providing users with a more cost-effective and faster alternative. BENQI members can utilize various features such as withdrawing liquidity, borrowing from the liquidity market, and accessing transparent interest rates.