# Balancer > AMMs made easy Balancer is a decentralized exchange protocol built around programmable liquidity pools. It lets users swap tokens and supply liquidity to pools with custom token weights, stable pricing or added hooks across multiple blockchains. Balancer is a decentralized exchange protocol and automated market maker focused on programmable and yield-bearing liquidity. Traders swap tokens through its pools, and liquidity providers deposit into pools that can hold several tokens at custom weights. Developers can also build their own pool types on top of its contracts. On each network, a single Vault contract holds the tokens of every pool and handles accounting, while each pool's own contract sets its pricing logic. Pool types include weighted pools, stable pools for correlated assets, liquidity bootstrapping pools for token launches, and boosted pools that put idle liquidity to work in lending markets. In the latest version, hooks let developers attach custom logic and dynamic swap fees to a pool. The protocol runs as Balancer V2 and Balancer V3 on Ethereum and multiple other networks, and BAL holders govern it through Snapshot votes. Balancer is used by traders, liquidity providers, DAOs managing treasuries, and DeFi protocols that route trades through its pools. BAL holders have approved an orderly wind-down, with pools moving to withdrawals only. - Type: Company - Sector: DeFi - Status: Active - Founded: 2019-08-01 - Profile: https://thegrid.id/profiles/balancer ## Products - [Balancer V2](https://thegrid.id/profiles/balancer): Balancer V2 is the second version of the Balancer decentralized exchange protocol, with the tokens of every pool held in one Vault contract per network. It supports weighted, stable, liquidity bootstrapping and boosted pools, and the shared Vault lets traders route batch swaps across several pools in one transaction. Its pools are moving to withdrawals only under the protocol's approved wind-down. (Decentralised Exchange, Live, Main Product) - [Balancer V3](https://thegrid.id/profiles/balancer): Balancer V3 is the current version of the Balancer decentralized exchange protocol, with a redesigned Vault that takes over work earlier pool contracts did themselves. Developers can attach hooks and dynamic swap fees to pools, and boosted pools hold yield-bearing tokens so idle liquidity earns lending yield. Its pools are scheduled to move to withdrawals only under the protocol's approved wind-down, with some partner pools kept open for a short migration period. (Decentralised Exchange, Live) ## Assets - [Balancer (BAL)](https://thegrid.id/profiles/balancer): BAL is the governance token of the Balancer protocol, issued on Ethereum and bridged to multiple other networks. Holders vote on Balancer Improvement Proposals through Snapshot, where each BAL counts as one vote. BAL emissions have stopped, and protocol fees go to the DAO treasury rather than to locked token holders. (Governance) ## Links - [Main](https://balancer.fi) - [Forum](https://forum.balancer.fi) - [Governance](https://vote.balancer.fi) - [Blog](https://medium.com/balancer-protocol) - [Privacy policy](https://balancer.fi/privacy-policy) - [Terms of Service](https://balancer.fi/terms-of-use) - [Media Kit/branding](https://github.com/balancer/brand-assets) - [Documentation](https://docs.balancer.fi) - [Twitter / X](https://x.com/Balancer) - [Discord](https://discord.balancer.fi) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBRHug6Hu3nmbxwVMt8x_Ow) - [GitHub](https://github.com/balancer) ## Legal This data is provided under two licensing models. Model 1 - open data. The open data core is licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL) — a copyleft/share-alike license allowing free use, modification, and sharing for any purpose. 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