# How Concrete Vaults actually work

> From user deposit to automated onchain capital deployment and compounding growth

**Published by:** [Colliseum](https://paragraph.com/@colliseum/)
**Published on:** 2026-03-24
**Categories:** defi vaults, concrete vaults, vault shares, nav, erate, managed defi, automated compounding, onchain capital deployment
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@colliseum/how-concrete-vaults-actually-work

## Content

My name is Heorhii, and one of the most common questions new users have when interacting with DeFi vaults is deceptively simple. You deposit assets, you receive shares, and over time your balance increases. However, behind this straightforward experience sits a structured system of capital allocation, accounting, and automated management. Understanding how Concrete vaults work requires looking beyond the interface and focusing on the underlying mechanics that connect vault shares, eRate, NAV, and time into a coherent financial system. The user perspective and the initial confusion. From the user’s point of view, the interaction is simple. A deposit is made into a vault, and in return, vault shares are issued. The interface displays metrics such as eRate and NAV, and over time the value of the position increases. At this stage, several questions typically arise:What exactly do vault shares representWhy does the eRate change instead of the number of sharesHow does NAV relate to personal balanceWhere does the yield actually come fromThese questions are natural because vault systems abstract complexity into a few visible variables. The goal is to translate those variables into an intuitive mental model. Vault Shares and eRate as an ownership system. Vault shares represent proportional ownership of the total capital held within the vault. Instead of tracking individual deposits separately, the system pools all capital and issues shares that define each user’s ownership. This can be understood through a simple structure:The vault is a pool of capitalShares represent fractions of that poolEach user owns a percentage of total sharesThe eRate represents the value of a single share relative to the underlying asset. Instead of increasing the number of shares as yield is generated, the system increases the value of each share. This approach provides several advantages:Clean accounting across all participantsNo need to distribute rewards manuallyAutomatic reflection of yield through price appreciationAs yield is generated, the eRate increases, meaning each share becomes more valuable over time. Understanding NAV as Total Vault value. NAV, or Net Asset Value, represents the total value of all assets managed by the vault. It includes capital deployed across strategies as well as accumulated yield. The relationship between key elements can be summarized as:NAV represents the total poolShares represent ownership of that pooleRate represents the value per shareWhen NAV increases due to strategy performance, the value of each share increases accordingly. Users do not receive additional shares, but their existing shares become more valuable. This creates a direct link between vault performance and user value without requiring manual reward distribution. Why Time Is a core component of Vault performance. Vault systems are designed to operate over time, not as short-term trading tools. Yield generation depends on strategies that require execution, settlement, and compounding cycles. Several factors explain why time is critical:Strategies need time to generate and realize yieldExecution costs such as gas are amortized over longer periodsCompounding becomes more effective as returns accumulateRebalancing decisions require sufficient time to capture opportunitiesShort-term participation often limits the effectiveness of these mechanisms. In contrast, longer time horizons allow compounding and allocation adjustments to produce more consistent outcomes. From a system perspective, time is not just a variable. It is a multiplier of efficiency. Active management as the Core Engine. Concrete vaults are not passive containers. They function as actively managed systems that continuously allocate and adjust capital across strategies. This process involves several coordinated actions:Deploying capital into multiple yield-generating strategiesMonitoring performance and risk conditionsRebalancing allocations based on changing market environmentsReinvesting generated rewards into the vaultA useful way to think about this is as an automated operator managing a pooled portfolio. The system does not simply hold assets. It actively works to optimize their deployment. This active layer is what differentiates managed DeFi from static yield positions. How these Components translate into outcomes. The interaction between shares, eRate, NAV, and active management produces a system where value grows through structured processes rather than isolated events. The key outcome drivers include:Automated compounding, where yield is reinvested continuouslyDynamic allocation, which adapts to changing opportunitiesReduced idle capital, ensuring funds remain productiveConsistent growth of share value through increasing eRateUsers benefit not only from yield itself, but from how that yield is generated, managed, and compounded over time.A simple mental model. To simplify the system into a clear framework:Vault represents a pooled capital systemShares represent ownership within that systemeRate represents the value of each ownership unitNAV represents total capital and accumulated yieldTime enables compounding and efficiencyManagement optimizes capital deployment continuouslyWhen these components work together, the result is a system where users allocate capital once and allow the vault to manage growth over time. Explore Concrete at:Earn | ConcreteDiscover high-yield DeFi vaults on Concrete. Earn passive income with automated yield farming strategies across multiple blockchains.https://app.concrete.xyz SubscribeJoin the Concrete Community: Mirror (Paragraph) | Discord | X (Twitter) Prepared by Colliseum

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