Curve's vote-escrow model rewards liquidity providers who lock CRV for up to four years — a commitment most providers will not make. Convex aggregates locked CRV on everyone's behalf and passes the boost through, which is why it became one of the largest protocols in DeFi almost immediately.
Why the simplicity matters
Convex's contracts do a narrow, well-defined job: hold CRV, direct gauge votes, distribute boosted rewards. There is no strategy engine, no leverage, no external price dependency. That narrowness is why it has held billions in deposits for four years without an exploit while more ambitious protocols have failed repeatedly. Complexity is where DeFi loses money.
The economics
Convex takes roughly 17% of the CRV rewards it boosts, with a portion flowing to CVX lockers who also receive bribes from protocols wanting gauge votes. Net of that fee, LPs typically earn more than they would unboosted, which is the entire proposition and is straightforwardly checkable.
The concentration risk
Convex controls a large share of veCRV, which gives it substantial influence over Curve's emissions. That is a governance concentration within Curve's ecosystem, and it is also the source of the value flowing to CVX holders. Both facts are inseparable from the design.
Who should use it
Curve liquidity providers who will not lock CRV themselves. If Curve stops being where you provide liquidity, Convex stops having a purpose.