Some experts predict that today’s financial institutions will eventually give way to blockchain technology, which depends on openness, uniformity, and decentralization. One of the most revolutionary blockchain-based financial solutions today is decentralized finance (DeFi).
DeFi refers to a system of financial products built on decentralized and open source blockchain, usually the Ethereum blockchain, and employs smart contracts running on distributed and secure blockchain networks.
Smart contracts are computer programs that run on the blockchain and eliminate the need for intermediaries like banks and brokers. They enable decentralized applications (dApps) to be uploaded and run automatically on the DeFi network with little to no human assistance.
DeFi aims to dismantle the collective dependence on centralized financial institutions and intermediaries, eliminate the associated fees, reduce transaction times, and expand access to financial services for all.
DeFi transactions are recorded in a block that is verified by other users, then closed and encrypted, and uploaded to the blockchain. Because of its immutable nature, you can’t change blockchain data once it’s been placed on the network. This leads to a financial system based on hard code instead of intangible trust.
Anyone with an internet connection can use DeFi, and users can store money in a safe digital wallet and transfer it quickly. Beyond this, users of the DeFi protocol can borrow and lend money, among other services, by using DeFi wallets.
DeFi further advances the vision of the digital, trustless economy first started by Bitcoin. This means that there’s great potential for more accessible and equitable financial markets that only require an internet connection.
What follows are some of the most compelling use cases for DeFi.
One of the central tenets of DeFi is the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) financial transactions. These transactions occur when one entity uses cryptocurrency to pay a second entity for goods or services without a facilitating party, like a bank, coordinating the transaction.
DeFi facilitates P2P transactions and loans using an algorithm that connects peers who agreed to the lender’s terms, after which a loan is granted. P2P payments are made via dApps on similar lines as blockchain transactions.
With the kind of security and flexibility DeFi brings to blockchain transactions, users can buy, sell, and transfer their digital assets at will. This means that you, rather than a bank or other institution, maintain complete, exclusive control of your cryptocurrency funds. Using a crypto wallet, you can securely store your encrypted password, seed phrase, and private keys.
Stablecoins are an innovative digital currency type that helps reduce price volatility and keep prices as “stable” as possible by linking their value to a different asset. Stablecoins can be backed by fiat money like USD or EUR or real-world assets like gold. They’re increasingly used in the DeFi market for remittance payments, lending, borrowing, and similar transactions.
Users can engage through protocols programmed as algorithms on DEXes (decentralized exchanges) to trade and swap cryptocurrency tokens. DEXes are known for transactions with great speed, no KYC, non-custodial, and low loss cost. DEX users connect via a Web3-compatible browser or dApp. Market manipulation, hacking, and theft decline when people interact with smart contracts through their wallets.
Recent years have seen tremendous growth in the gaming sector, thanks in large part to the advantages of blockchain technology. The P2E gaming ecosystem facilitated by GameFi grants tokens as prizes for playing games, jumping levels, and performing in-game tasks. By fusing blockchain gaming and decentralized finance, GameFi offers developers room for innovation and their own in-game economies. It also gives gamers dependability, decentralization, and transparency.
Due to the high financial ROI it has to offer, yield farming has emerged as one of the most popular use cases in the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry. It provides a new way to make money comparable to the returns of traditional dividends, bonds, equities, and interest on bank accounts. With yield farming, you can collect interest on your idle cryptocurrency assets, much as traditional banks do with deposit interest rates.
Some experts believe that CeFi still has multiple benefits over DeFi. CeFi denotes closed financial markets that offer a central exchange for all cryptocurrency trade orders and fund management. This centralized approach results in higher reliability and trust, which is CeFi’s most crucial attribute.
On the other hand, DeFi guarantees its users complete access to and ownership of their own assets, as well as the key pair to their wallets. Yet, some would prefer to rely on something other than technology and platforms instead of a more traditional company or organization.
| Parameter | CeFi | DeFi |
|---|---|---|
| Centralization | Relies on a centralized cryptocurrency exchange, like Coinbase, Kraken, or Binance, to manage user funds and transactions. | Provides total decentralization and offers creative applications to handle funds or transactions in place of a central exchange. |
| Permissions | Along with Anti-Money Laundering and cryptocurrency rules, users must register and comply with KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations. | Only the user’s non-custodial crypto wallet is required. There is no requirement to provide KYC, register for an account, or certify their compliance with AML and other laws. |
| Cross-chain services | Obtaining custody of funds from several chains, supports the trading of LTC, XRP, BTC, and other coins released on independent blockchain platforms. | For the DeFi network, cross-chain swaps are hidden and difficult; wallets and transactions are non-custodial and thus incompatible. |
| Trust | Focuses on the companies and organizations that handle your assets and transactions. | Centers on technology and platform because businesses aren’t granted control over them. |
| Transparency | Centralized exchanges do not guarantee the transparency of funds and transactions. | Transparency is strengthened via open source transactions and access. |
| Innovation | Comparatively lower rate of innovation; emphasis is placed more on prospering and maintaining current solutions. | Rapid innovation due to the ecosystem’s build-centricity; There is a lot of room for inventing alternate solutions to pressing problems that CeFi hasn’t been able to address, such as decentralized protocols that behave as tokens whose value is tied to that of Bitcoin. |
This section explores some of the benefits — and challenges — of DeFi.
