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DeFi Sunday was founded with the goal of providing comprehensive information about developments in the world of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance for investors who are doing research, enthusiasts that want to learn more about this fascinating new industry and those who are simply curious. Please read the Financial Disclosure in at the bottom of this page.

What is DeFi Sunday?

To get a better understanding of DeFi let’s define some basic things about centralized and decentralized finance.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) vs Centralized Finance

Decentralized finance—often called “DeFi”—refers to the shift from traditional, centralized financial systems to peer-to-peer finance enabled by decentralized technologies built on the Ethereum blockchain. From lending and borrowing platforms to stablecoins and tokenized  Bitcoin, BTC, the DeFi ecosystem has launched an expansive network of integrated protocols and financial instruments.

Decentralized Finance vs Centralized Finance

History of centralized finance

In the early days of finance, all financial activity was centralized. This made sense at the time, as there were few financial institutions and most transactions were conducted in person. This system worked well enough when there were only a few players in the market, but as the market grew more complex, centralized finance began to show its limitations.

One of the biggest problems with centralized finance is that it is vulnerable to manipulation. Because all of the power is concentrated in a few institutions, those institutions can easily collude to manipulate prices. This was one of the major problems during the 2008 financial crisis, when a handful of banks were able to artificially inflate housing prices and then cash in on the resulting bubble.

Another problem with centralized finance is that it is opaque. Because all financial activity takes place within a small number of institutions, it is difficult for outsiders to understand what is going on. This lack of transparency can lead to bad decisions being made by those in charge, as well as opportunities for corruption and cronyism.

The rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) has been a response to these problems with centralized finance. DeFi is built on blockchain technology, which enables a new level of transparency and openness in financial transactions.

bitcoin-ethereum-litecoin

Lets look at the differences between Centralized Finance and DeFi.

How centralized finance works

Most financial systems in the world today are centralized. That means a small group of institutions control the flow of money and information. These institutions include central banks, commercial banks, and other financial intermediaries. They manage accounts, process payments, and lend money. Centralized finance is designed to be efficient and secure. But it also has some drawbacks.

Advantages of centralized finance

The main advantage of centralized finance is that it’s efficient. Financial intermediaries can pool resources and offer a wide range of services. They can also quickly process transactions and keep track of account balances. This makes it easy for people to access the financial system and use it for everyday purposes.

Another advantage of centralized finance is that it’s relatively secure. Institutions like banks are regulated by governments and have strong security systems in place. This protects customers from fraud and helps to ensure that their money is safe.

Disadvantages of centralized finance

One downside of centralized finance is that it can be vulnerable to abuse. For example, central banks can print more money, which can cause inflation. Commercial banks can also make risky loans that lead to financial crises. And financial intermediaries can charge high fees that make it expensive and time consuming to move funds from one asset to another.

Problems with centralized finance

There are a number of problems with centralized finance, which is why many people are turning to decentralized finance. Some of the problems with centralized finance include:

– Lack of transparency: With centralized finance, there is often a lack of transparency. This means that you may not know where your money is going or how it is being used.

– Limited choice: With centralized finance, you may have limited choice in terms of where you invest your money. This can limit your potential for earning a return on your investment.

– High fees: Centralized financial institutions often charge high fees, which can eat into your returns.

– Risky: Centralized finance can be risky, as your money is concentrated in one place. If something goes wrong with the financial institution, you could lose all of your money.

How Decentralized Finance, DeFi works

Decentralized finance—often called “DeFi”—refers to the shift from traditional, centralized financial systems to peer-to-peer finance enabled by decentralized technologies built on the Ethereum blockchain. From lending and borrowing platforms to stablecoins and tokenized BTC, the DeFi ecosystem has launched an expansive network of integrated protocols and financial instruments. By deploying immutable smart contracts on Ethereum, DeFi developers can launch financial applications and platforms that run exactly as programmed and that are available to anyone with an Internet connection.

defi lives on the blockchain

Whereas our traditional financial system runs on centralized infrastructure that is managed by central authorities, institutions, and intermediaries, decentralized finance is powered by code that is running on the decentralized infrastructure of the Ethereum blockchain. By deploying immutable smart contracts on Ethereum, DeFi developers can launch financial protocols and platforms that run exactly as programmed and that are available to anyone with an Internet connection.

The breakthrough of DeFi is that crypto assets can now be put to use in ways not possible with fiat or “real world” assets. Decentralized exchanges, synthetic assets, and flash loans are completely novel applications that can only exist on blockchains. This paradigm shift in financial infrastructure presents a number of

DeFi services are built on top of decentralized networks like Ethereum. These networks use smart contracts to facilitate transactions between users. Smart contracts are self-executing contracts that enforce the terms of an agreement between two parties. In the context of DeFi, smart contracts are used to create financial instruments like loans and mortgages.

Because DeFi services are built on decentralized networks, they are not subject to the same regulations as traditional financial institutions. This means that users can access a wider range of services and products than they would be able to through a traditional bank. It also means that there is no need for intermediaries like brokers or middlemen.

Benefits of decentralized finance

The breakthrough of DeFi is that crypto assets can now be put to use in ways not possible with fiat or “real world” assets. Decentralized exchanges, synthetic assets, and flash loans are completely novel applications that can only exist on blockchains. This paradigm shift in financial infrastructure presents a number of advantages with regard to risk, trust, opportunity, and access.

Risk: In traditional finance, counterparties must trust each other not to default on obligations like loans or derivatives contracts. With DeFi protocols, trustless smart contracts replace counterparty risk with code risk: the risk that a bug in the contract will lead to loss of funds. While code risk is non-trivial,

Challenges with DeFi

DeFi is a relatively new phenomenon in the world of finance. Although it has existed in theory for years, it only began to gain traction in the past few years. DeFi is an umbrella term for a growing ecosystem of financial applications built on Ethereum. These applications aim to provide alternatives to traditional financial products and services, such as lending, borrowing, and trading.

Coinbase Chart for $Coin

One of the key advantages of DeFi is that it is decentralized, meaning that it is not subject to the same centralized control as traditional finance. This decentralization has a number of benefits, including increased security and transparency. However, it also comes with some challenges.

One challenge with DeFi is that it is still in its early stages of development. This means that there are a lot of rough edges and things are constantly changing. This can make it difficult to use DeFi applications, as users need to be comfortable with constant change and uncertainty. Another challenge is that DeFi relies heavily on smart contracts. While smart contracts can provide a lot of advantages, they also come with their own set of risks. If a smart contract contains errors, it can lead to major problems for the users of that contract.

Conclusion

So, what’s the verdict? Decentralized finance definitely has some advantages over centralized finance. For one thing, it’s much more secure since there’s no central point of failure. Additionally, decentralized finance is often more transparent and trustworthy since there’s no single entity in control. However, centralized finance still has its place — particularly when it comes to speed and convenience. In the end, it’s up to you to decide which type of financial system you want to use.

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