Decentralized Finance vs Traditional Finance | Genius Academy (2024)

DeFi, or decentralized finance, remains one of the fastest growing industries. From 2019 to 2021, the TVL, or total value locked, in DeFi protocols grew 80x. Today, DeFi continues to grow, having surpassed $100 billion in TVL in 2022. DeFi provides the opportunity for anyone to interact with a transparent, open, and secure financial system. DeFi is different from the traditional finance system which has been around for thousands of years. Let’s talk about the differences between the two.


DEFI VS TRADITIONAL FINANCE

  1. DeFi — DeFi is peer-to-peer financial services using blockchain technology that eliminates the need for intermediaries. Combining programmability with the security of blockchains like Cardano, users can borrow/lend, get insurance, deposit their money for savings, or buy/sell digital assets on DEXs. The key to DeFi is that there is no middleman or central authority. For example, the Securities Exchange Commission, or SEC, in the United States can suspend trading of any security trading on exchanges it regulates, such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. To get a loan or open a bank account, a bank can deny anyone these financial services based on nationality or due to the public policy of their governments.
    In DeFi, transactions on dApps are executed by smart contracts, not a central authority. Anyone with a crypto wallet and internet connection can participate.
  2. Traditional Finance — Traditional Finance, or Centralized Finance (CeFi), are financial services that have an intermediary or central authority, whose action is needed for people to use their services. For example, to get a loan, people usually have to provide very personal information such as their name, address, Tax ID number, and financial history. Even after receiving this personal information, the bank can choose to deny a person a loan with little explanation. In traditional finance systems, a company or person can be denied the use of financial services by a central authority.

ARCHITECTURE: DEFI VS TRADITIONAL FINANCE

How is DeFi’s technology different from traditional finance? The basic function of a decentralized exchange like the Genius DEX or centralized exchanges like Robinhood is the same, allowing users to trade assets for other assets. However, DeFi uses a distributed ledger technology, or a decentralized blockchain for transactions. No single node has control of the blockchain and all transactions added to the blockchain are immutable. User’s funds are bound by the smart contract of the dApp.

In traditional finance, entities like banks typically keep the ledgers internally. By having sole control of the ledger, the bank can change, cancel, or reverse transactions. Banks can also block who can access their financial services and require users to identify themselves to satisfy KYC guidelines before allowing the use of their services.

In DeFi, the ledger is distributed and transactions are approved by multiple nodes. In traditional finance, the centralized nodes, or a single entity, controls the ledger. Let’s illustrate the difference below:

Decentralized Finance vs Traditional Finance | Genius Academy (1) Decentralized Finance vs Traditional Finance | Genius Academy (2)

The distributed ledger of transactions, or blockchain, is distributed between multiple nodes. When a user interacts with a DeFi protocol on the Cardano blockchain, the potential execution of that transaction is done based on the conditions of the smart contract. When the transaction is executed, it is recorded on the distributed ledger that every full node stores.

On the other hand, if a user interacts with a bank for a savings account or a loan, only the bank has control of the ledger.

SUMMARY

DeFi offers many of the same financial services as traditional finance, such as interest-bearing accounts or loans, but does so without intermediaries. DeFi uses smart contracts with blockchain technology to create a secure, transparent platform to do financial transactions. Most DeFi protocols, such as DEXs, don’t have KYC and don’t limit users by nationality, in contrast to traditional finance companies like banks. Since DeFi protocols utilize public blockchains like Cardano, the ledger is distributed. In many traditional finance companies, the ledgers are internally controlled by a single entity.

Decentralized Finance vs Traditional Finance | Genius Academy (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between traditional finance and decentralized finance? ›

DeFi is a financial system focused on creating decentralized applications for Blockchain technology. DeFi allows users to send, receive and even lend money without the help of third parties. On the other hand, traditional finance is centralized finance that manages assets on behalf of users.

What are the disadvantages of decentralized finance? ›

Another major disadvantage of DeFi is the high number of risks associated with it. These include market volatility, smart contract failures, and hacking threats. Moreover, unlike traditional banking systems which offer insurance and consumer protection mechanisms, such safeguards are typically absent in the DeFi space.

Why decentralized finance is better? ›

It eliminates the need for centralized intermediaries—banks, brokerage firms—and establishes stable Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks for secure transactions.

What is decentralized finance quiz? ›

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is an emerging application of blockchain technology. Test your knowledge of DeFi with this Swyftx Learn quiz. Back to course. To complete this quiz you will need to get a score of 80% or higher. You can take this quiz as many times as you'd like to try and improve your score.

Why is DeFi better than traditional finance? ›

DeFi's Potential In Traditional Finance

Notably, DeFi can reduce the need for intermediaries from traditional banks when making payments or lending/borrowing and means that money can be sent across the world in a matter of minutes—and that you no longer need to spend hours at the bank sorting through the red tape.

How is DeFi different from traditional finance? ›

Key takeaways: — In traditional finance, all processes are handled by a central authority, while DeFi automates all operations through smart contracts. — DeFi platforms are powered by blockchain technology and crypto. — There is no outside control over users' funds or assets in DeFi.

What is the biggest problem in DeFi? ›

Impermanent loss. Impermanent loss is one of the most common and misunderstood DeFi market risks. When a user provides liquidity, they must deposit two types of assets. As other users buy and sell tokens from the pool, the asset ratios shift, increasing the value of one while lowering the value of the other.

What are the three disadvantages of decentralization? ›

Disadvantages of Decentralization
  • Issues with Coordination. Decentralization allows for the management of highly competent individuals to be carried out by highly skilled individuals. ...
  • Factors from Outside. ...
  • Increase the cost of administration. ...
  • Operational costs are high.

Is DeFi illegal in the US? ›

In all three settlements, the CFTC found that the US-based DeFi platforms violated Section 4(a) of the CEA, which generally makes it unlawful to offer to enter into, or conduct business in, the United States for the purpose of soliciting or accepting orders for a futures contract, unless the futures contract is made on ...

What is decentralized finance for dummies? ›

Decentralization: Unlike traditional financial systems that rely on centralized institutions like banks, DeFi operates on decentralized networks, typically using blockchain technology. This means there's no single authority controlling the system, enhancing transparency and reducing the need for intermediaries.

Can you make money with decentralized finance? ›

Some decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and decentralized exchanges (DEXs) allow users to earn money like a bank by participating directly in a lending process. Yield farming techniques let users connect their cryptocurrency wallets and commit coins and tokens to a lending pool with others.

Why is DeFi better than banks? ›

DeFi platforms eliminate intermediaries completely and replace them with automated smart contracts. This way, users can complete DeFi transactions in minutes and with increased transparency. In theory, both bank transactions and DeFi transactions are secure.

What are the five pillars of decentralized finance? ›

This definition refers to five core elements of blockchain technology (Gupta, 2017): (1) distributed database, (2) p2p transactions, (3) transparency with pseudonymity, (4) immutability of records and (5) computational logic, which can trigger automated transactions by smart contracts.

Is decentralized finance the future? ›

Exciting times are ahead: In the foreseeable future, financial and economic services will run on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) – a decentralized database managed by multiple participants, with no central administrator.

How much money is in decentralized finance? ›

The market for decentralized finance is valued at $77 billion, according to crypto analytics firm DeFi Pulse.

What is the meaning of traditional finance? ›

TradFi (traditional finance) is the conventional way of moving or handling money via traditional financial systems and institutions.

What is the difference between centralized and decentralized finance? ›

Decentralized finance (DeFi) is an emerging financial technology that challenges the current centralized banking system. DeFi attempts to eliminate the fees banks and other financial service companies charge while promoting peer-to-peer transactions.

What is the difference between traditional finance and modern finance? ›

Unlike the traditional approach, modern financial management considers the procurement and effective utilisation of funds. It takes into consideration the internal parties and problems that affect an organisation.

What is decentralized finance in simple words? ›

Decentralized finance—or DeFi for short—is an emerging digital ecosystem that allows people to send, purchase, and exchange financial assets without relying on banks, brokerages, or exchanges. DeFi sidesteps the traditional pathways to making financial transactions.

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