Decentralized Finance and Its Potential to Reshape Traditional Banking: A Critical Assessment

Abstract

DeFi is a new concept that disrupts the conventional finance industry by employing blockchain and decentralized structures. This critical evaluation aims to discuss how DeFi can disrupt the banking system and provide more transparency, efficiency, and inclusion. Based on the literature review of the works of leading scholars and the DeFi platform case analysis, the study reveals that DeFi has certain benefits compared to traditional financial systems, including lower fees for transactions and a more open financial system for the population. Nevertheless, the research also identifies some threats that may impact the adoption of DeFi including regulatory challenges and security threats. The study shows that despite the fact that DeFi is capable of revolutionizing the financial services industry, it will have to coexist with the traditional banking sector and one has to look at the regulatory and security issues. As shown above, there are several problems that deserve more attention and only more research and collaboration between various stakeholders will allow to unleash the full potential of DeFi. This paper helps to enrich the knowledge about DeFi and its role in the new financial paradigm and gives some ideas about the future of financial industry.