Blockchain-built dApps, protocols, smart contracts, and digital assets are the key elements of decentralized finance. The Ethereum framework is the primary choice for the DeFi application considering the adaptability and the level of development, but that doesn't imply it's the only blockchain forum. DeFi is a development in the cryptocurrency industry, aimed at recreating conventional banking services without centralized technologies. Bitcoin itself is a prototypical illustration of DeFi; the majority of other cryptocurrencies depend on central organizers or issuers. DeFi is implemented via dApps, typically installed on either a blockchain such as Ethereum or a tangle such as IOTA. Decentralization suggests that there is no single point of failure since similar records are kept across a peer-to-peer network throughout a plethora of computers. Since it's unregulated, it is also available to all regardless of their income or where they stay. And, while a payment processing firm or a bank can close an unseemly customer's account, blockchains are immune to surveillance.

During the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, our financial infrastructure failed. Governments bailed out the very institutions that let the economy down. This episode spurred a serious rethink of our financial system. Does it make any sense that it takes two days to settle a stock transaction? Why do retailers, operating on razor thin margins, have to pay 3% for every customer credit card swipe? Why does it take two days to transfer money from a bank account to a brokerage—or any other company? Why are savings rates miniscule or negative? Why is it so difficult for entrepreneurs to get financing at traditional banks? In DeFi and the Future of Finance, Campbell R. Harvey, Ashwin Ramachandran and Joey Santoro, introduce the new world of Decentralized Finance. The book argues that the current financial landscape is ripe for disruption and we are seeing, in real time, the reinvention of finance. The authors provide the reader with a clear assessment of the problems with the current financial system and how DeFi solves many of these problems. The essence of DeFi is that we interact with peers—there is no brick and mortar and all of the associated costs. Savings and lending are reinvented. Trading takes place with algorithms far removed from traditional brokerages. The book conducts a deep dive on some of the most innovative protocols such as Uniswap and Compound. Many of the companies featured in the book you might not have heard of—however, you will in the future. As with any new technology, there are a myriad of risks and the authors carefully catalogue these risks and assess which ones can be successfully mitigated. Ideally suited for people working in any part of the finance industry as well as financial policy makers, DeFi and the Future of Finance gives readers a vision of the future. The world of finance will fundamentally be changed over the coming decade. The book enables you to become part of the disruption – not the target of the disruption.

"This book details the new economies created by a generation of bankless pioneers. It's the best introduction you could ask for." - Mariano Conti, Head of Smart Contracts at Maker Foundation "If I didn't know anything about DeFi and needed to learn from scratch, this book is where I'd start." - Felix Feng, CEO of TokenSets “This book makes it easy for beginners to get started with DeFi.” - Hugh Karp, CEO of Nexus Mutual How to DeFi: Beginner, Second Edition, is the 2021 updated version of How to DeFi (March 2020). DeFi is an ecosystem of decentralized applications that provide financial services built on top of distributed networks with no governing authority. By April 2021, DeFi applications have locked up over $86 billion worth of cryptocurrencies in smart contracts. DeFi is expected to grow further in the coming years and is a key component in fulfilling Ethereum’s lofty vision and ambition. You will learn about the various elements of DeFi such as decentralized stablecoins, decentralized exchanges, decentralized lending, decentralized derivatives, decentralized insurance and more. DeFi has been immensely popular throughout 2019 to 2021 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Use this book to stay ahead of the curve and learn how you can utilize various DeFi applications to better understand the changes that will disrupt the traditional financial sector. In this book, you will discover: - What is DeFi and their differences with traditional finance - What is Ethereum and its role in DeFi - Step-by-step guides in using the various DeFi applications - Real-life use cases of DeFi and how you too can earn from opportunities within the space With simple, yet concise explanations and guides, it has never been easier for you to understand and get started with the various DeFi applications.

This key textbook examines the financial growth and success of digital assets in the contemporary economy. As digital assets and other blockchain applications mature, and regulatory authorities work hard to keep pace, three leading attorneys in the field invite students to consider the legal frameworks pertinent to regulating this new method of exchange. In this, the first textbook of its kind, the authors explore the growth of smart contracts, the application of securities laws to token sales, the regulation of virtual currency businesses, the taxation of digital assets and the intersection of digital assets and criminal law.

Decentralized finance (commonly referred to as DeFi) is a blockchain- based form of finance that does not rely on central financial intermediaries such as brokerages or banks to offer traditional financial instruments. Instead, it utilizes smart contracts on blockchains, the most common being Ethereum. With this report you will learn how to utilize this new technology in your business. Topics covered: DeFi Explained The Rise of DeFi DeFi's Top Applications The True Power of DeFi The Downsides to DeFi The Future of DeFi

Crypto prices and NFTs are hogging the headlines, but they are just the most visible components of a rapidly growing decentralized financial system (DeFi) that has the potential to significantly challenge how we buy, sell, and trade just about everything. Blockchain and cryptocurrency may seem like a new thing, but they have been around for over 10 years. The problem is that the world of crypto can be very confusing with all the jargon, acronyms, and other unfamiliar words. This book contains an overview of the entire ecosystem as well as deeper insights to help you think about the consequences (intended and unintended) of our transition into a decentralized, trustless, world.

Cryptoassets represent one of the most high profile financial products in the world, and fastest growing financial products in history. From Bitcoin, Etherium and Ripple's XRP-so called "utility tokens" used to access financial services-to initial coin offerings that in 2017 rivalled venture capital in money raised for startups, with an estimated $5.6 billion (USD) raised worldwide across 435 ICOs. All the while, technologists have hailed the underlying blockchain technology for these assets as potentially game changing applications for financial payments and record-keeping. At the same time, cryptoassets have produced considerable controversy. Many have turned out to be lacklustre investments for investors. Others, especially ICOs, have also attracted noticeable fraud, failing firms, and alarming lapses in information-sharing with investors. Consequently, many commentators around the world have pressed that ICO tokens be considered securities, and that concomitant registration and disclosure requirements attach to their sales to the public. This volume assembles an impressive group of scholars, businesspersons and regulators to collectively write on cryptoassets. This volume represents perspectives from across the regulatory ecosystem, and includes technologists, venture capitalists, scholars, and practitioners in securities law and central banking.