Defi protocol introduction concept applications and challenges analysis

10/27/2025, 9:09:48 AM
Decentralized Finance protocol is a type of blockchain and smart contract-based service that offers decentralized financial services without intermediaries, allowing users to directly participate in lending, trading, insurance, and other financial activities, thereby achieving a more transparent, efficient, and fair financial ecosystem.

Overview of Decentralized Finance protocol

Decentralized Finance is a financial protocol built on decentralized blockchains that automatically executes financial transactions and contract terms through smart contracts, eliminating the need for intermediaries such as banks and brokerages, reducing costs and enhancing transparency. Users only need to connect a digital wallet to participate, embodying true financial sovereignty.

Core Functions and Advantages

Decentralized Finance integrates various financial activities such as lending, trading, insurance, derivatives, and liquidity mining, featuring characteristics like disintermediation, openness, high efficiency, and resistance to censorship, making financial services fairer and more accessible.

Typical application cases

Mainstream Decentralized Finance protocols such as decentralized exchanges (Uniswap), lending platforms (Compound, Aave), stablecoin protocols (such as MakerDAO’s DAI) and decentralized insurance (Nexus Mutual) assist in asset management and risk diversification.

Facing challenges and risks

Smart contract vulnerabilities, unclear regulations, and liquidity constraints are the main challenges facing the development of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) at present. User experience also needs improvement, as normal usage requires a certain level of technical knowledge and security awareness.

Future Outlook

With the development of cross-chain technology and Layer 2 scaling, Decentralized Finance will further enhance transaction speed, reduce costs, and integrate technologies such as AI and big data, achieving a more intelligent and adaptive financial ecosystem, promoting the integration of CeFi and DeFi.

* The information is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice or any other recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by Gate.