Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The Future of Finance

DeFi and the Future of Finance is a four course learning experience. DeFi or Decentralized Finance is a new technology whereby users interact as peers with algorithms or smart contracts rather than through traditional intermediaries such as banks, brokerages or insurance companies. The technology has the potential to transform finance as we know it. It solves key problems in traditional finance such as lack of inclusion, inefficiency, opacity, centralized control and lack of interoperability. The first course, DeFi Infrastructure, focuses on the historical evolution of decentralized finance as well as the problems that DeFi solves. The second course, DeFi Primitives, deals with mechanics, supply and ownership, and loans and swaps. The third course, DeFi Deep Dive, explores the leading protocols including MakerDAO, Compound, Aave, Uniswap and dYdX. The fourth course, DeFi Risks and Opportunities, analyzes the key risks including smart contract risk, governance risk, scaling as well as regulatory issues. The final part of the course sketches a vision of finance in the future including the winners and the losers.