The Different Use Cases Of DeFi

The term DeFi, or Decentralized Finance, refers to an ecosystem of financial applications built upon blockchain networks. The DeFi movement aims to create permissionless, open-source payment protocols not unlike the already existing fiat payment networks. Except that the DeFi systems follow the core concept of cryptocurrencies - truly decentralized, distributed finance where no centralized authority figure/institution holds any semblance of control over your money. Bitcoin, the very first cryptocurrency launched back in 2009, may have been considered an example of DeFi back then. But it would certainly not pass for it now. The concept of DeFi has evolved within the crypto community.

DeFi and Ethereum

At present, most applications of DeFi have accumulated on the Ethereum blockchain. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency platform in the world, has gradually become more compatible with DeFi than the Bitcoin platform. This is primarily because Ethereum makes it easier to build different types of decentralized applications beyond Bitcoin’s basic transactions. As Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin pointed out in the original Ethereum whitepaper back in 2013, Ethereum supports a lot more complex financial use cases. From implementing increased financial security and transparency to offering more flexibility to providing more liquidity opportunities, the Ethereum smart contracts gave DeFi some of its more advantageous features. The DeFi movement has been giving the centralized monetary system a run for its money for a while now. DeFi’s applications in areas range from trading to asset management to insurance to lending and borrowing protocols. Before we take a detailed look at DeFi’s varied use cases, however, let’s first see why exactly DeFi has become a preferable alternative to the traditional banking system for many, many users all over the world.

What are the Primary Features of DeFi?

• Permissionless: A DeFi system’s foundation blockchains are permissionless ones - which allows anyone to access the applications on a DeFi protocol and trade over the network without requiring anybody to sanction it.
• Open Source and Transparent: The coding is open-source on a DeFi system. So the code is visible to every user, allowing everyone on the network to audit it and verify its security and functions. This transparency of the network doesn’t tamper with the users’ privacy either, since all users are identified by their digital signatures (like a social media username). Additionally, open-source coding ensures DeFi’s credibility.
• Interoperability: DeFi is very easily compatible with the integration of other applications, so DeFi always has the scope to expand further, offer new financial services, and even develop new financial marketplaces.
• Accessibility: Anyone with a computer/smartphone and a decent internet connection from any corner of the world can join a DeFi network. This feature in particular definitely gives decentralized financial systems the upper hand over traditional banking systems. Especially considering the sizable portion of the global population that can't avail of essential banking services.

Use Cases of DeFi:

The DeFi movement has always been about developing a substitute financial system that’d rival, and eventually surpass, centralized monetary services in the global financial markets. While it’s true that DeFi is still in its development stage and has a long way to go still before achieving its objective, there have already been several prominent use cases of DeFi so far - sectors where DeFi has proven to be a massive success. Below we have rounded up some of the best practical examples of decentralized finance seen till date.

1. Trading

Providing a new and secure way of trading was one of the primary aims behind a decentralized financial system’s initiation, and of course remains one of its basic functions. Across decentralized exchange platforms, liquidity pools and decentralized marketplaces, a range of trades happen within the DeFi space, from derivatives trading to token exchanges to margin trading to token swaps.

2. DEXes / Decentralized Exchanges

The most broadly known application of DeFi so far has been the DEX, or decentralized exchanges. Decentralized exchanges are, of course, cryptocurrency exchange platforms that allow all users to perform P2P (peer-to-peer) transactions between themselves. Users can therefore control their own funds without a central administrative figure watching over. The trading fees are much lower too. DEXes provide increased liquidity, safeguard all personal data of the users and their funds against threats of hacking and lower the risks of market manipulation by a considerable margin. Another key feature of DEXes is that they allow physical assets to be tokenized. Thus, the exchanges are swifter and safer compared to traditional trading methods. Right now, some of the widely popular DEXs in the DeFi world include Yearn.Finance and Curve.fi.

3. DeFi derivatives

A derivative, as you’re probably aware, is a coded financial agreement that procures its value based on the performance of an underlying entity. This entity can be a crypto asset (forming crypto derivatives), fiat currency, a valuable commodity such as gold, or stocks, bonds etc. DeFi derivatives, similarly, can represent both real world and virtual assets. For a DeFi derivative, smart contracts embody contracts which auto-execute in a permissionless manner. There are two basic benefits to trading a DeFi derivative –

1. Avoiding the risks associated with any upcoming price fluctuations of a particular asset by agreeing to trade at a fixed price in the future.
2. Potentially earning profits by speculating on a certain asset’s future performance.

Here are some of the prominent types of derivatives contracts:

1. Futures: A crypto futures contract contains an agreement to buy/sell the underlying crypto asset at a specific point in time in the future.
2. Options: Crypto options allow the holders the right to buy or sell the underlying assets at a certain price, but they are not obligated to perform the trade.
3. Swaps: Swaps are derivatives contracts through which counterparties exchange the cash flows or liabilities associated with one financial instrument for another. Swaps are customized based on the requirements of both sides involved.
4. Perpetual Swaps: Perpetual swaps are very similar to regular futures contracts, except that they don’t have expiry dates.

You can trade all the above mentioned DeFi derivatives, and more, on the Delta exchange. To find out more about derivatives trading, check out the Delta Blog.

4. Tokenization

A token, in the case of DeFi, is a virtual asset minted, issued and managed on a blockchain. Digital tokens are securely coded so they can be transferred instantaneously and are programmed to carry a bunch of functionalities. Tokenization is a native feature of the Ethereum blockchain, meaning it can provide DeFi platforms on the same blockchain with a range of economic benefits. Digital tokens have come out as a secure way for users on DeFi platforms to store their asset values, and trade without ever risking the actual assets. DeFi platforms usually offer tokens to provide users with an attractive deal to invest in a particular platform. Some protocols give away platform specific tokens that give the tokenholders governance powers. Others can incentivize users to try out a certain application. For instance, the Yearn.Finance platform offers the $YFI token, and Compound gives out the $COMP token.

5. Stablecoins

Stablecoins are essentially cryptocurrencies. The only difference is that the value of a stablecoin can be tethered to the value of another cryptocurrency, a physical currency like the US dollar, or even the price of a valuable physical asset, like gold. The primary goal of stablecoins is to reduce the risks associated with the price fluctuations of a regular cryptocurrency. They also offer price stability. Currently, most stablecoins exist as tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. They are used for payments on DEXes, or for lending and borrowing purposes. Some popular stablecoins are USDT, USDC, and DAI.

6. Synthetic Assets

Synthetic assets are virtual assets that provide exposure to other real world assets such as fiat currencies or precious metals like gold, or cryptocurrencies. Basically, anything with a dependable price feed can be translated into a synthetic asset. These assets can be staked as collateral on DeFi platforms and have synthetic assets (which are basically crypto tokens, much like stablecoins) minted against them. For example, Synthetix is a synthetic asset protocol. A user can store Synthetix’s token SNX or ETH as collateral on Synthetix, and have synthetic assets minted against it.

7. Lending and Borrowing:

P2P (peer-to-peer) lending and borrowing platforms are one of the most extensively used applications of the decentralized finance system. DeFi lending platforms give out loans to individual borrowers or organizations in a trustless way. There’s no third party interference required, and they allow lenders to earn interest in the form of crypto coins on their deposited funds. Here’s some of the advantages DeFi lending platforms offer over the traditional lending/borrowing procedure -

1. More easily accessible to both lenders and borrowers
2. Instant fund settlements through smart contracts
3. Total transparency in the fund flow
4. Reduced risks
5. Flexibility in lending and borrowing

The DEX platform Compound is a good example of a DeFi lending/borrowing protocol. Compound is an algorithmic, autonomous interest rate protocol. By providing interest rate markets on Ethereum, it allows lenders to earn interest on the assets they have deposited in the Compound lending pool. The Compound smart contract is coded to match borrowers and lenders and calculate the interest rate for every specific situation. We’ve discussed the strategies in Yield Farming here.

8. Asset Management

Finding beneficial exchange platforms, strategizing and distributing assets for portfolio diversification, and keeping track of all investments and trades across multiple platforms can be fairly complicated. This is where DeFi asset management tools come in, which include virtual apps and wallets for securing and managing financial assets on behalf of the users. Crypto wallets let you interact with DeFi platforms and handle all transfers of funds. This includes buying, selling, moving cryptocurrency from one system to another, and earning interest on deposited assets.

9. Insurance

As mentioned before, decentralized finance is still developing. Even though it was designed to be fully secure and risk-free, users have previously faced all sorts of vulnerabilities. These have included smart contract breaches due to bugs, theft of personal information/funds, and compromised private keys. The decentralized nature of the system makes it really difficult to reverse any losses suffered; this is why DeFi insurance - one of the more recent innovations within the DeFi space - plays a key part in giving the users the maximum possible security, and serves to attract more investors and traders to DeFi. Through DeFi insurance protocols, users can take out insurance policies on cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, or their funds to cover any claims in the future.

10. DAOs/ Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

A decentralized autonomous organization is an institution that operates as per encoded rules that are transparent. It is controlled by the members of the organization instead of a centralized authority. Some well-known platforms within the DeFi world have launched DAOs to provide their user-bases with decentralized governance powers, run financial operations and fundraise among other things; Compound Finance and MakerDAO being two of the foremost examples.

11. Payments

The peer-to-peer payment system is one of the basic features of decentralized finance, since it also happens to be a key quality of the blockchain tech. DeFi payment networks allow all users to trade directly with each other, with no intermediary intervention required. DeFi payment solutions can create a convenient financial system for the large part of the global unbanked or underbank population. Plus, they can convert the current market structures to benefit all parties involved in the trades.

12. Decentralized Marketplaces

DeFi protocols have already been used to back online marketplaces so they can serve consumers worldwide. All functions become a lot easier - from payments to the exchange of products. The open source structure allows rules governing the marketplace to be transparent and visible to everyone operating on the network. Plus, the combination of DeFi’s transparency and immutability make sure that features such as customer ratings and reviews are completely honest and indubitable.

The DeFi space, at its current stage, faces some issues. The foremost of them being the fact that the system structure isn’t yet ready for mundane use. It's why it hasn’t been replacing the traditional financial systems in the mainstream markets yet. However, decentralized finance continues to grow and widens its horizons to introduce financial uses and opportunities never imagined before. It’s undeniable DeFi already holds the potential to revolutionize financial sectors on a global scale.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is DeFi and its features?

Answer: DeFi uses smart contracts on public blockchains to deliver financial services without intermediaries. Anyone with a wallet can access lending, trading, and yield products. Key features are permissionless access, on-chain transparency, composability, and self-custody of assets throughout.

Q2: What are decentralized exchanges (DEXes) and how do they work?

Answer: DEXes let users swap tokens directly from their wallets through smart contracts and liquidity pools. Prices are set algorithmically rather than through order books. Uniswap, Curve, and PancakeSwap are leading examples, collectively processing billions in daily volume.

Q3: What are DeFi derivatives and what types are available for trading?

Answer: DeFi derivatives include perpetuals on GMX and dYdX, options via Derive (formerly Lyra), and synthetic assets through Synthetix. Liquidity and execution still trail centralised platforms. Delta Exchange handles derivatives trading with significantly more depth for most active traders.

Q4: How does DeFi lending and borrowing differ from traditional financial systems?

Answer: DeFi lending platforms like Aave and Compound require overcollateralisation and use algorithmic interest rates that adjust in real time. There are no credit checks or banks involved. If collateral drops below threshold, the position liquidates automatically through code.

Q5: What are stablecoins and synthetic assets in the DeFi ecosystem?

Answer: Stablecoins are pegged assets. Fiat-backed ones like USDC and USDT are now dominant after Terra/UST's 2022 collapse wiped over $40B and discredited undercollateralised algorithmic designs. Synthetic assets tokenize exposure to equities or commodities on-chain without requiring direct ownership.

Q6: What role do DAOs play in the decentralized finance ecosystem?

Answer: DAOs govern DeFi protocols through token-based voting, letting holders propose and decide on parameter changes, fee structures, and treasury allocations. Low participation rates and large-holder dominance are persistent problems most established DeFi protocols have not meaningfully solved.

Q7: What are the most important use cases of DeFi in the financial world today?

Answer: The biggest use cases are decentralised lending, stablecoin issuance, DEX trading, yield optimization, and cross-border payments. DeFi TVL peaked near $180B in 2021 and has partially recovered since. Traders often pair DeFi with regulated platforms like Delta Exchange for derivatives.