DeFi (Decentralized Finance)

DeFi (Decentralized Finance) is any financial service performed without a middleman (therefore, in a decentralized fashion). In the vast majority of cases, DeFi represents protocols working on blockchains through smart contracts, to offer financial services to individuals without having to pass through an intermediary, neither having to negotiate with a counterpart.

Financial services, in the case of DeFi, represents any type of investment, loan, credit… virtually anything that is usually performed by retail or investment banking on behalf of their clients.

Making use of algorithms, computer code and liquidity pools, such protocols make possible such financial services without having a middleman manage everything behind the curtains.

Share this article on

Latest Articles

Blog
12 minutes

The 2026 guide to AML and KYC compliance for global crypto business
Compliance defines market access in 2026. Digital asset service providers are up against institutional-grade regulatory standards, especially when it comes to AML and KYC compliance. The firms that do not treat it seriously can lose their licenses, banking relationships, and operating permissions across every major jurisdiction.
The 2026 guide to AML and KYC compliance for global crypto business image
Anastasia Marchenko photo
Anastasia Marchenko Legal Researcher at LegalBison
Blog
14 minutes

MTL vs. MSB License: What Business Activity Triggers Which License?
A money transmitter license is triggered by conducting money transmission within a state. The overlap between MTL vs MSB license is significant but not total; and the activities that separate them matter more than most founders realize.
MTL vs. MSB License: What Business Activity Triggers Which License? image
Anastasia Marchenko photo
Anastasia Marchenko Legal Researcher at LegalBison
Blog Crypto License
15 minutes

Study: Offshore Corporate Structures with MiCA Licensing: What Nobody Thought Possible
Major exchanges kept their BVI and Cayman parents. Offshore token issuers file EU white papers without a single European entity. The regulation always allowed this. Most advisors just did not read it carefully enough.
Study: Offshore Corporate Structures with MiCA Licensing: What Nobody Thought Possible image
Aaron Glauberman photo
Aaron Glauberman Partner at LegalBison
Sabir Alijev photo
Sabir Alijev Partner at LegalBison
Viktor Juskin photo
Viktor Juskin Partner at LegalBison