It’s not hard to see why people end up being confused when approaching Decentralized Finance (DeFi) for the first time. Irrespective of their educational background few people have a polymath skill set that enables them to understand code, market dynamics for trading, game theory and cryptography. Most participants tend to be split between those with a Financial Services/Trading background and those with a Computer Science/Programmer background, mastering both simultaneously mixed in with group psychology is a tall order!
This problem has its roots in that most education systems narrow down at a very young age when people are forced to choose whether they focus on arts or sciences, rarely are the two disciplines combined. Employers such as Financial Institutions or Government agencies often require people to focus on a particular field and trading desks rarely if ever interact with the IT department unless they have a technical glitch. Up until recently, traders interested in cryptocurrency markets would need to understand solidity programming in order to create a smart contract and execute an arbitrage trade, something few if any could do.
Access to these opportunities was restricted to people with a programming background, it was inherently elitist for an industry that aims to challenge established interests and entrenched systems.
This was the rationale for the creation of Flashloans, a trading platform that enables traders who have identified profitable arbitrage opportunities to secure collateral and build smart contracts to complete trades. These loans can also help savers faced with margin calls and want to avoid self-liquidation fees or execute collateral swaps, problems that all too often occur given the volatility of many cryptocurrencies.
As a technologist, it’s easy to forget how complex coding language and programming can be for people without training in this area. Bitcoin maximalists often descend into their own language of slang and anagrams that leaves the average person on the street excluded.
As an industry, we need to address issues related to the user experience, education, and accessibility if this technology is ever going to reach its potential. This sector has witnessed innovation take off and built a two trillion dollar asset class in just over a decade, however, unless people can participate it will still be vulnerable to the accusation that it’s a “solution in search of a problem”. Only by creating tools that anyone can apply can this industry fulfill its potential.
As things stand, power is currently entrenched with unaccountable elites who can often shift markets by moving assets to create market distortions that impact prices. It’s no coincidence that the word credit derives from the Latin “credere” to believe, and collective trust ultimately holds together any financial system whether it be fiat underpinned by governments or digital assets underpinned by communities.
As an industry we have to recognise the importance of giving people the tools they need in order to engage with DeFi and cryptocurrencies in general, only then will the benefits of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) be shared equally, as things stand there’s an unfair advantage in gaining access.
Pre-programmed smart contracts that people can use with confidence for their everyday needs when interacting with businesses and other individuals will be fundamental in bridging the gap between the technological elites and the broader public the industry needs to win over.
Greater accessibility and crossing the technical barriers that deter the average person from engaging with DeFi is the guiding principle for our team and the work we’re carrying out. I only hope other members within the industry heed our call to build a more inclusive infrastructure to ensure this technology lives up to its potential and is accessible to anyone irrespective of their educational background or professional experience.
New product reliable pricing in the market, keeping market slippage at a minimum.
