Blockchain4Europe WEBINAR: DeFi – What is actually new about it?

Speakers:
Dr. Ann Cloots, Lecturer, University of Cambridge
Dr. Thomas Dünser, Office of Financial Market Innovation, Principality of Liechtenstein
Prof. Fabian Schär, Professor for DLT/Fintech, Center for Innovative Finance – University of Basel
Dr. Joachim Schwerin, Principal Economist, DG GROW, European Commission
Moderation:
Robert Kopitsch, Secretary General, Blockchain for Europe

Decentralised Finance (DeFi) has the potential to significantly innovate the way current financial infrastructures operate. Based on Blockchain technology, DeFi leverages smart contracts to replicate traditional financial services while introducing more transparency, efficiency and accessibility. While still a niche market, DeFi applications are growing and could significantly contribute to a more efficient and secure financial infrastructure. At the same time, DeFi faces obstacles to broader adoption. While the EU’s co-legislators are negotiating the future of crypto-assets and European innovation under the Markets in Crypto-assets Regulation, a key aspect of the proposed legislation will be to ensure the necessary legal certainty for such DeFi applications, and making sure that the rules acknowledge and promote, rather than hinder, their deployment in Europe. To that end, understanding what DeFi is and what it can bring will be key. With this webinar we aimed to shed some light on this expanding global innovation and how it can be understood and supported from a policy and regulatory perspective.