The Evolution of Decentralized Finance: A Brief History

Gianluca Busato
Venice Swap
Published in
5 min readFeb 6, 2023

Decentralized finance (DeFi) is a financial system built on blockchain technology that operates without intermediaries, such as traditional banks. The history of DeFi can be traced back to the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, but the term “DeFi” and its current meaning emerged in the latter half of the 2010s. In 2016, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and lending protocols were launched on the Ethereum blockchain, laying the foundation for DeFi. The sector experienced significant growth in 2020 due to a combination of factors including low-interest rates, high demand for yield, and the growth of the NFT market. Since then, DeFi has continued to evolve and expand, with new applications and use cases being developed and the sector attracting increasing investment and attention.

The early days of decentralized finance: 2009–2015

The idea of decentralized money can be followed back to the formation of Bitcoin in 2009. Bitcoin was the principal decentralized computerized money, taking into consideration shared exchanges without the requirement for go-betweens like banks. This was noticeable at the start of the decentralized money development, which intended to make a more open, straightforward, and available monetary framework.

Before long, the blockchain local area kept on investigating better approaches to involve the innovation in finance. In 2014, the Ethereum project was sent off, presenting shrewd agreements to the world. Savvy contracts are self-executing contracts with the provisions of the arrangement between purchaser and merchant being straightforwardly composed into code. This considered the making of decentralized applications (apps) that could run on the Ethereum organization, including decentralized trades (DEXs).

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The advent of decentralized exchanges: 2016–2018

In 2016, the main decentralized trades (DEXs) were sent off on the Ethereum blockchain. DEXs considered the exchanging of Ethereum-based tokens without the requirement for a focal power to hold and deal with the assets. This obviously a significant step in the right direction in the development of decentralized finance, as it empowered individuals to exchange computerized resources in a trustless, distributed way.

Before very long, an ever-increasing number of decentralized trades arose, offering more prominent liquidity and a more extensive scope of exchanging matches. In any case, these early DEXs confronted various difficulties, including low liquidity, slow rates, and an absence of easy-to-use interfaces. In spite of these issues, the DEX development kept on developing, drawing in engineers and financial backers who saw the potential for a more open and available monetary framework.

Decentralized finance eliminates many intermediary commissions

The growth of lending protocols: 2018–2020

In 2018, the principal decentralized loaning conventions were sent off on the Ethereum blockchain. These conventions considered the loaning and getting of Ethereum-based tokens without the requirement for a focal power to deal with the assets. This was a significant forward-moving step in the improvement of decentralized finance, as it empowered individuals to get credit in a more open and straightforward way.

Before very long, increasingly loaning conventions arose, offering a more extensive scope of monetary items and administrations. Nonetheless, these early conventions confronted various difficulties, including low liquidity, high getting rates, and an absence of easy-to-use interfaces. Regardless of these issues, the loaning convention development kept on developing, drawing in designers and financial backers who saw the potential for a more open and comprehensive monetary framework.

The DeFi boom of 2020

In 2020, the decentralized finance sector experienced a major boom, driven by a combination of factors including low interest rates, high demand for yield, and the growth of the NFT market. The popularity of DeFi exploded, attracting millions of new users and billions of dollars in investment. This growth was driven by the launch of new decentralized finance applications and platforms, as well as the growth of existing protocols and dapps.

The DeFi boom of 2020 marked a major turning point in the history of decentralized finance. It demonstrated the potential of DeFi to disrupt traditional finance and create a more open, transparent, and accessible financial system. The DeFi sector attracted significant media attention, with many commentators hailing it as the future of finance.

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The evolution of DeFi: 2021 and beyond

Since the DeFi boom of 2020, the sector has continued to evolve and expand, with new applications and use cases being developed and the sector attracting increasing investment and attention. In 2021, the DeFi sector saw the launch of new protocols and platforms, including yield farming platforms, NFT marketplaces, and decentralized insurance platforms. These new applications have further demonstrated the potential of DeFi to disrupt traditional finance and create a more open, transparent,and accessible financial system.

Another important trend in the DeFi sector is the growth of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). NFTs are unique, one-of-a-kind digital assets that can represent anything from art and music to virtual real estate and collectibles. NFTs are stored on the blockchain and can be bought, sold, and traded just like other digital assets. In 2021, the NFT market experienced explosive growth, attracting new investors and creators and reaching new heights in terms of market value and cultural significance.

In addition to the growth of NFTs, the DeFi sector is also exploring new applications of blockchain technology in areas such as decentralized identity and data privacy. These applications have the potential to transform the way we manage our personal data and interact with the digital world, offering greater security and control over our information and assets.

The future of DeFi is exciting and uncertain, with many potential applications and challenges yet to be explored. However, one thing is certain: DeFi has the potential to transform the financial industry and create a more open, transparent, and accessible financial system for people around the world.

Conclusion

The history of DeFi is short but eventful, marked by the creation of Bitcoin, the emergence of DEXs and lending protocols, the DeFi boom of 2020, and the continued evolution and expansion of the sector. DeFi has come a long way since its humble beginnings, and it has the potential to disrupt traditional finance and create a more open, transparent, and accessible financial system for people around the world. As DeFi continues to evolve and expand, it will be interesting to see what new applications and challenges emerge and how the sector continues to shape the future of finance.

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