A critique on decentralized finance from a social, political, and economic perspective

Abstract

Throughout the ages, social change has largely been brought as a reaction against an establishing entity or idea. Communism, for instance, was a reaction against the industrial revolution that exacerbated the exploitative nature of capitalism. Contemporarily, we are living through perhaps one of the most critical turning points in finance that began as a reaction against the solipsistic nature of Wall Street bankers prior to the 2008 financial crisis. This new movement exists within the robust ecosystem of decentralized finance (DeFi). Throughout the past decade, innovation within DeFi has grown exponentially, such that literature on its social, political, and economic effects is yet to be well-understood. Thus, this research paper intends to deconstruct the underlying socio-economic systems surrounding DeFi in order to understand, analyze, and critique its fundamental values and assumptions. The primary philosophical concern is whether decentralized finance can be a suitable substitute to the current financial system via its notions of personal financial freedom.