GuShiio.com DeFi has moved from fanatical speculation to pragmatic development, RWA applications have risen, security has been improved, institutions have entered, and is gradually integrating into the global financial system.
Author: Solihat Salihu
Compilation: Vernacular blockchain
Remember DeFi Summer in 2020? During those crazy days, yield farming, food tokens, and APYs that looked like phone numbers emerged one after another. (Ah, those days when I had to check the crops every five minutes were unforgettable.) However, if you have been hibernating since then, DeFi in 2025 may surprise you.
The era of purely speculative pledge is over, and the mentality of “rushing first and telling later” no longer exists. Today’s DeFi has grown up, put on suits (figuratively, of course), and begun to truly solve real-world problems. Let’s take a look at what has changed at DeFi and why these changes are important.
1. The evolution of DeFi: Looking back on the past
Imagine DeFi growing up like a teenager growing up. DeFi 1.0 is a “wild adolescence”-experimental, extremely risky, and making a lot of expensive mistakes. At that time, automated market makers (AMMs), revenue farming, and loan agreements were born one after another, all exciting but unsustainable.
DeFi 2.0 attempts to solve liquidity problems through protocol-owned liquidity and more complex Token economics. Remember the Olympus DAO and the imitators? That’s the “tuition fee” DeFi pays for sustainable economics.
Now, in 2025, we have entered the DeFi 3.0 era, and everything is completely new.
2. Real-World Assets (RWA): DeFi becomes more pragmatic
What are the biggest changes? DeFi is no longer just a playground for crypto transactions. Remember those years when everyone said that blockchain would subvert traditional finance? Today, all this is really happening.
Take mortgage loans as an example. In 2024, we witnessed the first large-scale and successful online mortgage loan debit application. Homeowners can now access the global liquidity pool directly to obtain loans at better interest rates, while investors can participate in real estate borrowing without relying on traditional banks.
Supply Chain Finance has also found a home in DeFi. Small businesses no longer have to wait months to complete payment processing-they can tokenize invoices for instant liquidity. It’s like having a magic wand that turns future receivables into immediate available funds.
3. The rise of institutional DeFi
One thing few people expected in 2020: Traditional financial institutions are now among the largest users of the DeFi ecosystem. Banks that once scoffed at cryptocurrencies now not only run their own verification nodes, but also actively participate in the DeFi protocol.
But it’s not just as simple as big banks entering. DeFi’s infrastructure is also constantly being upgraded to meet the organization’s compliance needs. For example, there are isolated liquidity pools specifically for compliance agencies, built-in KYC/AML (Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering) review mechanisms, and the DeFi system that provides agencies with rights management while maintaining the core advantages of decentralization.
4. Security: From “REKT” to indestructible
Remember in the early days of DeFi, smart contract vulnerability attacks occurred every week? (Those “money security” glyphs now look like prehistoric relics.) DeFi security has made great progress since then.
The modern DeFi protocol adopts multiple layers of protection measures, and formal verification of smart contracts has become a standard process. Insurance agreements no longer just provide simple compensation for hacking attacks, but have developed into a comprehensive protection system covering multiple risks.
The most dramatic development? It is an AI-driven security system that can monitor and block attacks in real time. It’s like having a super-intelligent bodyguard to protect your digital assets at all times.
5. User experience: It’s no longer “rocket science”
If you have experienced the early days of DeFi, you should still remember the tension you felt when connecting your wallet and exchanging Tokens, for fear of losing your funds with one mistake. Today’s DeFi interface is so intuitive that even my mom recently successfully completed her first transaction (yes, I’m as surprised as you are).
Account abstraction completely eliminates concerns about Gas fees and complex wallet management. Social Recovery makes losing private keys no longer a disaster. Cross-chain operation? Now it’s as simple as sending an email.
6. A new face of revenue generation
APY that is often 1000% has long been history (sorry to disappoint you). Today, revenue generation mechanisms have become more mature and sustainable. Real Yield-gains from real economic activity, rather than mere Token inflation disbursement-has become the industry standard.
Hyundai DeFi’s revenue comes from transaction fees, loan interest and returns from real-world assets (RWA). These gains may not be as crazy as they were in 2020, but they are more sustainable and more in line with economic logic.
7. Supervision: Finding balance
Plot reversal: Regulation didn’t kill DeFi, but instead promoted its growth. Regulatory clarity in 2025 opens the door to wider adoption of DeFi. Yes, some agreements remain fully decentralized, while others proactively embrace compliance. This “mixed ecosystem” not only provides users with choices, but also provides protection to a certain extent.
8. The road ahead
Looking to the future, DeFi is being shaped by several trends:
DeFi has become more professional, and various protocols have begun to focus on specific industries or application scenarios. The “one size fits all” model has gradually given way to customized solutions.
Integration with traditional finance continues to deepen, and the boundary between DeFi and TradFi (traditional finance) is becoming increasingly blurred, ultimately pushing the global financial system to become more efficient.
Social impact projects are gradually emerging, and more and more DeFi protocols are beginning to focus on global issues such as financial inclusion and climate finance.
9. Does this concern you?
Whether you are a veteran DeFi player or a curious newcomer, these changes are worth noting. DeFi is no longer just a playground for crypto enthusiasts, but is gradually becoming an important part of the global financial infrastructure.
Even better, the barrier to entry is now lower than ever before. You don’t need a deep understanding of complex financial instruments or blockchain technology to benefit from DeFi-just as you don’t need to understand how the engine works to drive a car.
If you want to explore modern DeFi, try it on a small scale. Focus on agreements that have been established and have practical application value, understand the risks, and always follow one timeless investment wisdom: Never invest more than you can afford to lose.
原文链接
