Decentralized Finance (DeFi): What Is It?
Historically, some kind of intermediary has been used in almost all financial transactions. There are multiple parties involved when a customer uses a credit card to make a purchase. Throughout several phases, third parties are in complete control of the transaction's specifics and have the power to accept or reject it.
The DeFi movement is founded on the notion that the financial system should not be centralized and should instead be governed by monopolistic third-party providers of this such. Some people hold this belief for political or philosophical reasons, while others do so merely because they think it will improve the effectiveness and speed of transactions.

In the world of DeFi, there are many different players, and that number is rising. The majority of significant applications are constructed on Ethereum, which enables the creation of decentralized software. They employ smart contract technology to reduce or eliminate the need for corporate gatekeepers or human gatekeepers altogether.
DeFi service providers are developing both new goods and substitutes for conventional financial services. Stablecoins, decentralized exchanges, and peer-to-peer lending services are examples of existing DeFi applications. DeFi serves as the cornerstone of the burgeoning field of prediction markets.
Large wagers are being placed on DeFi start-ups as a result of the widespread belief among analysts that DeFi portends the future of financial services. DeFi players have, however, experienced a number of notable flops, and the industry is still relatively young.

Embedded finance, also referred to as invisible finance, is a movement within traditional financial services and fintech that attempts to increase access to banking and payment technology. It should not be confused with de-risking.