Mechanisms of Decentralized Financing: Challenges and Opportunities

The relevance of the article is due to the fact that there is currently an increasing need for an independent financial ecosystem that provides capital owners with full control over their money due to the fact that it is the development of a financial system based on modern technologies in power and financial relations. The subject of the research is the use of financial services based on the use of blockchain and a platform approach. The purpose of the work is to identify the problems, risks, advantages and disadvantages of decentralized finance (DeFi). The analysis of the current state of decentralized finance is carried out and the mechanisms of their functioning are investigated. It has been established that the DeFi ecosystem, which uses a multi-level structure and freely combines blocks and protocols, is implemented by decentralized autonomous organizations that ensure the interaction of participants and decision-making mechanisms. Potential applications of the DeFi ecosystem have been identified, covering the provision and receipt of loans, banking services, and profit optimization. The key problems of decentralized financing have been identified, including a high risk of user error; low productivity; the possibility of third-party interference; difficulties in using tokens with different capitalization levels; imperfect functioning of programs; insufficient cybersecurity; significant volatility. The advantages and development trends of centralized financing are highlighted: fast access and openness; autonomy; relatively high profitability; savings on resources and time. It is concluded that decentralized financing has both advantages and disadvantages.