Since its inception, DeFi has, without a doubt, attracted attention. Dapp transaction volumes reached $270 billion, with 95% of that coming from Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem. Decentralized finance protocols brought about a transparent, trustless financial revolution on several fronts, including lending and borrowing, derivatives, insurance, stablecoins, and decentralized exchanges.

It is clear that the sector is here to stay because the DeFi ecosystem has over $250 billion in value locked up. As a result, traditional financial organizations have been looking for a means to participate in the growing DeFi ecosystem, despite DeFi’s naturally decentralized structure contrasting with its centralized equivalents. A solution to this issue is CeDeFi or centralized decentralized finance.

In this article, let’s learn what CeDeFi is and other related concepts. Let’s get started!

An introduction to CeDeFi

The term “centralized decentralized finance” is referred to as CeDeFi. CeDeFi is the name given to a group of Ethereum-based protocols that seek to provide the same advantages as DeFi protocols but with more control and centralized decision-making.

Contrary to DeFi protocols, which are permissionless and accessible to anybody who wants to use them, CeDeFi protocols are frequently maintained by a single entity or a limited number of companies. As a result, CeDeFi protocols, as opposed to Defi protocols, have more control over their operation and governance.

Similar characteristics to those found in DeFi protocols, like lending and borrowing platforms, stablecoins, and token exchanges, are frequently seen in CeDeFi protocols. However, because CeDeFi protocols are centralized, they are often quicker and simpler to use than DeFi protocols. CeDeFi protocols’ speed and convenience come at the sacrifice of decentralization because they are less censorship-resistant than DeFi protocols and engage the community less.

Due to their centralized structure, CeDeFi protocols are more susceptible to hackers and intrusions than DeFi protocols. However, CeDeFi protocols are more approachable than many DeFi protocols, which is why their use is rising.

Getting an overview of this truly young concept is just not enough; you should also learn about its characteristic features, advantages, and disadvantages in the following sections. So let’s not dwell further and know more about it.

Features of CeDeFi

The development and trade of synthetic assets are supported by the decentralized finance protocol known as CeDeFi. It does not exclusively rely on loan or borrowing platforms, as do the other protocols. Instead, it creates specific new tokens that follow the value of several underlying assets through a system of smart contracts. With the help of this method, customers can trade derivatives without having to put their trust in a single entity.

Significant benefits of the centralized decentralized finance protocols include:

• Accessibility: Anyone with an Ethereum wallet can utilize CeDeFi protocols.
• Flexibility: Different derivatives products can be developed using customized centralized decentralized finance protocols.
• Decentralization: Since Ethereum powers the CeDeFi protocols, they are decentralized and resistant to single points of failure.
• Interoperability: A variety of potential applications are supported by the centralized decentralized finance protocols’ simple ability to communicate with other Ethereum-based protocols.

Advantages of CeDeFi

In addition to combining the greatest aspects of centralized and decentralized finance, CeDeFi offers a number of noteworthy benefits, such as:

• Exchange vetted projects and tokens: Projects and tokens that have been thoroughly evaluated by the exchange are available. This lowers the risk of fraud.
• Seamless deployment: DApp developers can swiftly integrate their applications and make use of cross-chain functionalities.
• Greater accessibility: By investing in hand-selected goods and services that best satisfy their corresponding objectives, investors will have access to chances that yield higher APYs.
• More compliant choices: Choose from a broader range of modern infrastructure and goods while adhering to long-standing banking requirements like KYC and AML.
• Lower transaction costs & faster transaction speeds: Existing customers on several CeDeFi systems have attested to the low cost of CeDeFi fees.
• Security and scalable orientation: CeDeFi provides a robust and scalable solution for security, control, and transparency across a range of DeFi products.
• Fewer obstacles to entry: It enables new users to discover DeFi by displaying validated trade options that have been filtered by several criteria, including KYC, fees, and more. This helps decrease the barriers for less experienced players.

Disadvantages of CeDeFi

Being recently introduced in the industry, CeDeFi is currently being explored, and many drawbacks are coming out that need to be fixed. A few of them are mentioned below:

• Still a young concept: CeDeFi’s biggest drawback right now is the steep learning curve connected with its protocols due to their complexity. Since the idea is still in its early stage, more user-friendly and intuitive user interfaces will undoubtedly develop over time.
• Relies heavily on Ethereum: Since most of CeDeFi protocols are still constructed on the Ethereum blockchain, CeDeFi also depends significantly on Ethereum. CeDeFi will likely collapse if Ethereum does. However, this risk is reduced by the fact that CeDeFi protocols are starting to be adopted by other blockchains.
• High volatility: CeDeFi’s still relatively young and unproven status is another drawback. Despite the sector’s rapid expansion over the past year, it is still in its infancy. CeDeFi protocols may not be prepared for widespread adoption as a result of their high level of volatility.
• Prone to scams: Last but not least, CeDeFi has experienced a fair bit of scams. Scams have been prevalent in the CeDeFi industry due to the absence of regulation. Therefore, it is crucial to exercise caution, stick to trusted CeDeFi protocols, and consider CeDeFi as a possible means of integrating DeFi goods and applications into established financial institutions.

Conclusion

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols are a class of Ethereum-based protocols that aim to offer benefits comparable to centralized decentralized finance but with more control and centralized decision-making. CeDeFi protocols are typically run by one entity or a small number of entities, in contrast to DeFi protocols, which are permissionless and available to anybody interested in using them.

CeDeFi protocols have more control over their administration and operation than DeFi protocols do, thanks to this design. It has various advantages, and those who can use them well will profit from the perks of centralized decision-making and more control.

Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency is not a legal tender and is currently unregulated. Kindly ensure that you undertake sufficient risk assessment when trading cryptocurrencies as they are often subject to high price volatility. The information provided in this section doesn't represent any investment advice or WazirX's official position. WazirX reserves the right in its sole discretion to amend or change this blog post at any time and for any reasons without prior notice.