'DeFi is not dead,' it’s going mainstream with AI agents, crypto executives agree

DeFi and its underlying technology have already proved themselves at scale, said eToro CEO Yoni Assia....
Key takeaways
- 1DeFi lending markets hold over $100 billion in total value, proving the technology stack operates at scale despite recent security breaches.
- 2AI agents will require DeFi-like financial infrastructure to function economically, driving mainstream adoption of crypto-native systems.
- 3Institutional investors and regulated fintech firms are increasingly seeking compliant ways to offer DeFi products, signaling mainstream finance integration.
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Why it matters
For Indian retail investors, this signals DeFi's transition from speculative asset to foundational infrastructure, potentially increasing legitimacy and institutional adoption. As institutions integrate on-chain finance for efficiency, retail participation in tokenized assets and DeFi protocols may expand significantly with better regulatory clarity.
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