DeFi the Odds: Growing an Open Financial System with Clay Robbins (0x), Brendan Forster (Dharma) and Calvin Liu (Compound)

Of the 7.5 billion people in the world, 40 million have used cryptocurrency. 2 million possess non-custodial service wallets, but only tens of thousands are engaged in using DeFi services, specifically. So, how do we get more people interested in decentralized finance? Will there be one principal entry point to the ecosystem or many? And how do we grow in a way that aligns with DeFi values and provides global accessibility?

Brendan Forster is the cofounder and COO at Dharma, Clay Robbins is the Growth Lead at 0x, and Calvin Liu is the Strategy Lead at Compound. Today, they join us to define decentralized finance and discuss what success looks like in the space in terms of democratization of both access and creation. Brendan, Clay, and Calvin break down the key protocol classifications and offer insight around the creativity required to build traditional financial primitives within the constraints of the DeFi value system.

We also cover high-growth opportunities in the space, the potential for multiple prospective entry points to DeFi, and the connection between utility and a useful reputation system. Listen in for an explanation of the go-to-market strategies for 0x, Dharma and Compound and hear Clay, Calvin and Brendan’s most cyberpunk visions around the future of the open finance space.

Today’s Topics

[1:39] The definition of DeFi + what success looks like in the space

[6:05] How Calvin, Clay, and Brendan categorize the DeFi protocols + the creativity in the space

[12:38] The high-growth opportunities in the DeFi space

[19:05] The possibility for multiple prospective entry points into the DeFi space

[22:56] How Compound, 0x and Dharma think about bringing people into the crypto ecosystem

[29:40] Brendan’s Narnia metaphor for DeFi entry points

[33:19] Why simple wallet + asset management, developer experience and privacy are crucial to making DeFi competitive

[38:08] How creating utility in DeFi is central to building the reputation system + how Clay, Brendan, and Calvin think about starting from zero vs. porting real-world data like credit scores

[46:52] How MakerDAO’s rates impact Compound and Dharma

[54:25] The go-to-market strategies for 0x, Dharma and Compound + how they evolve over time

[1:04:17] Clay, Calvin and Brendan’s most cyberpunk visions around the future of the DeFi space