Blockchain - and DeFi specifically - is a fundamentally better framework for asset-based finance (ABF). No double pledging, direct security perfection, self custody/autonomous venues and liquid collateral. And ABF is showing up on chain (led by
@Figure), it's just nascent.
So why hasn't the $6T ABF market moved over in size? Five key reasons that are keeping TradFi away from blockchain apps.
First, the UI/UX. It generally sucks. This is why superapps like Robinhood (and SoFi) are winning in retail, despite giving up self custody and transaction autonomy. Even my Bloomberg terminal is better than most blockchain native apps.
Second, custody. Threading self custody with qualified custody hasn't historically been available. Making it hack-resistant and recoverable hasn't, either.
Third, control. A hedge fund might have hundreds of wallets. Those wallets might have hundreds of users. Those users all might have different permissions - some can trade, some can move value, some can only view things. All activity needs an audit trail, and all data needs to be easily ported to a fund admin, fund accountant, etc. I've seen wallets and apps claim this, but have never actually seen it.
Fourth is regulatory. I think this is already working itself out - and when you are dealing with securities (actual native securities) I think the regulatory precedent is clear, despite being on chain. Hopefully some combination of the CLARITY Act, regulatory guidance and time addresses this.
The last is KYC. This one is more solvable than people think. We've been able to screen and sanction wallets forever, and on-chain activity is more transparent than anything moving through correspondent banking. The fair critique of list-based controls is that sophisticated actors route around them while ordinary users eat the friction. On chain you can do better than lists: programmatic screening, wallet-level permissions, complete audit trails. TradFi will come to embrace this.
I'm working with Figure and other partners of
@TheWallet_co to solve the first three and accelerate the fourth. Just like we dragged the funds and banks into loans on chain, we're going to do the same for the broader TradFi market - retail and institutional - into ABF.