DeFi Meets Everyday Banking: The Missing Link To Mainstream Adoption?

For years, traditional finance has operated within the boundaries of centralized models— rigid, opaque, and often inaccessible. Then came the rise of neobanks like Revolut, Chime, and Monzo, digital-first disruptors that reshaped banking with user-friendly apps, lower fees, and real-time financial insights. Yet, despite their sleek interfaces, neobanks are still tied to the same centralized systems and regulatory frameworks that limit their potential to truly empower users.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) appeared as a radical departure from traditional banking, with many emerging players revolutionizing the dynamics in the finance sector and much beyond its borders. Built on blockchain technology, DeFi offers a borderless, intermediary-free financial system that puts users in direct control of their money. Lending, borrowing, and yield farming—once the domain of financial institutions—are now accessible to anyone with an internet connection. However, DeFi’s complexity and lack of intuitive interfaces have kept it out of reach for the average consumer.

Could there be a happy medium in between, a new model that redefines financial services by moving away from the constraints of neobanks and traditional banking systems while activating the power of DeFi? This could come in the form of a “Deobank” – short for Decentralized Onchain Bank, a term pioneered by WeFi, cofounded by Maksym Sakharov. While neobanks introduced convenience, they remained tethered to legacy infrastructure, perpetuating exclusion, inefficiencies, and limited user control. Deobanks, in contrast, blend the ease of digital banking with the decentralization of blockchain, offering a user-driven experience without intermediaries.

“Neobanks have modernized banking interfaces, but their core remains tied to legacy systems, limiting true innovation,” says Sakharov. “Deobanks like WeFi are redefining financial services by harnessing blockchain technology to build a more inclusive and equitable financial ecosystem,” adds Reeve Collins, Co-Founder at WeFi.

Making DeFi Accessible to the Masses

Despite the opportunities that DeFi presents, many users remain hesitant to enter the space due to its complexity. As such, there are several new platforms exploring hybrid models that combine traditional finance with blockchain technology. Solutions like Fiat24 and Cashaa integrate elements of both worlds, offering a middle ground between conventional banking and decentralized finance. Fiat24, operating under a Swiss banking license, offers on-chain IBAN accounts and payment services on Ethereum, combining regulatory compliance with blockchain transparency. Cashaa, meanwhile, caters to crypto businesses with multi-currency accounts and lending solutions, bridging digital assets with traditional banking.

Although WeFi will adopt a similar hybrid model in its initial phase, combining traditional financial services with DeFi tools, it aims to gradually transition to full decentralization as the market evolves, staying true to its vision. Sakharov explains, “WeFi simplifies decentralized finance by merging familiar banking functions with advanced DeFi tools. Users can save, spend, and borrow while accessing staking and liquidity pooling for growth. WeFi also offers high-yield options with an intuitive Web3 interface and AI-driven KYC for security. As users gain confidence, they unlock advanced features to enabling personalized financial strategies with flexibility beyond traditional and neobanks.”

In future phases, WeFi will leverage a LayerZero integration to enable seamless cross-chain transactions, allowing users to transfer assets effortlessly across multiple blockchain networks and unlock broader DeFi opportunities. WeFi also aims to extend DeFi into real-world finance with a comprehensive suite of services, including: yield optimization with flexible and locked savings, letting users balance liquidity and returns; virtual cards to streamline payments across Visa, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, enabling seamless tap or QR transactions worldwide. Beyond payments, WeFi plans to integrate instant loans and real-time FX conversion, unlocking liquidity while keeping portfolios intact. WeFi ATMs will take remittance even further, allowing fiat withdrawals or cash-to-stablecoin conversions via QR code—bridging digital and traditional finance effortlessly.

The Future of Financial Autonomy Amidst Regulatory Hurdles

While the potential of Deobanks is significant and should attract plenty of end user interests, the decentralized nature of these platforms introduces complexities in meeting conventional regulatory requirements. International frameworks such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) AML/CFT guidelines and the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) in the U.S. require financial institutions, including Deobanks, to implement rigorous AML and KYC measures as well as FATF Travel Rule, which mandates the exchange of customer data for cross-border transactions.

In addition to financial and data regulations, regulatory bodies such as the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are examining Deobank operations to determine their classification within existing securities and commodities laws. Deobank platforms need to proactively work within these evolving frameworks, ensuring that their products and services meet compliance requirements without undermining the decentralized ethos.

There will be significant regulatory hurdles for emerging projects like these, given that existing frameworks are designed for traditional financial services, but it will be interesting to see how they navigate and overcome these challenges.

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