358: The Personalization of Personal Finance

Why is decentralized finance advantageous? Let’s ask artificial intelligence. As you may recall from last week’s episode, ChatGPT is widely accessible to anyone right now. Here’s the explanation on the value of decentralized finance from the ChatGPT software itself: “Decentralized finance, or DeFi, is advantageous for several reasons: Accessibility: DeFi allows anyone with an internet connection to access financial services without needing to go through traditional financial institutions or intermediaries. This opens up financial services to people who might not have had access before, particularly those in underbanked or unbanked regions. Transparency: DeFi operates on a public blockchain, which means that transactions and financial data are visible to anyone. This transparency reduces the potential for fraud or corruption and allows for greater accountability. Security: DeFi uses cryptography and smart contracts to secure transactions, making it difficult for bad actors to manipulate the system. Additionally, DeFi eliminates the risk of a single point of failure, which reduces the risk of a catastrophic failure of the financial system. Interoperability: DeFi protocols are designed to be interoperable, meaning that they can work together seamlessly. This allows for greater flexibility and innovation in the development of financial products and services. Efficiency: DeFi operates 24/7 and is not subject to the same regulatory constraints as traditional finance, which means that transactions can be processed quickly and at lower costs. Additionally, DeFi eliminates the need for intermediaries, which reduces fees and transaction costs. Overall, these advantages make DeFi a compelling alternative to traditional finance, particularly for those who value accessibility, transparency, security, interoperability, and efficiency.” Not bad for a robot, right?  Here’s the thing. Decentralized finance is going to become mainstream finance in our lifetime. Large institutions are going to have to adjust or they will be irrelevant as the phone booth 20 years from now. So we need to understand what it’s all about and figure out how we can capitalize on it. My guest on this week’s Wealth Formula Podcast will give us a human expert’s opinion on why. Listen NOW! Emmanuel Daniel is a global thought leader in the future of finance. He is listed as a top 10 global influencer in the “Fintech Power50” list for 2021 and 2022. He is also an entrepreneur, writer and a model train enthusiast. Much of Emmanuel’s writing is based on his experience in founding and running his TAB Global research and consulting house since 1996. Through platforms such as The Asian Banker and Wealth and Society, Emmanuel has had extensive contact with leaders in banking and finance around the world. He won the Citibank Excellence in Business Journalism for Asia in 1999 for his work on the internet in banking. “The Asian Banker Summit” won the best finance conference from the Asian Conference and Summit Awards in 2012. In his first book, “The Great Transition – the personalization of finance is here” published in September 2022, Emmanuel outlines how the banking industry will evolve from being focused on platform technologies to a level of personalization never seen before. He describes the roles of cryptocurrencies, blockchain, gaming and other technologies in this transition. The book features forewords written by former congressman Barney Frank,