https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/368497 > The internet is abuzz with content and conversations surrounding Decentralized Finance (DeFi). This term refers to a blockchain-based form of finance that does not rely on central financial intermediaries, and people have either loved it or hated it since its inception in 2018. The adoption of DeFi has drastically gone up since 2020. In February 2020, the total value locked of DeFi stood at $1 billion. As of January 2021, the total value locked of DeFi protocols stood at over $19 billion. That's almost 20x growth over the course of 11 months. > Most people only know of DeFi at the surface level — that it has the potential to broaden financial inclusion, facilitate open access, and that encourages permissionless innovation. DeFi skeptics typically don’t have the full grasp of the opportunities it presents. For instance, many entrepreneurs have chosen to get on board because DeFi, by nature, removes many of the barriers to entry that prevented small/mid-size enterprises and startups from entering the market.