DEF is the bridge between DeFi and policy.
We believe that DeFi has immense potential for human prosperity, but only if appropriate policies exist to provide software developers with the clarity they need to build its future and to give users the confidence to transact freely.
Our Three Policy Pillars
Protect Software Developers
We believe that developers deserve the freedom to build, experiment, and innovate new tools and technologies.
Empower DeFi Users
We believe that people deserve the ability to control their own digital assets and freely transact with others on open, permissionless blockchain networks.
Champion Permissionless Blockchain and DeFi
We believe that clear, accurate, and neural definitions and classifications of DeFi technologies are critical to moving the industry forward.
Protect Software Developers
Advocate for laws, policies, regulations, and judicial rulings that protect software developers’ rights and abilities to create new tools and that promote a vibrant ecosystem of innovation and technical experimentation.
Third-party liability
Protect developers who create software tools from criminal and civil liability arising from third parties’ use of their tools.
Proper classifications and regulatory treatment
Protect software developers from being inappropriately classified into legal or regulatory categories that do not fit the actual activities in which those developers engage.
Empower DeFi Users
Advocate for laws, policies, regulations, and judicial rulings that uphold users’ rights to directly control their digital assets and engage in peer-to-peer transactions on permissionless blockchain networks.
Self-custody rights
Establish clear, affirmative, and enforceable protections from prohibition, restriction, impairment, or infringement on users’ right to self-custody their digital assets.
Privacy rights
Protect users by promoting and protecting the right to use privacy-enhancing technologies.
Consumer protections
Minimize users’ need to trust third parties by establishing policies and regulations that protect and encourage the development of transparent decentralized networks and non-custodial software.
Financial inclusion
Protect users’ ability to access financial services on permissionless blockchain networks where gatekeepers cannot deny access for subjective or discriminatory reasons.
Champion Permissionless Blockchains and DeFi
Advocate for laws, policies, regulations, and judicial rulings that commit to clear, accurate, and neutral definitions and categorization of DeFi technologies.
Education as advocacy
Ensure lawmakers and regulators have an accurate understanding of the technology at issue and that the technology is accurately described in law and regulation.
Innovation and decentralization
Protect and promote the development of DeFi technology in order to establish a permissionless financial system.
Proper classifications
Establish fundamental distinctions between noncustodial, decentralized software protocols and applications, and centralized intermediaries who exert total independent control over financial services and customer assets.
Technology agnostic
Support policies and regulations that treat all technological solutions fairly — fighting favoritism, entrenchment of specific models, or bias toward particular approaches.
Key Policy Questions
DEF constantly monitors and evaluates legislative drafts and proposals. We ask following key questions to determine if and how to engage:
- Does the policy/proposal impact DeFi infrastructure or innovations?
- Does the policy/proposal impact software developers?
- Does the policy/proposal impact law-abiding citizens’ ability to use or create DeFi?
- Do the technological definitions in the policy/proposal accurately reflect the realities of the technology being considered?
- Could the policy/proposal pose a future risk for DeFi?