The real world use case for DeFi and crypto.

I see a lot of posts about how crypto has bot utility beyond speculation or scams and bla bla bla so I wanted to share my own thoughts on the value and why I use crypto every day.

I trade perpetual futures on-chain for a living — here’s why it’s better than TradFi and why most people don’t get it

I trade perpetual futures contracts directly on the blockchain. This isn’t just a side hustle—I do it professionally, full-time. I also manage a private equity-style fund that engages in funding fee farming (earning from market imbalances) using smart contracts.

The advantages of on-chain trading over traditional finance (TradFi) are significant, but they’re not always obvious to the average person. That’s because most people don’t operate at a level in trade finance where these differences matter.

Here are the key reasons DeFi outperforms TradFi:

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Real-time settlement On-chain markets settle in under three seconds. No clearing houses. No multi-day waiting periods. In contrast, traditional markets often take up to three business days (T+3) for full settlement.

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No order flow abuse There’s no “first in, first out” limitation from a broker. When I place a trade, it hits the public blockchain and settles directly on the market. In TradFi, trades are often routed internally or sold as order flow to hedge funds. That means brokers can prioritize their own profits—or their partners’—before your trade even executes.

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Market-set interest rates Funding fees in DeFi are determined by market forces, not intermediaries. For example, a short ETH perpetual position currently yields around 60% APR because the market is 56% biased long. That exact same position on a centralized broker might cost me 40% APR, despite using 1:1 collateral.

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No gatekeeping on strategy access TradFi limits access to these types of strategies through accreditation requirements and high capital thresholds. In DeFi, there are no such restrictions. Whether you have $100 or $100,000, the same opportunities are available. This levels the playing field in a way traditional finance never has.

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Blockchain and DeFi apps are unlocking trade finance opportunities that simply don’t exist in the legacy system. These aren’t just theoretical advantages—they’re practical, profitable, and scalable.

Crypto doesn’t do billions in daily volume because it’s a meme. It does billions because it works—especially for those who understand the system.

It hard to understand the value of the defi system with also understanding the complex finance system being distributed. It’s no surprise that as many people seem to understand crypto as they do high finance.