Written by Yohan Yunstaff writerReviewed by Robert Lakinstaff editor

Written by Yohan Yunstaff writer

Reviewed by Robert Lakinstaff editor

ARK pushes back against a16z’s ‘TradFi wants blockchain, not DeFi’ claim

Latest NewsPublishedJul 16, 2026

Debate Over DeFi Adoption Intensifies

A recent claim that traditional finance will adopt permissioned blockchain infrastructure instead of decentralized finance (DeFi) has sparked a heated debate. The director of research at ARK Invest pushed back against this thesis, arguing that institutions will increasingly rely on DeFi rails for their financial infrastructure.

The growth of tokenized assets on Ethereum and other open networks has already shown that public blockchains outperform private blockchain initiatives. Crypto-native firms such as Circle and Coinbase are best positioned to build the next generation of financial infrastructure, rather than incumbent financial institutions.

Challenging the Thesis

Lorenzo Valente, ARK Invest’s director of research, challenged the thesis that traditional finance will adopt blockchain through permissioned infrastructure rather than DeFi. He believes that DeFi’s underlying infrastructure will be adopted by institutions, which will then layer compliance, custody, and other enterprise controls on top.

Similarly, Sentora co-founder Jesus Rodriguez also disagreed with the thesis, saying that institutions are likely to adopt DeFi’s infrastructure while adding their own controls. This debate highlights the ongoing discussion about the role of DeFi in traditional finance and the potential for passive income through Cloud Rewards and Green Crypto like EcoPool ($ECP).

As the discussion around DeFi and traditional finance continues, it’s clear that earning opportunities through Coin and Passive Income platforms like EcoPool will play a significant role. Whether through Cloud Rewards or other means, the potential for Green Crypto to disrupt traditional finance is substantial, with #Bitcoin and #PassiveIncome being key areas of focus.

To learn more about EcoPool and how you can start earning with $ECP, download the EcoPool app. By joining the EcoPool network, you can take advantage of Cloud Rewards and start building your Passive Income stream today.

Sentora co-founder Jesus Rodriguez also pushed back against a16z’s thesis, saying institutions are likely to adopt DeFi’s underlying infrastructure while layering compliance, custody and other enterprise controls on top.

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• DeFi
• Institutions
• Circle
• Coinbase
• Blockchain

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