Traditional financial systems rely heavily on trust—trust in banks, brokers, custodians, and exchanges. But emerging technologies like blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) are challenging this model by introducing a trustless, self-custodied approach to asset management. 

In this episode of ATP, Srikumar Misra, Founder of aarnâ Protocol, explains how decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain technology are reshaping investment and asset management. He breaks down the evolving landscape of digital assets into three key categories: Bitcoin as a store of value, utility-based native tokens, and tokenized real-world assets like real estate or art.

Some of the topics Srikumar discussed in detail include:

• Digital Assets Aren’t One Thing—They’re a Spectrum
• Access, Not Just Innovation, Is the Real Breakthrough
• Trustless systems challenge the status quo. DeFi’s foundational concept of "trustless" finance doesn’t mean mistrust—it means removing the need to trust third-party intermediaries.
• User Experience Will Make or Break DeFi’s Future
• Liquidity and slippage are serious concerns. While DeFi is maturing, it faces critical challenges with liquidity fragmentation. Liquidity infrastructure still lags behind TradFi, which handles trillions in daily volume with minimal price disruption.