Its disruptive potential has brought DeFi into the spotlight of the blockchain and fintech communities, and increasingly also to the attention of traditional financiers and policymakers. However, it appears that these different parties often lack a common understanding of what DeFi is and is not, and further, of how DeFi can overcome major technical, operational and regulatory obstacles that challenge its further development. We firmly believe that DeFi’s growth and success is inextricably linked to greater dialogue, cooperation, and integration with political stakeholders, regulatory supervisors, traditional finance, and fintech. This is why we decided to write a whitepaper as groundwork for future discussions, network meetings, and policy consultations in our cross-industry tech association.