TradFi and DeFi: Convergent or Parallel?
Summary
As US regulations become clearer, crypto-native platforms can compete directly with TradFi players by iterating faster and scaling more quickly. The practical choices for traditional financial institutions are straightforward: buy technology, buy talent, or build speed.
Phillip Silitschanu
Phillip Silitschanu leads Arcesium's global digital asset commercial efforts as Senior Vice President, Digital Assets. Phillip is an expert and thought leader in the FinTech, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets space, known for his work as the research director leading IDC’s (Blackstone) global blockchain practice, and in various strategic roles within the financial services industry. He has authored and co-authored numerous whitepapers, reports, and books on these topics and is a recognized speaker and expert cited by major media outlets like the Financial Times and CNBC.
Sources:
[i] DefiLlama (last checked January 9, 2026). https://defillama.com/
[ii] Goldman Sachs, July 2025. https://www.goldmansachs.com/pressroom/press-releases/2025/bny-goldman-sachs-launch-tokenized-money-market-funds-solution
[iii] Clearstream, November 2025. https://www.clearstream.com/clearstream-en/newsroom/251104-4757900
[iv] DTCC, December 2025. https://www.dtcc.com/news/2025/december/11/paving-the-way-to-tokenized-dtc-custodied-assets
