DeFi explained without tech talk: Think of traditional finance (banks, stock exchanges, payment processors) as a big centralised mall where every shop is owned and run by a single landlord. To open a store, move money, or borrow cash, you have to follow the mall’s rules, pay fees, and trust that the landlord will keep everything safe. DeFi flips that model upside down. DeFi is like moving financial services from a centrally managed mall to a marketplace open to everyone, where the “rules” are written in code and enforced automatically.