DeFi Advocates Propose $30B Plan to Combat Global Poverty Through Decentralized Finance

A coalition of decentralized finance proponents, led by the DeFi Education Fund (DEF), is advancing a bold $30 billion initiative aimed at alleviating financial strain for low-income households globally. The proposal targets what researchers term the "poverty premium"—excessive fees paid by the economically vulnerable under current systems.

With 808 million people living on less than $3 daily and 887 million in multidimensional poverty (World Bank, 2025), the plan argues blockchain-based solutions could redirect billions lost to traditional financial intermediaries. DEF's research highlights how DeFi protocols might dismantle structural cost barriers, particularly amid compounding crises from climate shocks to geopolitical instability.

The initiative gains urgency as technological advancements paradoxically fail to reduce financial service costs for disadvantaged populations. "Why should the poor subsidize an inefficient system?" implies the underlying thesis—a challenge to legacy finance that's gaining traction among crypto policy groups.