Tan Gera of Decentralized Masters: Why DeFi Could Change the Future of Finance

Modern finance is changing quickly, and few areas are moving faster than crypto, tokenization, and decentralized finance.

In a recent episode of IncomeInsider TV, host Sam Laliberte sat down with Tan Gera, CFA, CEO and co-founder of Decentralized Masters, to discuss how traditional finance works, why many everyday savers feel left behind, and how DeFi could offer a new way to think about money, yield, and financial independence.

Gera brings an unusual perspective to the crypto education space. Before founding Decentralized Masters, he worked in traditional finance as an investment banker and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. That background gives him firsthand experience with the financial system he now critiques.

For viewers who prefer to watch the full conversation, the video is embedded below.

From Investment Banking to DeFi Education

Tan Gera opened the conversation by explaining that his time in investment banking taught him both the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional financial system.

On one hand, he learned the frameworks, formulas, and risk-management principles that drive institutional finance. On the other hand, he said the system often feels built to benefit those already inside it.

Coming from a lower-middle-class immigrant family in France, Gera said breaking into investment banking once felt like the dream. But after reaching that world, he began to question whether it was really where he belonged.

He described feeling closer to the people locked out of the system than the people welcomed into it. That realization eventually pushed him toward decentralized finance, where he saw a chance to help ordinary people understand tools that had previously been difficult to access.

Do People Really Own Their Money?

One of the central themes of the interview was ownership.

Gera argued that many people believe they fully own the money sitting in their bank accounts, but the reality is more complicated. If someone walks into a bank and tries to withdraw a large amount of cash, they may quickly discover that access is not as simple as seeing a number on a screen.

His point was not that banks are inherently evil, but that the banking model is built around using customer deposits to generate profit. Banks can lend money out, earn returns through loans and credit products, and pay savers a much smaller yield in return.

That gap between what banks earn and what savers receive is one of the reasons Gera believes people are becoming more interested in alternatives.

>> Access Tan Gera, CFA's Free Training Today.

What Does “Become Your Own Bank” Mean?

For many people, the phrase “become your own bank” sounds vague or overly promotional. Gera tried to simplify it.

He explained that one practical DeFi strategy involves using stablecoins, which are digital tokens designed to track the value of a traditional currency such as the U.S. dollar. Instead of leaving idle cash in a traditional savings account, some users convert a portion of their money into stablecoins and deploy it through decentralized finance platforms.

In simple terms, decentralized exchanges need liquidity to function. When users provide that liquidity, they may earn fees or yield in return.

Gera compared this to owning a beachfront property and renting it out while waiting for its long-term value to rise. In the same way, he said, DeFi allows people to put idle capital to work by letting others use that liquidity for transactions.

The appeal is clear: rather than relying on a bank as the middleman, users can potentially participate more directly in the economics of financial transactions.

However, this is also where education becomes critical. Stablecoin yields, decentralized exchanges, wallets, custody, smart contracts, and platform risk are not the same as a traditional insured bank account. The opportunity may be real, but so are the risks.

Removing the Middleman

Gera framed DeFi as part of a broader shift away from middlemen.

In traditional finance, intermediaries play a major role. Banks, payment processors, brokers, exchanges, and escrow services exist because people need trusted parties to facilitate transactions. But those middlemen also take fees and control the process.

DeFi attempts to replace some of that middleman function with code. Smart contracts can execute transactions automatically, transparently, and according to rules written into the protocol.

That does not mean DeFi is risk-free. Code can have bugs. Platforms can fail. Users can make mistakes. Scammers can exploit confusion. But Gera’s argument is that removing unnecessary intermediaries creates the potential for a more efficient financial system, where more of the economics flow back to users rather than institutions.

Related: Phillip Patrick Warns - Gold, Inflation, and De-Dollarization

Why the Learning Curve Still Matters

One of the more practical parts of the interview focused on where people get stuck.

Gera acknowledged that DeFi can be intimidating. Even if the concept makes sense, the actual steps can feel overwhelming for beginners. Users may not know how to move assets off a centralized exchange, set up a wallet, connect to a decentralized platform, evaluate risk, or avoid scams.

That friction, he said, is also part of why yields can remain attractive. If the process were as simple as opening a savings account, more people would participate and the economics would likely become less compelling.

This is where Decentralized Masters positions itself. According to Gera, the company was built to provide education, mentorship, and step-by-step guidance for people who want to understand DeFi without relying on random social media advice or hype-driven crypto influencers.

Who Is Decentralized Masters For?

Gera said Decentralized Masters works with a wide range of members, from complete beginners to experienced crypto users.

Some members need patient, basic instruction. Others already understand the technology and are looking for community, research, strategy, and higher-level market insight.

The company uses a membership model, with different tiers depending on the level of access and support a person needs. Gera said most people begin with a six-month membership because that is often enough time to get comfortable and become more independent.

Importantly, he said the company does not share in member profits or take a cut of yield. Instead, the business model is based on education and membership access.

Trust, Scams, and Red Flags in Crypto

No serious conversation about crypto can avoid the issue of scams.

Gera was candid about his own mistakes. He said he made significant money during his first crypto cycle in 2017, only to give much of it back to the market. He also said he was later scammed out of a large amount of money.

Rather than hiding those experiences, he framed them as part of what shaped his approach to education and risk management.

That matters because many everyday investors are understandably skeptical of crypto. The space has attracted legitimate innovation, but it has also attracted bad actors, unrealistic promises, and high-pressure sales tactics.

For anyone exploring DeFi, the key lesson is simple: education must come before action. People should understand custody, smart contract risk, platform history, liquidity, counterparty exposure, stablecoin backing, and the difference between genuine yield and unsustainable promises.

Related: The Hidden Market Where Crypto Millionaires Are Made (Not Coinbase)

Why Gera Believes the Next Few Years Matter

Looking ahead, Gera said Decentralized Masters is focused on a 2030 target. In his view, the next several years could represent a major inflection point as multiple technologies mature at the same time.

He pointed to tokenization, artificial intelligence, robotics, energy, and biotechnology as areas that could reshape the economy. But in his view, tokenization and DeFi may sit at the center of that transition because financial assets themselves are likely to become increasingly digital.

Stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets may eventually trade in tokenized form, making markets faster, more programmable, and more accessible.

Gera also connected DeFi to the rise of AI agents. If AI systems begin transacting on behalf of people and businesses, he argued, they will need fast, low-cost, digital settlement rails. Traditional banking systems, with legacy infrastructure and slower settlement times, may struggle to keep up with that future.

Will Big Banks Disappear?

Gera does not believe major banks will simply vanish. Instead, he expects a gradual transition where legacy institutions, fintech companies, crypto platforms, and decentralized protocols increasingly overlap.

Large financial institutions may adapt, acquire new technology, and remain powerful. But smaller legacy banks and older models may face more pressure as digital finance becomes more efficient and competitive.

In his view, the future will not be one single system replacing another overnight. It will be a blending of old and new, with winners and losers on both sides.

Is It Too Late to Learn DeFi?

For people who feel they missed the early days of Bitcoin or Ethereum, Gera believes the broader digital finance trend is still early.

He compared Bitcoin and Ethereum to early internet-era giants like Google and Amazon. Those companies were not the only winners of the internet age. Later companies such as Facebook, Airbnb, and Uber were also built after the first wave.

His argument is that the biggest opportunities in the next phase of crypto and DeFi may still be forming now.

That does not mean every token, platform, or project will succeed. Most will not. But if the financial system continues moving toward tokenization, stablecoins, AI-driven transactions, and decentralized infrastructure, the people who understand the space early may have an advantage.

Related: Silver is the New Oil - Book Review and Key Takeaways 

DeFi Brings New Opportunities

Tan Gera’s appearance on IncomeInsider TV offered a clear window into why decentralized finance continues to attract attention from people who are frustrated with traditional banking and curious about alternatives.

The conversation was not just about crypto speculation. It was about financial education, ownership, middlemen, technology, and the possibility that the next version of finance may look very different from the one most people grew up using.

For savers and investors, the takeaway is not to rush blindly into DeFi. It is to recognize that the financial system is evolving and that education may be the first step toward understanding where the opportunities and risks really are.