BTL Director Professor Aggelos Kiayias examines the foundations, challenges and real-world value of decentralised finance in a presentation at the Edinburgh DeFi Summit 2026. Professor Aggelos Kiayias, Director of the Blockchain Technology Laboratory (BTL) at the University of Edinburgh, delivered a presentation titled “Dissecting the ‘De’ of DeFi” at the Edinburgh Decentralised Finance Summit 2026, held on 1 September 2026.The talk explores what decentralisation really means in decentralised finance (DeFi), examining the cryptographic and game-theoretic mechanisms underpinning these systems. Professor Kiayias considers the costs and benefits of decentralisation, questioning how its theoretical promises translate into practical, real-world value.The summit, organised by Blockchain Scotland, brought together researchers, industry experts and financial professionals to discuss developments in decentralised finance.Watch the presentation: Dissecting the ‘De’ of DeFi This article was published on Tuesday 27 October 2026
