In his keynote address at the Annual Harvard Blockchain Conference, Gordon Liao, Chief Economist at Circle Internet Financial, shared his journey through different financial paradigms, from traditional finance (TradFi) to centralized finance (CeFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Liao reflected on his experiences at Harvard and the transformative events following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, emphasizing the complexity and opacity of balance sheets that contributed to the crisis. He explored how subsequent regulatory reforms aimed to bolster financial system resilience but inadvertently led to market distortions and reduced liquidity. Liao highlighted the role of CeFi, particularly the Federal Reserve's interventions, in stabilizing the economy during crises but noted the risks of overreliance on large balance sheets. He introduced DeFi as a potential solution with its decentralized, transparent, and programmable approach to financial services, which could address some limitations of TradFi and CeFi. By leveraging blockchain technology, DeFi facilitates risk-sharing and market liquidity, potentially transforming traditional asset classes. Liao advocated for collaboration between public and private sectors to ensure DeFi's enduring impact, emphasizing the need for innovation within a stable financial system.