257: Rebuilding Banking from the Ground Up — Maksym on WeFi’s Decentralized Mission

In this episode, I speak with Maksym, founder of WeFi, about his mission to create a fully decentralized alternative to traditional and neobanks. We dive into his origin story, the architecture of WeFi, how it abstracts complex DeFi systems for everyday users, and why millions of unbanked users are the real opportunity. Maksym also shares insights on banking regulations, token incentives, and why simplicity—not complexity—wins mass adoption. Key Timestamps [00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces the episode featuring Maksym from WeFi. [00:01:00] Origin Story: Maksym shares how he got into crypto in 2016 while building a real estate tech platform. [00:02:00] Early Challenges: Why traditional banks were the biggest blockers for blockchain adoption. [00:03:30] What Is Deobank?: The evolution from banks to neobanks to Deobank. [00:04:30] Custodial vs. Non-Custodial: How Deobank bridges both models seamlessly. [00:06:30] Regulatory Shift: Why banks are now more open to crypto partnerships. [00:08:00] UX is Everything: The challenge of educating users and abstracting DeFi complexity. [00:10:00] Who Can Use It?: Targeting the 1.4 billion unbanked people worldwide. [00:11:00] Ferrari Giveaway: Maksym explains why community-first is core to WeFi's vision. [00:13:00] Visa Integration: How WeFi offers real-world spending with stablecoins. [00:15:00] Instant Yield: Why users earn on idle stablecoins—even while spending. [00:17:00] What’s Next: Launching DeFi-native credit products and scaling to 1M users. [00:18:30] Final Ask: Maksym calls for community builders, not funding. Connect https://wefi.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/wefi-co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/maksym-sakharov/ Disclaimer Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/