Introduction

Financial innovation has become an increasingly relevant topic on the global economic scene, bringing with it significant changes in the way we deal with money and investments. However, it is important to note that financial innovation also brings with it legal and regulatory challenges that need to be carefully addressed. Financial regulation plays a key role in protecting investors and ensuring the stability of the financial system.
With the rapid evolution of financial technologies, such as Decentralized Finance (DeFi), FinTech, RegTech, SupTech, Regulatory Sandboxes, Innovation Hubs, Cryptocurrencies, Cryptoassets, Tokens, Altcoins, Stablecoins, Initial Coin Offering (ICO), Peer-to-Peer Networks, Blockchain, Distributed Ledger Technology, Non-Fungible Tokens, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO), Crowdfunding, Smart Contracts, Robo-Advisors, ETFs, legislators now have the challenge of adapting and updating existing laws and developing new regulations.
Beyond the legal aspects, it should be noted that despite the media attention these innovations have received, it is still very difficult to summarize the meaning of these concepts and expressions in a few words.
Although there are already many books and research articles that explore each of these topics with a high degree of objectivity and depth, their concepts remain imperceptible to most people.
This book seeks to demystify these concepts and aims to help the reader understand the present (and future) of financial innovation.