DeFi should feel ‘magical’ for average consumers, says Coinbase product director behind new bitcoin-backed loans

Episode 510 of The Scoop was recorded with The Block's Frank Chaparro, and Coinbase Director of Product Michael RihaniListen below, and subscribe to The Scoop on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please send feedback and revision requests to [email protected] Rihani is the director of products at Coinbase and one of the chief architects behind Coinbase's new bitcoin-backed loan product for everyday consumers. In this episode, Rihani explains how Coinbase's new loan product is designed to make DeFi feel 'magical,' and how this fits into Coinbase's broader strategy of bringing the power of blockchain technology to a global audience.OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:57 Sponsor Shoutouts 03:11 Coinbase's New Loan Product 07:50 The "DeFi Mullet" 09:21 Morpho Integration 11:52 CeFi+DeFi Synergy 17:00 Coinbase's Product Roadmap 21:00 Making DeFi "Magical" 23:12 DeFi Adoption Roadblocks 25:54 The Future of DeFi Lending GUEST LINKS Michael Rihani on X: https://www.x.com/MichaelRihani Coinbase's crypto-backed loans: https://www.coinbase.com/loansAre you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:Fidelity Explore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.io Investing in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.