Why On-Chain Automation Still Feels Clunky in 2025 — Are We Missing the Next Big Defi Breakthrough?

Hey crypto tech community — in 2025, we still can’t do simple things on-chain like native DCA buys, automatic stop-losses, or conditional transactions without relying on third-party keepers like Chainlink or Gelato. That feels weird in a “decentralized” ecosystem — so why is it still so awkward?

Lots of devs and builders suggest this isn’t just a UI issue — it’s fundamental: protocol complexity, security risks from external price oracles, and the economics of keepers all play a role. Some projects (like Aptos Labs with “Event-Driven Transactions”) are trying to build automation into the core chain itself — but adoption is slow and not everyone agrees it’s the right fix.

What do you think: what’s the real bottleneck? Is DeFi automation a missing piece that could unlock huge user growth — or will decentralization always depend on external services?

Create Answer