DeFi can feel overwhelming when you first encounter it. Dozens of protocols, unfamiliar terminology, and real financial risk. This guide cuts through the noise and gives you a clear starting point.
What You Actually Need to Know First
Wallets
A crypto wallet is your identity in DeFi. Unlike exchange accounts, wallets are self-custodial — you control the private keys, which means you control the funds. MetaMask is the most widely used browser wallet for DeFi.
Gas Fees
Every transaction on Ethereum costs gas — a fee paid to the network validators who process your transaction. Gas fees vary based on network congestion. On Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum, fees are much lower.
Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are programs running on the blockchain. DeFi protocols are collections of smart contracts. When you interact with Aave or Uniswap, you are interacting with smart contracts directly — no company or person in the middle.
Tokens
DeFi involves many types of tokens beyond just ETH and BTC. Understanding the difference between governance tokens, stablecoins, and liquidity pool tokens matters.
The DeFi Protocol Landscape
Lending protocols — Aave, Compound (deposit to earn, borrow against collateral)
Decentralized exchanges — Uniswap, SushiSwap, Curve (trade tokens directly)
Yield aggregators — Yearn Finance (automatically moves funds to best yields)
Derivatives — GMX, dYdX (leveraged trading, perpetuals)
The Right Order to Learn
- Understand wallets and how to use them safely
- Learn what smart contracts are and how to read basic interactions
- Explore a lending protocol without depositing real funds first
- Understand flash loans and advanced strategies
- Start small with real funds only after genuine understanding
The Most Common Mistake
Depositing real money before understanding what you are doing. DeFi mistakes are usually irreversible. Take the education seriously.
Free structured tutorials starting from the beginning: https://t.me/flashloans_tut
