DeFi, Staking & Earning (Path Part 5 of 6)
Explore decentralized finance, staking, and yield, with clear eyes on the risks.
This is Part 5 of the From Zero to Confident crypto learning path, following Buying, Trading & Reading Markets. Here we explore decentralized finance: lending, borrowing, swapping, staking, and yield. You'll learn how these protocols work, where the returns actually come from, and the real risks involved, from smart contract bugs to impermanent loss. Every lesson stresses caution, because higher yields almost always mean higher risk. This is educational content, not financial advice, and never a recommendation to chase yield.
4 modules · 16 lessons
Module 01DeFi Foundations4 lessons
Financial services without banks, running on open smart contracts.
How stablecoins hold their peg, and what happens when they don't.
How automated market makers let anyone swap tokens without an order book.
TVL, docs, and audits: how to size up a protocol before touching it.
Module 02Earning in DeFi4 lessons
How staking rewards work and the lockups and penalties to watch for.
Earn interest or borrow against collateral, and the liquidation risk.
Where high yields come from and why they rarely last.
Read advertised returns honestly and spot unsustainable numbers.
Module 03The Risks of DeFi4 lessons
Code bugs and exploits can drain a protocol; why audits aren't guarantees.
The hidden cost of providing liquidity that surprises many newcomers.
Warning signs that a project plans to disappear with your money.
Why DeFi activity is often taxable and rules vary; check your local law.
Module 04Participating Safely4 lessons
Practice with test tokens before risking real funds.
Clean up permissions so old approvals can't be exploited later.
Limit exposure to any single protocol and never risk what you can't lose.
A due-diligence routine to run before using any new protocol.
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