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Curated step-by-step routes — read in order or jump to the topic you need. Each path links to guides, protocol research, and tools on this site.
Complete beginners
Start from zero — understand wallets, stablecoins, and your first protocol interactions.
Core concepts without jargon.
MetaMask, self-custody, and seed phrases.
USDC, USDT, DAI, and peg risk.
Your first DEX swap, step by step.
Smart contract, liquidation, and scam risks.
Intermediate users
Supply assets, borrow against collateral, and compare lending protocols.
Deposit and earn lending yield.
Aave, Morpho, Spark compared.
Pick the right lending protocol.
stETH, LST loops, and restaking basics.
Compare rates across protocols.
Stablecoin users
Fiat-backed, algorithmic, and tokenised Treasury products in DeFi.
Research major stablecoins.
Reserve and compliance comparison.
Tokenised Treasuries on-chain.
Institutional DeFi trend.
Monitor stablecoin deviations.
Active traders
Perpetual DEXs, MEV protection, and Solana trading stacks.
On-chain futures basics.
L1 order-book perps.
Perp DEX comparison.
MEV-aware vs aggregator routing.
Jupiter, Kamino, Marinade.
Policy-aware users
GENIUS Act, MiCA, and what policy changes mean for DeFi users.
Global crypto policy overview.
US stablecoin law explained.
EU stablecoin rules.
UK regulatory landscape.
Crypto guides
Decentralized Finance Publication’s learn hub offers plain-English beginner guides to wallets, stablecoins, yield farming, and core DeFi protocols — no jargon assumed. Start with fundamentals, then explore protocol deep-dives at your own pace. All guides are educational research only; not financial advice.
These guides are for educational purposes only. Nothing here is financial advice.
Showing 1–48 of 57 guides
Llamalend (also called Curve Lend) is a decentralized lending and borrowing platform built by the Curve Finance team. Its standout feature is soft liquidation: instead of seizing your collateral at one price, the LLAMMA algorithm sells it gradually across a range — and buys it back if the price recovers. This guide explains how it works, in plain English.
Cryptocurrency is digital money that operates on a decentralised network of computers rather than through a bank or government. This comprehensive guide explains what crypto is, how blockchain works, the different types of cryptocurrency, and what the risks really are — in plain English with no assumed knowledge.
Blockchain is the technology that makes cryptocurrency possible. It is a shared, tamper-proof public record maintained by a global network of computers. This guide explains how blockchains work, why they matter, and what different types exist.
Your crypto wallet is one of the most important decisions you make in the space. This comprehensive guide explains every type of wallet, who each is suited for, the exact security practices that matter, and how to choose between the most popular options in 2026.
MetaMask is the most widely used wallet for accessing DeFi applications, swapping tokens, and managing digital assets on Ethereum and dozens of other networks. This complete guide walks you through installation, wallet creation, security setup, funding your wallet, and adding additional networks — step by step.
CEX (centralised exchange) and DEX (decentralised exchange) are the two main ways to buy, sell, and swap cryptocurrency. This guide explains how each type works, the key differences in security, fees, and user experience, and which is right for your situation.
Uniswap is the world's largest decentralised exchange, processing billions of dollars in daily trading volume. This complete guide walks you through how Uniswap works, how to make your first swap, understanding slippage and fees, spotting scam tokens, and using Uniswap on cheaper Layer 2 networks.
Gas fees are the transaction costs you pay to use the Ethereum network. This guide explains exactly what gas fees are, why they exist, how they are calculated, why they fluctuate so dramatically, and the practical strategies to minimise what you pay — including Layer 2 networks that reduce fees by 99%.
Aave is one of the world's largest DeFi lending protocols, with billions of dollars in deposited assets. This comprehensive guide explains how Aave works, how to deposit crypto to earn yield, how interest rates are set, the difference between supplying and borrowing, and the real risks you need to understand before depositing a single penny.
Billions of dollars have been lost to DeFi hacks, scams, and user mistakes. This comprehensive security guide covers every major attack vector — phishing, fake protocols, seed phrase theft, malicious approvals, rug pulls, and more — with specific, actionable steps to protect yourself and spot scams before they cost you.
DeFi — decentralised finance — is a collection of financial services (lending, borrowing, trading, earning interest) that run on blockchain networks without banks, brokers, or other traditional intermediaries. This guide explains what DeFi is, how it differs from traditional finance, what services are available, who uses it, and the real risks involved.
Resupply is a DeFi lending protocol that lets you borrow the reUSD stablecoin against your Convex and Curve LP token positions — so your assets continue generating yield while simultaneously acting as loan collateral. This guide explains how Resupply works, how to set up a borrowing position, how to stake reUSD for passive income, how to claim rewards, and how it compares to Aave, Prisma, and crvUSD.
Rabby Wallet is a browser extension wallet built by the DeBank team that adds critical security features missing from MetaMask — most importantly, it simulates every transaction before you confirm, showing you exactly what will leave and arrive in your wallet. This complete guide covers installation, security setup, connecting to DeFi protocols like Aave and Uniswap, importing from MetaMask, and using Rabby's advanced features.
A hardware wallet keeps your private keys offline, making them unreachable to hackers. This guide walks through choosing, setting up, and using a Ledger or Trezor device safely.
Liquid staking gives you a token representing your staked ETH so you can earn staking rewards while still using your assets in DeFi. Learn how Lido, Rocket Pool, and EtherFi differ.
Swapping tokens, earning yield, providing liquidity, and receiving airdrops all create taxable events in most jurisdictions. This guide explains what triggers tax, how to calculate it, and how to keep records.
A cross-chain bridge lets you move crypto assets from one blockchain to another — for example, ETH from Ethereum to Arbitrum. Learn how they work and why they are the most-hacked category of DeFi infrastructure.
Your 12 or 24-word seed phrase is the only backup for your crypto wallet. This guide covers the real threats, storage best practices, and the mistakes that lead to permanent loss.
Yield farming means deploying crypto across DeFi protocols to maximise returns. This guide explains liquidity pools, LP tokens, impermanent loss, reward tokens, and how to evaluate whether a yield is real.
Flash loans are uncollateralised DeFi loans that must be borrowed and repaid within a single blockchain transaction. This guide explains how they work, their legitimate uses in arbitrage and liquidations, why they have been used in major DeFi exploits, and which platforms offer them.
A DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organisation) is an organisation governed by token holders through on-chain voting, with rules encoded in smart contracts rather than legal documents. This guide explains how DAOs work, how voting functions, the biggest DAOs in DeFi, the veToken model, and their legal status in the UK.
This guide compares DeFi to traditional finance (TradFi) across 12 key dimensions — custody, access, transparency, fees, regulation, and risk — with a full comparison table and plain-English explanation of every difference. Includes UK-specific context on FSCS protection, FCA regulation, and tax.
Prediction markets allow users to trade on the probability of real-world events. This guide explains how decentralised prediction markets work, the leading platforms (Polymarket, Gnosis, Augur), oracle resolution, and their legal status in the UK.
DeFi carries genuine risks that are different from traditional investing. This guide ranks and explains the main DeFi risks — smart contract exploits, liquidation, oracle manipulation, rug pulls, and impermanent loss — with practical guidance on reducing exposure to each.
Real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation converts off-chain assets — government bonds, private credit, real estate — into on-chain tokens. This guide explains how it works, the leading protocols (BlackRock BUIDL, Ondo Finance, Centrifuge, Maple Finance), how RWAs are used in DeFi, and the risks involved.
DeFi insurance protocols offer on-chain coverage against smart contract exploits, stablecoin depegs, and exchange hacks. This guide explains how DeFi insurance works, the leading providers, what is and is not covered, the claims process, and whether it is worth the premium.
Perpetual swaps (perps) let you speculate on cryptocurrency prices with leverage and no expiry date. This guide explains how perps work, the funding rate mechanism, liquidation risk, the leading DEX perp platforms (dYdX, GMX, Drift, Hyperliquid), and the key risks of leveraged crypto trading.
Impermanent loss is the temporary reduction in value that liquidity providers experience when the price ratio of their deposited tokens diverges after they've added funds to an AMM pool. This guide explains exactly how it works, how to calculate it, and how to manage the risk.
An Automated Market Maker (AMM) is the mechanism that powers every major decentralised exchange. Instead of matching buyers with sellers, AMMs use mathematical formulas and pooled liquidity to price and execute trades instantly. This guide explains how they work, the different AMM types, and the tradeoffs involved.
MEV, or Maximal Extractable Value, is the profit that can be captured by reordering, inserting, or censoring transactions in a block. From sandwich attacks to arbitrage bots, MEV affects every DeFi user. This guide explains what MEV is, how it works, and how to protect yourself.
A liquidity pool is a smart contract holding reserves of tokens that allows DeFi protocols to offer instant, trustless trading, lending, and other financial services. Understanding liquidity pools is fundamental to understanding how almost all of DeFi works.
TVL — Total Value Locked — is the most cited number in DeFi, appearing in every protocol ranking and news article. But what does it actually measure, how is it calculated, and what are its limitations? This guide gives you a complete understanding of TVL.
Slippage is one of the most misunderstood concepts for DeFi beginners. It's the difference between the price you expect when submitting a swap and the price you actually receive. Understanding slippage — and setting it correctly — can save you money on every DeFi trade.
Choosing the right crypto wallet is the most important decision a DeFi user makes. This guide compares the top DeFi wallets of 2026 — from software wallets for everyday use to hardware wallets for maximum security — and recommends the best option for each type of user.
With hundreds of DeFi protocols competing for attention, choosing where to start can be overwhelming. This guide cuts through the noise to highlight the safest, most established protocols that beginners should consider for their first DeFi steps in 2026.
Yield farming is the practice of deploying crypto assets across DeFi protocols to earn returns. This guide covers the best yield farming strategies in 2026 — from conservative stablecoin deposits to advanced concentrated liquidity strategies — with honest risk assessments for each.
Not all stablecoins are equal. USDT, USDC, DAI, USDe, and a dozen others all claim to maintain a $1 peg, but their risk profiles, yield opportunities, and use cases differ significantly. This guide helps you choose the right stablecoins for your DeFi strategy in 2026.
Uniswap V3 concentrated liquidity lets LPs earn more fees per dollar than any previous AMM model — but it requires understanding price ranges, NFT positions, and active management. This step-by-step guide walks you through the entire process.
Lido Finance lets you stake any amount of ETH without technical knowledge, lock-up periods, or the 32 ETH minimum required to run an Ethereum validator. This step-by-step guide covers everything from connecting your wallet to receiving stETH and using it in DeFi.
A DEX aggregator finds the best swap rate by splitting your trade across multiple liquidity sources. Whether you're on Ethereum, Arbitrum, or Solana, using an aggregator instead of a single DEX can save you meaningful amounts on larger trades. This guide explains how they work and how to use them.
Stablecoins sitting idle in a wallet earn nothing. DeFi offers several ways to earn 4-15% APY on stablecoins — from simple lending on Aave to yield-optimised vaults on Morpho and fixed-rate strategies on Pendle. This guide covers the best options and their risk profiles.
Managing a DeFi portfolio across multiple chains and protocols is complex. The right portfolio tracker gives you a clear view of everything you hold, what you're earning, and where your funds are deployed. This guide covers the best free tools available in 2026.
Pendle Finance splits yield-bearing assets into PT (fixed yield) and YT (variable yield) tokens. This guide walks through buying PT on Pendle to lock a fixed rate, understanding implied APY, and when Pendle beats variable lending on Aave.
Hyperliquid is the highest-volume decentralised perpetuals exchange in 2026. This guide covers depositing USDC, opening long and short positions, understanding funding rates, and managing liquidation risk on Hyperliquid.
Restaking lets ETH stakers reuse their staked capital to secure other decentralised services via EigenLayer — earning additional rewards but taking on extra slashing risk. This guide explains how restaking works, what AVS protocols do, and how liquid restaking tokens like ezETH and rsETH fit in.
Morpho Blue is a permissionless lending primitive that often beats Aave's base rates through peer-to-peer matching and curated MetaMorpho vaults. This guide shows how to deposit into a Morpho vault and understand the trade-offs versus Aave.
Kamino Finance combines lending, automated LP management, and one-click leverage on Solana. This guide covers depositing into Kamino Lend, using Multiply strategies, and understanding kToken collateral.
Drift Protocol offers perpetual futures on Solana with an on-chain order book and sub-second execution. This guide walks through depositing USDC, placing your first perp trade, and managing risk.
All guides are for general educational purposes only. Cryptocurrency and DeFi products carry significant risk. Always consult a qualified financial adviser before making investment decisions.