https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/best-defi-protocols-for-beginners-2026/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/best-defi-wallets-2026/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/best-stablecoins-2026/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/stablecoin-types.svgEvery stablecoin design swaps one dependency for another: an issuer and its banks, collateral and liquidations, exchange-held hedges, or market confidence. None is risk-free.Four-panel diagram of stablecoin designs: fiat-backed (USDC, USDT), crypto-collateralised (DAI/USDS, crvUSD), synthetic hedged (USDe) and algorithmic (UST, which collapsed in 2022), each with its backing and main failure mode.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/best-yield-farming-strategies-2026/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/cex-vs-dex-explained/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/constant-product-curve.svgBuying 10 ETH from a 100 ETH / 200,000 USDC pool costs 22,222 USDC and lifts the pool price from 2,000 to about 2,469 USDC per ETH. The larger the trade relative to the pool, the larger this price impact (swap fee ignored).Chart of the curve x × y = 20,000,000 for an ETH/USDC pool. Buying 10 ETH moves it from 100 ETH and 200,000 USDC to 90 ETH and 222,222 USDC: an average price of 2,222 USDC per ETH, 11.1% above the start.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/defi-apy-vs-apr-net-yield/2026-09-19T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/apr-vs-apy-compounding.svgAPY = (1 + APR ÷ n)ⁿ − 1, where n is the number of compounding periods a year. Compounding monthly adds $47.13 on $10,000 at 10% APR; moving to daily adds only $4.43 more.Line chart of the extra interest compounding adds to $10,000 at 10% APR over a year. No compounding ends at $11,000.00 (10.00% APY), monthly at $11,047.13 (10.47% APY) and daily at $11,051.56 (10.52% APY).https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/defi-due-diligence-checklist/2026-09-19T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/defi-insurance-explained/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/defi-safety-guide/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/defi-vs-traditional-finance/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/defi-vs-bank-flow.svgA bank passes your request through institutions that can approve, delay or reverse it. In DeFi a smart contract and a pool of other users' tokens do the same job in one transaction, with no one to reverse a mistake.Flow diagram comparing a bank route for a loan or trade, through a bank, clearing house and other party over days, with a DeFi route from your wallet to a smart contract and liquidity pool that settles in one transaction.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-defi-taxes-work/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-bridge-stargate/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/bridge-lock-mint.svgLock-and-mint bridges concentrate risk in the vault and in the verifiers who approve minting. Liquidity networks avoid wrapped tokens but depend on pool depth and on the messages that tell a pool to pay out.Diagram comparing two ways to bridge 10 ETH between chains: lock and mint, which locks ETH in a vault and mints a wrapped copy, and a liquidity network, which pays native ETH from a pool. Amber notes mark where each can fail.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-bridge-to-base/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-choose-a-crypto-wallet/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-earn-yield-on-stablecoins/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-invest-tokenised-treasuries/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-protect-your-seed-phrase/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-provide-liquidity-uniswap-v3/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-set-up-a-hardware-wallet/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-set-up-metamask/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-stake-eth-with-lido/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/liquid-staking-flow.svgLiquid staking separates staked ETH from a tradeable receipt token. Rewards arrive minus the protocol's fee; exiting takes days through the withdrawal queue, or is instant on a DEX at a market price that can dip below 1 ETH.Flow diagram of liquid staking: ETH goes to a staking protocol that runs validators, and you receive a token such as stETH or rETH that grows with rewards, can be used in DeFi, and exits via a withdrawal queue or a DEX sale.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-stake-sol-marinade/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-supply-aave/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/health-factor-liquidation.svgHealth factor = collateral value × liquidation threshold ÷ debt. In this hypothetical position ETH can fall 39.8% before liquidation becomes possible; interest on the debt is ignored.Chart of health factor against ETH price for a hypothetical $5,000 loan against 4 ETH ($10,000 at $2,500) with an 83% liquidation threshold. Health factor starts at 1.66 and reaches the liquidation line of 1.0 at about $1,506.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-swap-tokens-uniswap/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-track-defi-portfolio/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-trade-gmx-perps/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-trade-perps-hyperliquid/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-a-dex-aggregator/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-cow-swap/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-jupiter-solana/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-kamino-solana/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-morpho-blue/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-pendle-finance/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/how-to-use-sparklend/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/health-factor-liquidation.svgHealth factor = collateral value × liquidation threshold ÷ debt. In this hypothetical position ETH can fall 39.8% before liquidation becomes possible; interest on the debt is ignored.Chart of health factor against ETH price for a hypothetical $5,000 loan against 4 ETH ($10,000 at $2,500) with an 83% liquidation threshold. Health factor starts at 1.66 and reaches the liquidation line of 1.0 at about $1,506.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/is-defi-safe-risks-explained/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/impermanent-loss-curve.svgImpermanent loss = 2√r ÷ (1 + r) − 1, where r is the price ratio versus your entry. A halving costs the same as a doubling (−5.7%), and trading fees can offset some or all of it.Line chart of impermanent loss in a 50/50 constant-product pool versus price change on a log scale from 0.1× to 10×. Loss is zero at 1×, −5.7% at 0.5× and 2×, −13.4% at 3× and −25.5% at 5×, before fees.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/llamalend-curve-lend-beginners-guide/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/paths/lending-yield/2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/paths/new-to-defi/2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/paths/stablecoins-rwa/2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/pendle-pt-morpho-collateral/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/prediction-markets-defi-explained/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/rabby-wallet-guide/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-are-gas-fees/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-are-perpetual-swaps-perps-defi/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-a-cross-chain-bridge/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/bridge-lock-mint.svgLock-and-mint bridges concentrate risk in the vault and in the verifiers who approve minting. Liquidity networks avoid wrapped tokens but depend on pool depth and on the messages that tell a pool to pay out.Diagram comparing two ways to bridge 10 ETH between chains: lock and mint, which locks ETH in a vault and mints a wrapped copy, and a liquidity network, which pays native ETH from a pool. Amber notes mark where each can fail.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-a-dao/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-a-flash-loan/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/flash-loan-sequence.svgA flash loan needs no collateral because the pool's code checks repayment before the transaction can finish. The 0.05% fee is a hypothetical example; if repayment fails, every step is undone and only the gas fee is spent.Sequence diagram of a flash loan inside one transaction: borrow 1,000,000 USDC with no collateral, use it for an arbitrage, then repay it plus a 500 USDC fee. If it is not repaid, the whole transaction reverts.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-a-liquidity-pool/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/constant-product-curve.svgBuying 10 ETH from a 100 ETH / 200,000 USDC pool costs 22,222 USDC and lifts the pool price from 2,000 to about 2,469 USDC per ETH. The larger the trade relative to the pool, the larger this price impact (swap fee ignored).Chart of the curve x × y = 20,000,000 for an ETH/USDC pool. Buying 10 ETH moves it from 100 ETH and 200,000 USDC to 90 ETH and 222,222 USDC: an average price of 2,222 USDC per ETH, 11.1% above the start.https://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/impermanent-loss-curve.svgImpermanent loss = 2√r ÷ (1 + r) − 1, where r is the price ratio versus your entry. A halving costs the same as a doubling (−5.7%), and trading fees can offset some or all of it.Line chart of impermanent loss in a 50/50 constant-product pool versus price change on a log scale from 0.1× to 10×. Loss is zero at 1×, −5.7% at 0.5× and 2×, −13.4% at 3× and −25.5% at 5×, before fees.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-an-amm/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/constant-product-curve.svgBuying 10 ETH from a 100 ETH / 200,000 USDC pool costs 22,222 USDC and lifts the pool price from 2,000 to about 2,469 USDC per ETH. The larger the trade relative to the pool, the larger this price impact (swap fee ignored).Chart of the curve x × y = 20,000,000 for an ETH/USDC pool. Buying 10 ETH moves it from 100 ETH and 200,000 USDC to 90 ETH and 222,222 USDC: an average price of 2,222 USDC per ETH, 11.1% above the start.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-blockchain/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-cryptocurrency/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-defi/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/defi-vs-bank-flow.svgA bank passes your request through institutions that can approve, delay or reverse it. In DeFi a smart contract and a pool of other users' tokens do the same job in one transaction, with no one to reverse a mistake.Flow diagram comparing a bank route for a loan or trade, through a bank, clearing house and other party over days, with a DeFi route from your wallet to a smart contract and liquidity pool that settles in one transaction.https://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/defi-stack.svgEach layer of DeFi builds on the one beneath it. That is what makes protocols composable, and it is why a chain outage, stablecoin depeg or protocol bug can reach every app built above it.Layered diagram of the DeFi stack: blockchains at the base, then tokens and stablecoins, protocols such as DEXs and lending markets, aggregators, and wallets and apps on top, with an arrow showing that failures flow upward.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-impermanent-loss/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/impermanent-loss-curve.svgImpermanent loss = 2√r ÷ (1 + r) − 1, where r is the price ratio versus your entry. A halving costs the same as a doubling (−5.7%), and trading fees can offset some or all of it.Line chart of impermanent loss in a 50/50 constant-product pool versus price change on a log scale from 0.1× to 10×. Loss is zero at 1×, −5.7% at 0.5× and 2×, −13.4% at 3× and −25.5% at 5×, before fees.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-liquid-staking/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/liquid-staking-flow.svgLiquid staking separates staked ETH from a tradeable receipt token. Rewards arrive minus the protocol's fee; exiting takes days through the withdrawal queue, or is instant on a DEX at a market price that can dip below 1 ETH.Flow diagram of liquid staking: ETH goes to a staking protocol that runs validators, and you receive a token such as stETH or rETH that grows with rewards, can be used in DeFi, and exits via a withdrawal queue or a DEX sale.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-mev/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-restaking-eigenlayer/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-rwa-tokenisation/2026-08-01T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-slippage-in-defi/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/constant-product-curve.svgBuying 10 ETH from a 100 ETH / 200,000 USDC pool costs 22,222 USDC and lifts the pool price from 2,000 to about 2,469 USDC per ETH. The larger the trade relative to the pool, the larger this price impact (swap fee ignored).Chart of the curve x × y = 20,000,000 for an ETH/USDC pool. Buying 10 ETH moves it from 100 ETH and 200,000 USDC to 90 ETH and 222,222 USDC: an average price of 2,222 USDC per ETH, 11.1% above the start.https://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-tvl-in-defi/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/learn/what-is-yield-farming/2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Zhttps://decentralized-finance.io/diagrams/impermanent-loss-curve.svgImpermanent loss = 2√r ÷ (1 + r) − 1, where r is the price ratio versus your entry. A halving costs the same as a doubling (−5.7%), and trading fees can offset some or all of it.Line chart of impermanent loss in a 50/50 constant-product pool versus price change on a log scale from 0.1× to 10×. Loss is zero at 1×, −5.7% at 0.5× and 2×, −13.4% at 3× and −25.5% at 5×, before fees.