What is DeFi?
A quick, opinionated primer on crypto, Bitcoin, and decentralized finance so you know what you are using and why it matters.
Basics
The essentials in four cards
Keep it simple: what it is, why it is safe, and what you can do with it.
Cryptocurrencies
Digital money secured by cryptography and run on public blockchains, not banks.
Self-custody
You hold the keys, you hold the coins. No intermediaries to freeze or gate access.
Bitcoin
Fixed supply, energy-secured, and censorship resistant. The base layer for self-sovereign money.
DeFi
Financial services delivered by smart contracts: lending, trading, and yield without permission.
How DeFi works
Smart contracts instead of intermediaries
Code replaces paperwork: deposit assets, the contract executes rules, you get transparent returns.
Transparent rules
The terms are on-chain. Anyone can verify the code, positions, and state of the protocol.
Overcollateralized
Borrowers must lock more value than they borrow. If markets move, collateral is liquidated to keep lenders whole.
Permissionless access
No account reviews. Connect a wallet and interact directly; your address is your identity.