What is DeFi

DeFi book describes DeFi as short for Decentralized Finance. DeFi combines blockchain technologies with smart contracts to create a novel financial ecosystem. This new ecosystem replicates and complements many existing financial services and products. It also enables a completely new set of innovative services and products that are available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime!

Blockchain and smart contracts.
Blockchain and Smart Contracts.

In DeFi, participation is permissionless, and anyone is free to join. Anyone can also issue new tokens and trade them as they wish. These tokens can represent anything from currencies, properties, special rights or accesses, artwork, or any asset class, whether physical or digital.

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What is Crypto

Crypto is short for cryptography. Recently, the scope of its meaning has expanded to include a broader range of definitions. These meanings can include basic cryptographic concepts or an entire ecosystem of crypto-enabled technologies, enterprises, and communities. 

DeFi Book - Blockchain
Proof of Work Blockchain using hashes and signed transactions.

Cryptography is a multidisciplinary field that is focused on securing and validating information. It borrows and applies concepts from mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, and physics.

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What are NFTs

The acronym NFTs refers to Non-Fungible-Tokens. NFTs represent unique assets with properties that are not replaceable. These tokens contrast with Fungible Tokens that can be easily interchanged with another equal or similar asset (e.g., a cryptocurrency).

DeFi Book NTFs Assets Web3
Smartcontract Tokenizing Assets and with Web3 Interfaces

NFTs became popularized with digital art projects like CryptoKitties (2017), CryptoPunks (2017), Bored Ape Yacht Club (2021), and the record-setting Beeple’s artwork Everydays (2021) that sold for 69 million dollars.

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What is Staking

In crypto, the meaning of staking describes the action of locking tokens with the expectation of earning returns. 

DeFi Book - Staking
Multiple Uses for Staking Tokens in DeFi

There are two fundamentally different forms of staking tokens: 

  1. In one form, the tokens are put to work and are at risk (e.g., as collateral for a particular activity, such as Proof-of-Stake (PoS), lending, etc.). 
  2. In other forms, tokens are simply removed from circulation (e.g., to enable the token’s price to appreciate due to reduced supply).

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What is an Oracle

In DeFi, an oracle can refer to a smart contract that stores real-world data, such as asset prices, exchange rates, sports scores, weather data, etc. Alternatively, an oracle can also refer to an entire ecosystem and associated services that bridge data between on-chain and off-chain.

DeFi Boo - Oracle.
Oracle bridging data from off-chain into on-chain.

Oracles are an important part of decentralized finance because they enable smart contracts and dApps to make informed decisions and execute actions based on real-world information.

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What are Stablecoins

Stablecoins are tokens that are designed to keep their price parity with another asset. For example, a token pegged to the US Dollar at a 1:1 ratio should always be interchanged for the same amount in USD Dollars. 

Stablecoins maintain their exchange rate constant.

In the crypto, the main advantage of stablecoins is the reduction of price volatility that is typical associated with crypto-currencies (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.). Keeping the price stable is especially important when establishing contracts that pay for services or/and goods at a future date. It is also important to be able to accurately perform accounting, budgeting, and paying taxes in a predictable manner.

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Top 10 Crypto Misconceptions

This article debunks a number of common misconceptions that exist in relation to crypto and blockchain, including:

  1. Crypto No Has Utility
  2. Crypto Is Not Backed By Anything
  3. It Is Too Late To Buy Crypto
  4. Crypto-miners Solve Complex Problems
  5. Crypto Is Great For Criminals
  6. Crypto Is Bad For The Environment
  7. Crypto Brings No Genuine Solution/s
  8. Crypto Is A Currency Or/And A Commodity
  9. Blockchain As The Breakthrough Innovation
  10. Crypto Requires More Regulation

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