If you're looking to buy MESSIER (M87), you've come to the right place. MESSIER is a DeFi-focused project building a suite of decentralized products across AI, zero-knowledge technology, and...
Buy MESSIER (M87) — A simple guide
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DeFi
Decentralized finance, or DeFi, uses blockchain applications to provide services such as swapping tokens, lending, borrowing and supplying liquidity. A wallet interacts with smart contracts that hold assets and apply the protocol’s rules.
Browse the buying guides
All buying guidesBuy Badger (BADGER) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Badger (BADGER), you've come to the right place. Badger is a unique DeFi project built around the idea of making Bitcoin a productive asset in the world of decentralized...
Buy TrueFi (TRU) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy TrueFi (TRU), you've come to the right place. TrueFi is one of the more distinctive projects in decentralized finance, offering uncollateralized crypto lending — something...
Buy NAVI Protocol (NAVX) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy NAVI Protocol (NAVX), you've come to the right place. NAVI Protocol is the leading liquidity protocol on the Sui blockchain, making it one of the more talked-about DeFi...
Buy Bluefin (BLUE) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Bluefin (BLUE), the decentralized trading platform built on the Sui blockchain, you've come to the right place. BLUE is the native token of an ecosystem that combines spot...
Buy Bella Protocol (BEL) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Bella Protocol (BEL), you've come to the right place. Bella Protocol is a DeFi project built around simplifying crypto finance — making yield strategies and savings...
Buy Augur (REP) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Augur (REP), you've come to the right place. Augur is one of the most established projects in the decentralized prediction markets space, built on Ethereum and designed to...
Buy Quickswap [OLD] (QUICK) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Quickswap [OLD] (QUICK), the native token of one of Polygon's most established decentralized exchanges, you've come to the right place. QuickSwap has built a strong...
Buy Harvest Finance (FARM) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Harvest Finance (FARM), you've come to the right place. Harvest Finance is a DeFi yield aggregator that automatically moves your crypto into the highest-yielding strategies...
Buy Overtime (OVER) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Overtime (OVER), the native token of a fully decentralized onchain sportsbook ecosystem, you've come to the right place. OVER powers a platform that brings transparent,...
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If you're looking to buy SigmaDotMoney (SIGMA), you've come to the right place. SIGMA is a DeFi token built on BNB Chain that's gaining attention for its unique approach to managing crypto...
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If you're looking to buy MetFi (METFI), you've come to the right place. MetFi is a yield farming and governance project built on BNB Chain that's been drawing attention from DeFi enthusiasts looking...
What are DeFi tokens?
Browse the buying guidesAccess can be open, although websites, asset issuers and individual products may impose restrictions. DeFi describes the service, not a guarantee that every part of it is decentralized.
How it works
Tokens can represent a vote, a deposit, a debt position or a claim on a pool of assets. These roles are not interchangeable. A governance token may have no right to protocol revenue, while a liquidity-pool token exposes its holder to the assets and pricing of that pool. Returns can come from borrower interest, trading fees or newly issued incentives; unusually high rewards need a clear explanation. Smart-contract failures, price-oracle errors, liquidation and bridge dependencies can all affect a position.
Explore the foundations
DeFi Explained: Swaps, Lending and the Risks Between Them↗
Decentralized exchanges: check a swap before you sign↗
Liquidity pools: inspect the position before you deposit↗
Sources and further reading
A little groundwork goes a long way
Before your next purchase or transfer, understand who controls access, where your crypto is going and what the trade will actually cost.
Protect access to your crypto
An exchange account and a self-custody wallet need different safeguards. Protect exchange logins with a unique password and strong two-factor authentication. For self-custody, your recovery backup is what lets you restore access.
Keep recovery words offline and private. A support agent or website asking for them is a reason to stop.
See a recovery example
Your phone breaks. An exchange may help you recover your account after identity checks. A self-custody wallet cannot reset your recovery phrase. Check your wallet’s official backup instructions before relying on it.
Choose the right transfer network
The asset, token version and network must be supported at the destination. A familiar ticker or a matching address format is not enough. Read the receiving platform’s deposit instructions before selecting a withdrawal network.
Check the address, any required memo or tag, fees and minimums. Consider a small test transfer first.
See a network example
Your destination accepts USDC on Ethereum. Selecting a cheaper network at the sending exchange does not make it an Ethereum transfer. Use a network both ends support; an ordinary withdrawal does not bridge tokens.
Understand the price you pay
Trading fees are only part of the cost. The spread, available liquidity and withdrawal charges also matter. A market order prioritizes execution; a limit order controls the price but may remain unfilled or fill only partly.
Check the order preview and the amount you will receive, then compare the full cost of your intended purchase and withdrawal.
Work through a cost example
Hypothetical example: a $200 trade with a 0.1% trading fee costs $0.20 in trading fees. A separate $5 withdrawal fee brings those charges to $5.20. Spread or slippage may add more; these are not quoted exchange rates.
