CoinTalk

You've seen the incredible yields offered in Decentralized Finance, but you've also heard the warnings about extreme volatility and the risks of chasing the [highest APY in crypto]. So, is there a middle ground? Is there a way to earn an attractive yield on your capital without being exposed to the wild price swings of assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum? The answer is yes, and it is a cornerstone of the entire DeFi ecosystem: stablecoin lending. This guide will show you how it works and how you can get started.

The Core Idea: Becoming a Decentralized Lender

The concept is simple. In the DeFi world, there is a constant demand from traders and other protocols to borrow stablecoins like USDT or USDC. They use this capital for various strategies, such as arbitrage or leveraged trading. DeFi lending protocols, like Aave or Compound, are decentralized platforms that act as a bridge between these borrowers and people like you who have stablecoins to lend. By depositing your stablecoins into one of these protocols, you are essentially becoming a lender to the DeFi economy. In return for providing this liquidity, you earn a variable interest rate, paid for by the borrowers.

How to Get Started: A Step-by-Step Process

Participating in stablecoin lending is a direct way to interact with the core of DeFi. Here is a general overview of the steps involved.

1. Acquire Stablecoins: The first step is to own the asset you want to lend. You will need to acquire a major stablecoin like USDT or USDC. This can be done easily on a secure and liquid exchange like BYDFi.
2. Set Up a Web3 Wallet: To interact with DeFi protocols, you need a non-custodial wallet, such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet. You will then withdraw your stablecoins from the exchange to your personal wallet address.
3. Choose a Lending Protocol: This is your most important decision. You should choose a "blue-chip" lending protocol that has been audited, has a long track record of security, and has billions of dollars in total value locked (TVL) as a sign of community trust.
4. Supply Your Stablecoins: Once you've chosen a protocol, you will connect your wallet to their application. From there, you will navigate to the "Supply" or "Lend" section for the stablecoin you hold and confirm the transaction.
5. Monitor Your Earnings: Once your transaction is confirmed, your stablecoins are now in the lending pool, and you will begin to accrue interest in real-time. You can monitor your earnings and withdraw your capital and interest at any time.

A Responsible Look at the Risks

While stablecoin lending is significantly less volatile than other yield-generating strategies, it is not risk-free. As a responsible investor, you must understand the risks involved. The primary risk is smart contract risk; if the lending protocol you use has a bug or is hacked, your funds could be lost. This is why choosing a battle-tested, highly audited protocol is non-negotiable. There is also stablecoin de-peg risk, where the stablecoin itself could lose its 1:1 peg to the US dollar. Finally, the interest rates are variable, meaning they fluctuate based on the real-time supply and demand for borrowing within the protocol.

The Prudent Path to DeFi Yield

For many, stablecoin lending is the ideal first step into earning with DeFi. It allows you to participate in the ecosystem and earn a competitive yield without the constant worry of market volatility. It is a foundational strategy that should be understood by any serious crypto investor. For a complete overview of the DeFi ecosystem, you can always refer to our main guide: [What Is DeFi? A Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance].

To begin your journey into DeFi lending, the first step is to acquire the stablecoins you wish to supply. You can find a secure and liquid market for top stablecoins on the BYDFi spot exchange.

I’m trying to figure out how many quarters make up 20 dollars because I want to count my change accurately. I live in the US and often deal with coins when paying for small purchases.

Sometimes I get confused about how many quarters equal a certain amount of dollars, especially larger amounts like $20. Can someone explain how many quarters are in 20 dollars and maybe a simple way to calculate it? Also, is there a quick trick or formula I can use next time I want to convert dollars to quarters?

What Is DeFi? A Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance

You've learned the basics of cryptocurrency and you understand the power of a decentralized network. Now, you're ready for the next question: what can you actually do with this technology? The most powerful answer to that question is DeFi, or Decentralized Finance. It is arguably the most important and innovative sector in the entire crypto ecosystem. DeFi is a bold and ambitious attempt to rebuild the entire traditional financial system—banking, lending, trading, and investing—but without the middlemen. As your guide, I'll break down this complex world into simple, understandable concepts.

The Core Idea: Lego Bricks for Money

The best way to understand DeFi is to think of it as a set of programmable, transparent, and interlocking "Lego bricks" for money. In the traditional financial world, systems are closed and proprietary. Your bank account can't talk directly to your brokerage account without a slow, intermediary process.

DeFi is different. It is an ecosystem of financial applications built on a public blockchain (most commonly, Ethereum) that can all interact with each other seamlessly. Each application is a "Lego brick"—one might be for trading, another for lending, another for borrowing. Because they all share the same underlying blockchain, they can be "snapped" together in limitless combinations, creating powerful new financial tools.

The Main Pillars of DeFi

While the DeFi ecosystem is vast, its services can be grouped into a few key categories.

1. Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs): These are peer-to-peer marketplaces that allow you to trade cryptocurrencies directly from your own wallet, without ever giving custody of your funds to a central company. Instead of an order book, most DEXs use "liquidity pools," where users supply pairs of assets for others to trade against.

2. Lending and Borrowing Platforms: These are essentially decentralized banks. You can deposit your crypto into a lending protocol to earn interest on it, as the protocol lends it out to other users. Conversely, you can use your own crypto as collateral to borrow other assets. All of this is managed automatically by smart contracts, not by a loan officer.

3. Stablecoins: These are a crucial component of DeFi. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to the value of a stable asset, usually the US dollar. They provide a stable medium of exchange and a safe haven from the volatility of other crypto assets, allowing DeFi to function as a real financial system.

The Promise and the Perils

The promise of DeFi is a financial system that is more open, transparent, efficient, and accessible to everyone. It removes the need to trust centralized companies and replaces that trust with verifiable code. However, as a responsible investor, you must understand the significant risks. DeFi is still the "wild west" of crypto. The smart contracts that power these applications can have bugs or be exploited by hackers, leading to a total loss of funds. The user experience can be complex, and concepts like "impermanent loss" in liquidity pools can be challenging for newcomers.

Your Gateway to the DeFi World

To participate in the DeFi ecosystem, you first need the foundational assets that power it, such as Ethereum (ETH) or other smart contract platform tokens. These are the "gas" you need to interact with decentralized applications.

To begin your journey into this new financial frontier, the first step is to acquire the necessary core assets. You can find a secure and liquid market for ETH and other foundational cryptocurrencies on the BYDFi spot exchange.

Are you dreaming of buying your first home but feeling overwhelmed by the process?

Becoming a homeowner is a major milestone, but it can also feel confusing, stressful, and full of jargon. The good news? With the right tips for first time home buyers, you can feel confident every step of the way.

In this complete guide, we’ll break down exactly what you need to know before buying your first house—from budgeting and mortgages to home inspections and final offers.

1. Understand How Much You Can Really Afford

Before browsing houses, get real with your budget. Your dream home should never become a financial nightmare.

Use mortgage calculators online (especially from your local bank).

Mortgage calculators : help you estimate how much your monthly mortgage payments will be based on things like:

• The home price
• Your down payment
• Interest rate
• Loan term (e.g., 15 or 30 years)

Why it's important:
These tools give you a quick snapshot of what you can afford each month and how much loan you can handle comfortably. Most local bank websites offer calculators tailored to your country’s financial regulations and interest rates—so they’re more accurate for your situation.
Always try 2–3 scenarios—like a higher down payment or a shorter loan—to see how your payments change.

Calculate your debt-to-income ratio.

Your debt-to-income ratio compares how much you owe each month to how much you earn.
Here’s the formula:  DTI = (Total Monthly Debt Payments ÷ Gross Monthly Income) × 100

Example:
If you make $4,000/month and spend $1,200 on debts (car loan, credit cards, student loans), your DTI is: (1,200 ÷ 4,000) × 100 = 30%

Why it matters:
Most lenders look for a DTI of 36% or less (including your future mortgage). A lower DTI means you’re less risky and more likely to get approved for a loan—and get better interest rates.

Factor in other costs like insurance, taxes, and utilities.
Owning a home comes with more costs than just the mortgage. Don’t forget to budget for:

•  Homeowners insurance – Protects your property from damage or disasters.
•  Property taxes – Annual taxes based on your home’s value and location.
•  Utilities – Water, gas, electricity, internet, etc.
•  HOA fees (if applicable) – If your home is in a community with a homeowners association.

- Why it’s important:
These costs can add hundreds of dollars per month to your total housing expenses. If you only budget for your mortgage payment, you may end up  house poor , meaning all your money goes to your home, leaving little for savings or lifestyle.

1. Start saving early

When calculating about how much money you need to buy a house, be sure to consider one-time expenses and new recurring bills

Down payment: The down payment which you require depends upon the mortgage type and upon the lender you choose. A down payment of just 3% is what some conventional loans require for home buyers with superb credit who are buying for the first time. But even just saving a small down payment can still be challenging. $9,000 is shown, as an example, as being a 3% down payment for a $300,000 home. Pick a target using a payment calculator. To get started, set up automatic transfers out from checking to savings.

Closing costs: These comprise the fees and expenses you pay to complete your mortgage, and the typical range for them goes from 2% to 6% of that loan amount. Closing costs for a $300,000 loan have the potential to reach $6,000. $18,000 could be a possible high. That is money you’d additionally pay, exceeding your down payment. Often, you can ask the seller to pay some closing costs in a buyer's market. Shopping around can help you save money on expenses like home inspections too.

Move-in expenses: Remember to budget for moving costs, which typically run up to $2,500 for most local moves. (Long-distance moves can be much pricier.) You'll need some cash after the home purchase. Set some money aside for immediate home repairs, upgrades and furnishings.

2. Decide how much home you can afford

Figure out how much you can safely spend on a house before starting to shop. NerdWallet's home affordability calculator can help with setting a price range based on your income, debt, down payment, credit score and where you plan to live.

3. Check and polish your credit

Your credit score will determine whether you qualify for a mortgage and affect the interest rate lenders will offer. Having a higher score will generally get you a lower interest rate, so take these steps to polish your credit score to buy a house:

- Get free copies of your credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — and dispute any errors that could hurt your score.

- Pay all your bills on time, and keep credit card balances as low as possible.

- Keep current credit cards open. Closing a card will increase the portion of available credit you use, which can lower your score.

- Avoid opening new credit accounts while you’re applying for mortgages. Opening new accounts could put a hard inquiry on your credit report and lower the overall average age of your credit accounts, which could hurt your score.

- Track your credit score. NerdWallet offers a free credit score that updates weekly.

Final Thoughts: Take It One Step at a Time

Buying your first home is a big deal—but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By understanding how much you can really afford, saving early, and improving your credit, you’ll be in a much stronger position to make a smart purchase. Don’t rush the process. Take the time to research, ask questions, and lean on professionals when needed. With the right preparation, your dream of homeownership can become a reality—without turning into a financial headache.

In the world of cryptocurrency, "ERC-20" has been the undisputed king of token standards for years. It is the technical blueprint behind thousands of tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. But a new, experimental standard has emerged from the world's oldest blockchain, Bitcoin, and it's called BRC-20. For any investor or enthusiast, understanding the fundamental differences between these two is key to navigating the evolving landscape of digital assets. This guide will provide a clear, head-to-head comparison.

The Core Distinction: Smart Contracts vs. Inscriptions

The single most important difference between ERC-20 and BRC-20 lies in the technology that powers them. ERC-20 tokens are powered by complex, programmable smart contracts. Think of a smart contract as a sophisticated robot that lives on the Ethereum blockchain and automatically enforces the rules of the token—how it's created, how it's spent, and how it interacts with other applications.

BRC-20 tokens, on the other hand, do not use smart contracts. They are created via a much simpler mechanism called an inscription, using the Ordinals protocol. Think of this as a digital engraving on a small piece of the Bitcoin blockchain. This inscription contains simple text data that dictates the token's properties. This makes BRC-20s less of a programmable robot and more of a permanent, unchangeable stone tablet.

A Side-by-Side Comparison

This fundamental difference in design leads to a series of important trade-offs.

Functionality and Ecosystem

The complexity of ERC-20 smart contracts is their greatest strength. It allows them to be integrated into the vast world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), used for governance in DAOs, and power complex applications. The ERC-20 standard is the engine of a mature, multi-billion dollar ecosystem.

The simplicity of BRC-20s is both a feature and a limitation. They are currently limited to basic functions, making them unsuitable for complex DeFi applications. Their primary use case is the creation of more straightforward, culturally significant fungible tokens directly on the world's most secure blockchain. The ecosystem is new, and the infrastructure, such as the trading platform [BeFi Labs], is still being built.

Which Is Better?

It is not a question of which is "better," but rather which is suited for a specific purpose. ERC-20 is a proven, highly functional standard for building complex, programmable assets within a vibrant smart contract ecosystem. BRC-20 is an experimental and simpler standard that leverages the security and cultural significance of the Bitcoin network. Understanding this difference is crucial for any investor looking to explore this new frontier. For a complete overview of the BRC-20 space, you can read our guide: [What Are BRC-20 Tokens?].

To explore assets from both the mature Ethereum ecosystem and the emerging Bitcoin ecosystem, you can find a wide range of tokens on the BYDFi spot market.