Web3 Zero-Cost Entry: My First Step into DeFi

Why Did I Want to Enter DeFi?

In 2025, traditional finance offers pitiful returns. Japanese yen deposit rates are nearly zero, while I see DeFi protocols offering 10%+ APY all the time — of course, high returns mean high risk.

But as a rational person, I decided to learn first, invest later.

Zero-Cost Roadmap

Step 1: Understand Concepts (No Money)

Must-know concepts:

Wallet: your on-chain identity — MetaMask recommended
DEX: decentralized exchanges (Uniswap, PancakeSwap)
Liquidity pools: lend your tokens to exchanges for trading fees
Stake/Lend: lend tokens to earn interest

Step 2: Testnet Experience (Completely Free)

Use the Sepolia testnet faucet to claim fake ETH and experience:

Swapping ETH for USDT (fees are very low)
Providing liquidity to Uniswap V3 test pool
Trying out a lending protocol (Aave test version)

The point of testnet operations: get familiar with gas fees, slippage, smart contract interactions — so you won't panic when you hit mainnet.

Step 3: Small Real Experience (Starting from $50)

First real investment:

Deposit USDe on Ethena, APY ~8-12%
Strategy: stablecoin yield farming, no volatile assets
Risk: smart contract risk, peg depeg risk

Core principle: only invest money you can afford to lose entirely.

DeFi Toolkit

Wallets: MetaMask + Rabby (multi-chain support)
Tracking: DeBank (portfolio management)
Yield: DefiLlama (yield comparison)
Security: Revoke.cash (allowance management)

Zero-Cost Insights

Don't think about "making free money." The real value of zero-cost playing is: building DeFi intuition without taking financial risk. This experience will be worth its weight in gold when you actually deploy capital.