For beginners, DeFi is daunting and feels overwhelming at the same time.

I've been there before, but it's not that hard as it sounds.

To get a handle on DeFi basics, You just need to dive into these essential protocols and understand its mechanic:

❶ @CurveFinance/ @ConvexFinance - Stableswap AMM, veLock, Gauge, Bribing

❷ @Uniswap / @CoWSwap - AMM Models from v1-4, Constant Product Formula, CLMM

❸ @GMX_IO / @HyperliquidX - On-chain Perpetuals and esToken

❹ @LidoFinance/ @babylonlabs_io / @eigenlayer - Liquid Staking, restaking assets like $ETH and/or $BTC

❺ @MorphoLabs / @SiloFinance / @aave - DeFi Lending Platforms

❻ @pendle_fi - Yield Derivatives Markets

❼ @ethena_labs / @fraxfinance - Delta-neutral, yield-bearing stablecoins

❽ @DefiLlama / @nansen_ai - On-chain data, DeFi analytics, etc.

While there are other protocols with overlapping features (not implying these are merely imitations), these examples serve as a straightforward entry point into the world of DeFi.