Crypto Basics #20 — Understanding Polkadot (DOT)
Most blockchains operate as islands. Bitcoin doesn't naturally talk to Ethereum, and Ethereum doesn't naturally talk to Solana. Polkadot was designed to deal with exactly that problem.
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Crypto Basics #19 — Understanding Chainlink (LINK)
Chainlink solves a problem that isn't obvious until you think about it. A blockchain, on its own, can't see anything outside itself.
Crypto Basics #18 — Understanding Cardano (ADA)
Cardano is a blockchain known less for a single feature and more for how it's built. Its defining trait is method.
Crypto Basics #17 — Understanding Polygon (MATIC)
Polygon is a real-world example of the Layer 2 idea from the last post. Its whole purpose is to make using Ethereum faster and cheaper.
Crypto Basics #16 — Understanding Layer 2
A Layer 2 is a network built on top of an existing blockchain to make it faster and cheaper to use. The original blockchain, like Ethereum, is the Layer 1. The Layer 2 sits above it.
Crypto Basics #15 — Understanding XRP (XRP)
XRP was built with a specific job in mind: moving money between countries quickly and cheaply.
Crypto Basics #14 — Understanding Crypto Lending
Crypto lending applies a familiar idea, lending and borrowing, to digital assets. One side lends out their crypto and earns interest. The other side borrows it and pays interest for the privilege.
Crypto Basics #13 — Understanding DeFi
DeFi is short for decentralized finance. It's the name for financial services, lending, borrowing, trading, saving, that run on a blockchain instead of through a bank.
Crypto Basics #12 — Understanding Stablecoins
Most cryptocurrencies move in price constantly. A stablecoin is the deliberate exception. It's a crypto token designed to hold a steady value, most often pegged one-to-one to a national currency like the US dollar.
RM Mechanics #4 — Understanding Leverage
Leverage lets you open a position larger than the money you actually put up. Trade $1,000 at 10x and you're controlling a $10,000 position. The appeal is obvious: a 5% move in your favor becomes a 50% gain on your capital. The part that gets less attention is that it works in exactly th...