Tip: We learn by doing, not by reading. I suggest copy and pasting this list into Notion and ticking off the tasks as you complete them.
I will update this for 2025 soon. It’s still a good starting point, but needs a refresh.
Once you’ve worked through the steps below, you should have a pretty good understanding of how all these apps, wallets and chains work.
⛓️ Getting started with blockchains
Install MetaMask
Visit Chainlist and add these networks: Avalanche, FTM, BNB, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Moonriver
Get an exchange account at Binance or similar
Get some Matic at an exchange and send to your metamask
Add another account to your MetaMask and name it Account 2 or something
Send Matic back and forth between your accounts
Get some FTM at an exchange and send it your Metamask
Get some BNB at an exchange and send it to your Metamask
Note how you use the same address for your wallet, regardless of the network. This is because they are all EVM networks. Read about EVM networks.
📈DeFi Intro
Go to Uniswap and swap a small amount of Matic for USDC
Go to Quickswap.exchange and swap some other tokens
Read about or watch a youtube vid on: Uniswap, Maker, Aave, Compound, Yearn. These were the first major DeFi projects and it’s good to know a little history before you progress.
Install Rabby Wallet. From now on, experiment with both MetaMask and Rabby when using DeFi. Think about the different experiences.
Check out https://defillama.com/ and look at the DEXes
Swap tokens on 10 different DEXes — pick any chain and any tokens. Think about the different UI and UX. Are any of them copies of each other? What differences do you notice?
[Add the Dexes you used here and write a short note about each. Try to use a variety of chains. Feel free to add new networks to your metamask and send new native tokens there. What do you notice about the different chains? Are speed or cost different?]
This will be a bit laborious, but we want to make it second nature to swap one token into another. It should feel very familiar to approve and swap tokens. You also want to get a sense of how DEXes operate and why they basically all look the same. You will notice many small details as you do this over and over.
🦾 DeFi Advanced
Lend and borrow at Aave
Add liquidity to a liquidity pool on Quickswap
Harvest rewards
Auto-compound an LP at Beefy
Browse Beefy and add liquidity to LPs on three different platforms
Use the Zap function on Beefy
Add tokens to a Curve pool
Use Connext to swap tokens across different blockchains
Use two other bridges — use google to find different routes
[Add a short note about your experience with each here]
Check DefiLlama’s ‘Reserve Currency’ category. Bond tokens on at least three platforms.
🔴 Polkadot/Kusama
Install Talisman
Get some kusama
Provide liquidity at Karuraswap
Use Acala to make swaps and provide liquidity
🪐 Cosmos Network
Install Keplr
Get Atom
Visit Osmosis
Swap some Atom -> Osmo
Stake some Atom in the Keplr web app
Vote on something using Keplr
Add liquidity on Osmosis
Bond it
Use IBC to withdraw and deposit to three other networks (Juno, CRO, Secret etc)
🔮 L1 Alternatives (Solana, Cardano, Near, Algo etc)
As above, so below… Install wallets, swap a token, add liquidity etc - add actions here.