Blockchains are powerful but limited by their isolation from the outside world. Smart contracts can only process on-chain data, yet most real-world applications, from finance and insurance to gaming and logistics, depend on external information. Programmable oracle networks solve this problem by securely delivering and processing off-chain data for use on-chain. They extend blockchain functionality, enabling decentralized applications to interact with markets, APIs, sensors, and even other blockchains in a trust-minimized way.
As stablecoins continue to scale and on-chain clearing and risk management mechanisms mature, DeFi lending is transitioning from a high-risk experiment into sustainable financial infrastructure. Compared with early models that relied heavily on narratives and incentives, the new generation of DeFi lending focuses more on interest rate stability, risk priceability, and capital efficiency, increasingly becoming the preferred gateway for institutional capital entering on-chain finance. From a financial-structure perspective, this course explains why DeFi lending has re-emerged as a core growth engine and the critical role it plays in the era of institutionalization.
Welcome to The Beginner’s Guide to Trading Fundamentals — a structured course designed for learners who wish to build a solid foundation in both traditional finance and crypto markets. Whether you’re a newcomer exploring the markets for the first time or an experienced trader seeking to clarify strategic frameworks, this series will help you understand the underlying principles of market operations. From “the difference between trading and investing” to “fundamental and technical analysis,” and “market cycles and investor psychology,” these five progressive lessons will teach you how to combine analytical methods, risk management, and psychological discipline to make more rational and higher-probability decisions in real market conditions.
Blockchains are powerful but limited by their isolation from the outside world. Smart contracts can only process on-chain data, yet most real-world applications, from finance and insurance to gaming and logistics, depend on external information. Programmable oracle networks solve this problem by securely delivering and processing off-chain data for use on-chain. They extend blockchain functionality, enabling decentralized applications to interact with markets, APIs, sensors, and even other blockchains in a trust-minimized way.
In the digital world, "identity" has long been viewed as a login tool, with little serious discussion about the power structures and trust mechanisms behind it. With the rise of Web3, decentralized finance (DeFi), and on-chain governance, identity has begun to evolve beyond a mere key to access systems—it now carries functions of credit, permissions, and value distribution. This course starts from this transformation, guiding you to re-examine the evolving role of identity in the digital society, and how decentralized identity serves as the critical foundation for reconstructing trust in Web3.
As stablecoins continue to scale and on-chain clearing and risk management mechanisms mature, DeFi lending is transitioning from a high-risk experiment into sustainable financial infrastructure. Compared with early models that relied heavily on narratives and incentives, the new generation of DeFi lending focuses more on interest rate stability, risk priceability, and capital efficiency, increasingly becoming the preferred gateway for institutional capital entering on-chain finance. From a financial-structure perspective, this course explains why DeFi lending has re-emerged as a core growth engine and the critical role it plays in the era of institutionalization.
Distilling "The end of the invisible era and compliance capability as the key to success" into a central takeaway offers critical guidance for high-net-worth individuals and Web3 professionals as they prepare for the impending tax compliance threshold.
The article analyzes the Wagyu v2 solution—leveraging the Hyperliquid market maker for routing to achieve low-fee, exchange-level spreads. Within 48 hours of launch, millions of dollars in trading volume propelled XMR past $600, breaking the vicious cycle of "demand being unable to set prices."
This article highlights four key trends: rapid expansion of RWA, compliance advancements under the GENIUS Act, Solana’s competitive edge in payments, and the bifurcation of payment and yield pathways. Stablecoin trading volume has soared to $46 trillion (with an adjusted figure of $9 trillion), underscoring its role as the precursor to global financial infrastructure. The analysis provides readers with clear insight into the strategic all-in approach taken by industry leaders.
Gate Research Daily Report: On January 16, BTC entered a corrective consolidation phase after surging to around $97,900 and is now oscillating in the $95,000–$95,500 range; ETH moved into a high-level consolidation after hitting a peak near $3,403, with prices fluctuating narrowly between $3,280 and $3,320; GT shifted into range-bound consolidation after a prior rally to 10.83; and OWL led small-cap tokens with a +57.75% gain. XRP broke below the $2.10 level, with technical selling pressure dominating the short-term trend; BitMine said its $13 billion ETH holdings could generate over $400 million in annual revenue and expressed confidence that its investment in MrBeast could deliver a “10x” return; and Ripple injected $150 million into LMAX to push the RLUSD stablecoin into institutional trading infrastructure.
Gate Research Daily Report:On January 16, BTC entered a corrective consolidation phase after surging to around $97,900 and is now oscillating in the $95,000–$95,500 range; ETH moved into a high-level consolidation after hitting a peak near $3,403, with prices fluctuating narrowly between $3,280 and $3,320; GT shifted into range-bound consolidation after a prior rally to 10.83; and OWL led small-cap tokens with a +57.75% gain. XRP broke below the $2.10 level, with technical selling pressure dominating the short-term trend; BitMine said its $13 billion ETH holdings could generate over $400 million in annual revenue and expressed confidence that its investment in MrBeast could deliver a “10x” return; and Ripple injected $150 million into LMAX to push the RLUSD stablecoin into institutional trading infrastructure.
Gate listed 447 new spot assets in 2025, and their post-listing performance showed clear market feedback across several key time points: about 54.8% of assets were up 24 hours after listing, and the average 24-hour gain among the winners was roughly 635%. In the early window, primary listings were more likely to post higher median returns (24-hour median: 12.56%, or 8.03% after trimming outliers), well above non-primary listings (24-hour median: 1.18%, or 0.86% after trimming). Gate-exclusive listings showed an even more concentrated early response: nearly 80% were up within the first 30 minutes, with a median gain of about 81%.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR) represents the yearly yield or cost as a simple interest rate, excluding the effects of compounding interest. You will commonly see the APR label on exchange savings products, DeFi lending platforms, and staking pages. Understanding APR helps you estimate returns based on the number of days held, compare different products, and determine whether compound interest or lock-up rules apply.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) refers to the psychological phenomenon where individuals, upon witnessing others profit or seeing a sudden surge in market trends, become anxious about being left behind and rush to participate. This behavior is common in crypto trading, Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), NFT minting, and airdrop claims. FOMO can drive up trading volume and market volatility, while also amplifying the risk of losses. Understanding and managing FOMO is essential for beginners to avoid impulsive buying during price surges and panic selling during downturns.
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are unique digital certificates recorded on the blockchain, designed to establish authenticity and ownership of digital items, in-game assets, membership privileges, or representations of real-world assets. NFTs can be bought, sold, and transferred, with all rules and transactions governed by smart contracts that execute automatically on-chain. They are commonly found on public blockchains such as Ethereum and across NFT marketplaces, serving use cases like collectibles, trading, and identity verification.
Leverage refers to the practice of using a small amount of personal capital as margin to amplify your available trading or investment funds. This allows you to take larger positions with limited initial capital. In the crypto market, leverage is commonly seen in perpetual contracts, leveraged tokens, and DeFi collateralized lending. It can enhance capital efficiency and improve hedging strategies, but also introduces risks such as forced liquidation, funding rates, and increased price volatility. Proper risk management and stop-loss mechanisms are essential when using leverage.
Your Gateway to Crypto World, Subscribe to Gate for a New Perspective