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Education only · not financial, tax or legal adviceCanadian facts checked 2026-10-31 · a MITEY site
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Learning paths

Learning paths: four trails through DeFi

Four guided trails: the newcomer's trail, the borrower's trail, the tax-season trail and the safety trail, each an ordered list of guides, tools and checklists.

Mitey the yeti, blue-eyed with a blond tuft, holding out an open paw, with a compass
Mitey says: Pick the trail that matches why you came. You can always switch at the next camp.

The newcomer’s trail

You have heard of DeFi and want to understand it before touching it.

  1. What is DeFi? A plain-language guide for Canadians
  2. DeFi vs Canadian banking: what really changes for you
  3. Crypto wallets explained: keys, addresses and how to choose
  4. Seed phrase security: back up, test and pass on your recovery phrase
  5. Stablecoins explained: how pegs hold, how they break, and where Canada stands
  6. Gas fees explained: what you pay and why
  7. DeFi risks, rated on the Mitey risk scale
  8. How to check a crypto platform in Canada
  9. Before your first DeFi transaction

The borrower’s trail

You are curious about lending, borrowing and yield, and want to see the mechanics and the failure modes.

  1. DeFi lending protocols: collateral, health factor and liquidation explained
  2. Oracles and real-world data in DeFi
  3. /infographics/health-factor
  4. Liquidation explorer
  5. Liquidation risk: how DeFi loans get closed for you
  6. Yield farming 101: where DeFi yield comes from and how to test it
  7. APY reality check
  8. DeFi yield vs a GIC: what you are really comparing

The tax-season trail

You have crypto activity to report and want to understand what CRA has and hasn’t said.

  1. Canadian DeFi tax basics: dispositions, ACB and what CRA has said
  2. What counts as a crypto disposition in Canada
  3. Capital gains or business income: how CRA decides for crypto
  4. Adjusted cost base for crypto: the average-cost method
  5. Adjusted cost base (ACB) ledger
  6. The superficial loss rule and crypto
  7. Staking, mining and crypto rewards: what CRA has and hasn’t said
  8. DeFi transactions and Canadian tax: the open questions
  9. Crypto tax year-end checklist (Canada)

The safety trail

You already hold crypto and want to make it harder to lose.

  1. Self-custody readiness check
  2. Wallet approvals and signing: what you are really saying yes to
  3. DeFi security basics: everyday habits that protect your funds
  4. Crypto and DeFi scams in Canada: spot them, check platforms, report
  5. Scam red-flag checker
  6. Key loss risk: losing access to your own crypto
  7. Wallet backup and recovery checklist
  8. Lost crypto to a scam? What to do and who to tell in Canada

Education only. Nothing on this page is financial, investment, tax or legal advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell, stake, lend or borrow any crypto-asset. Crypto-assets can lose some or all of their value and are not covered by CDIC. Canadian rules change: check the dated sources above and talk to a qualified professional about your situation. Full disclaimer.