A free, 30-minute weekly class that makes on-chain finance feel a little more human. No finance degree. No crypto required. Just you and your questions.
No price predictions. No sales pitch. Nothing to buy.
THE ONLY ENTRY REQUIREMENT?A little curiosity.✳
Illustrative image · everyone is welcome.
YOUR SATURDAY RESETEvery Saturday
LIVE, ONLINE & FREE11:00 am Eastern
30 minutes · join from anywhere
A LITTLE TIME. A LOT MORE CLARITY.20 min learning + 10 min Q&A
SAME IDEA. LESS HEAD-SPINNING.
It’s not you. It’s the jargon.
Complicated words can make simple ideas feel out of reach. Here’s the difference a little plain English makes.
WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS
You lend digital assets through a program on a blockchain. Borrowers pay interest, so you may earn a return. The rate can change, and bugs or other failures can cause losses.
Understanding an idea is not the same as recommending it.
LET’S UNPACK THAT.
Less “wait, what?” More “oh, got it.”
Pick a word. Get the idea, an everyday analogy and the important catch. This is how we learn on Saturdays.
14 terms. No question too basic. Start anywhere that makes you curious.
01 / DECODEDThe umbrella word
DeFi
Decentralised finance: financial services such as lending, borrowing and exchanging assets, built using programs on a blockchain. Different services have different levels of decentralisation and control.
THINK OF IT AS
A vending machine instead of a teller: some transaction rules are carried out by software rather than decided at a counter.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
It is a category, not a single investment. Code, governance, service providers and your own actions can all introduce risk.
02 / DECODEDThe record
Blockchain
A shared transaction record maintained across a network of computers, rather than only in one company’s database.
THINK OF IT AS
A group chat where nobody can delete or edit an old message, and everyone holds the full history.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
It isn't secret. Most blockchains are entirely public — anyone can read every transaction ever made, including yours.
03 / DECODEDThe most misleading word here
Wallet
An app that holds your keys, not your money. Your money stays on the blockchain; the wallet is simply how you prove a portion of it is yours.
THINK OF IT AS
A keyring, not a purse.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Deleting an app does not remove assets from the blockchain. Losing access to its keys and recovery options can leave you unable to use those assets.
04 / DECODEDOwnership itself
Private key
A secret number used to authorise transactions from an account. Anyone who obtains the key may be able to move its assets.
THINK OF IT AS
A signature on a cheque that cannot be forged, and cannot be reissued.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Recovery depends on the wallet setup. Some have recovery features; others cannot help if you lose your keys and backups. Never share a private key.
05 / DECODEDThe backup
Seed phrase
In many wallets, a set of words that can restore access to the wallet’s accounts. Not every wallet uses a seed phrase.
THINK OF IT AS
A spare key, written out in words so you can copy it by hand onto paper.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Anyone who asks you for it is stealing from you. No exceptions — not support, not an admin, not a giveaway, not us.
06 / DECODEDThe core idea
Self-custody
You control the keys or authorisations for your wallet instead of leaving access entirely with a custodian. Protecting that access becomes your responsibility.
THINK OF IT AS
Cash in your own safe, rather than cash in somebody else's bank.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Self-custody does not remove smart-contract, issuer or network risk. Some tokens, including USDC, can still be frozen by their issuer.
07 / DECODEDThe digital dollar
Stablecoin
A digital token designed to track a reference value, often one US dollar. Some use cash or government-debt reserves; others use crypto collateral or different mechanisms.
THINK OF IT AS
A digital claim aiming to track a familiar unit of money. How it is backed and redeemed matters.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Stable is a goal, not a guarantee. A token can lose its peg, and issuer, reserve, redemption and technology risks still apply.
08 / DECODEDThe machinery
Smart contract
A program that lives on the blockchain and does precisely what its code says, automatically, whenever the stated conditions are met.
THINK OF IT AS
A vending machine. Money in, crisps out. It cannot change its mind, and it cannot make an exception for you.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
It's neither smart nor a contract. It's just code — and code can be written badly, which is where a striking share of this industry's losses come from.
09 / DECODEDThe cost of doing anything
Gas fee
A network fee for processing a transaction. It can vary with network demand and the work a transaction requires, and is separate from any app or service fee.
THINK OF IT AS
Postage. It costs more when the post office is busy.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
You pay it even when the transaction fails — the computers did the work either way, and they get paid for the attempt.
10 / DECODEDA claim about evidence
On-chain
Recorded on the public blockchain, where anyone can verify it independently, rather than on a company's private internal books.
THINK OF IT AS
Published in the newspaper of record, instead of written in a ledger in the back office.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Public isn't the same as identified. Addresses are pseudonymous — right up until one gets linked to your name, at which point the whole history is.
11 / DECODEDThe number everyone quotes
Yield
A return earned by putting assets to work, for example through lending. Where the return comes from depends on the service or strategy.
THINK OF IT AS
Interest is one example of a return, but DeFi yield does not have the same protections as an insured bank savings account.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
A quoted rate can change. Understand who is paying, what can go wrong and whether you could lose some or all of your assets.
12 / DECODEDThe container
Vault
A smart contract that pools many people's deposits and manages them together according to one published strategy.
THINK OF IT AS
A fund, except the holdings are visible in real time rather than disclosed quarterly.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
A vault doesn't remove risk. It concentrates the decisions into one place — useful only if you actually know what it's holding.
13 / DECODEDThe safety claim
Audit
An independent review looks for security flaws in a defined set of code. Its scope, findings and the version reviewed all matter.
THINK OF IT AS
A building inspection before you move in.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
“Audited” does not mean “safe”. It means somebody looked. The useful questions are what they found, whether it was fixed, and how long ago.
14 / DECODEDThe weak point
Bridge
A tool for moving value from one blockchain to another, since separate chains have no native way to talk to each other.
THINK OF IT AS
A currency exchange booth on the border between two countries that share nothing.
THE BIT TO REMEMBER
Bridge software and the assets it holds can be attacked. Moving assets between networks adds risks that a transfer on one network may not have.
No — and most people on the call won't. You don't need a wallet, an exchange account, or a single dollar of anything. Nothing is required beyond a browser.
Will you tell me what to buy?+
No. No price talk, no recommendations, no forecasts, no advice of any kind. If you want someone to tell you what to buy, this is the wrong room and we'd rather say so now than waste your Saturday.
Is it genuinely free? What's the catch?+
Genuinely free. The class is sponsored by VildX, a company building in this field — they cover the cost because more people understanding it is good for everyone working in it, themselves included. That's the whole of the self-interest, and we'd rather say it plainly than have you wonder. They don't get to sell anything on the call.
Do I need the Zoom app?+
No. It runs on Zoom, but you can join straight from a browser — no download, no account, nothing beyond the one registration form.
Do I have to turn my camera on or speak?+
No. Cameras and microphones are off for everyone attending, so nobody sees or hears you. Questions go in the Q&A panel, and you can post them anonymously — most people do, which is exactly the point.
What time is it where I am?+
The class runs at 11:00 am Eastern every Saturday. The schedule below the hero converts the next session into your device’s local time. The Eastern time stays fixed through daylight saving; your local time may change.
Is it recorded?+
Yes. The recording and a short written recap go out after every session, so an awkward time zone or a missed week costs you nothing.
Is there a fixed syllabus I need to follow from the start?+
No. There's a map of topics rather than a course, and each session is self-contained, so any Saturday is a sensible place to begin. What comes next is driven mostly by what people ask for.
Who's teaching?+
Engineers and product people who work on this daily — which is precisely why they can explain it without hiding behind the vocabulary. Occasional guests too.
How do I actually join?+
Register once using Save my seat. The same joining link works every week. You can add the weekly series to your calendar using Add to calendar in the schedule strip.
MORE OF A READER?
A little clarity. In your inbox.
The vildX Ledger explores yield, stablecoins, vaults, self-custody and honest risk in plain language. Read alongside the class, at your own pace.
vildX works in this field and sponsors the class. Topics are driven by learning and your questions, not a sales pitch. Nothing is sold on the call.
This class and page are educational only, not financial, investment, tax or legal advice, or an offer to buy or sell an asset. Digital assets carry risk, including total loss. Consider independent professional advice for your circumstances. deficurious@vildx.com
