TL;DR
Binance Smart Chain (BSC) has been booming with activity. Ranging from token swaps to decentralized money markets and cute NFTs, there are many options to earn yield or simply to have fun.
But what do you need to get started, and how do you do it? We’ll go through it all in this article.
First, if you’d like to get an overview of the technology behind BSC, check out .
That article can give you a walkthrough of the mechanics of the blockchain, while this one will provide practical information about how to get started. So let’s dive in.
First things first, you’ll need a wallet to interact with the applications on BSC. The good news is that you have quite a few options to choose from.
It’s worth keeping in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list. In addition to the ones mentioned below, you can also use Math Wallet, Ledger, TokenPocket, Bitkeep, ONTO, Safepal, and Arkane.
Something you might already be familiar with is MetaMask. If not, no worries, we’ve got your back – we have a guide on .
But wait, isn’t MetaMask an Ethereum wallet? It is, but actually, it’s quite easy to connect it to BSC. This way, you can use a familiar UI when interacting with BSC.
As to how to connect your MetaMask to BSC? We’ve got a detailed guide about it, so check out if you’re interested.
Some dApps, such as PancakeSwap, allow you to connect using .
Trust Wallet is one of the easiest mobile wallets to use, so if you’d like to use BSC from your pocket, it’s among the best options.
Binance Chain Wallet is another option that you have for certain apps on BSC. You can get it as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Brave. It’s easy to use and has a slick UI.
So, now we have plenty of wallets to choose from, but how can we move funds to the chain? We can withdraw from our Binance account or use the Binance Bridge.
Before we go further, however, it’s important that we clear up some conceptual background.
Chances are if you’re reading this, you already have a Binance account. The easiest option may be to simply withdraw from your Binance account to a BSC wallet.
Just make sure to select Binance Smart Chain (BEP-20) when withdrawing funds to your external wallet.
So, now we’ve got a wallet, and we’ve transferred some funds to it. What can we do with our magic internet money? Let’s take a look at some of the most popular decentralized applications on BSC.
While the AMM is at the core of PancakeSwap, there’s much more you can do. You can also take part in the lottery, win NFTs, participate in token sales, compete for spots on the leaderboard, and more!
However, it aims to allow for much more in the future, such as the creation of synthetic assets collateralized by liquidity pools, as well as lending and on-chain derivatives.
If you’ve been involved with DeFi at all, the site may look a bit familiar. It looks and feels very much like EtherScan – that’s because it’s made by the same team that made EtherScan.
Binance Smart Chain has seen some significant development and user activity, and it’s only bound to increase in the future.
Binance Smart Chain supports the token standard, while Binance Chain, the home of , supports the token standard. If you’d like to trade on Binance DEX, you’ll need to use BEP-2 tokens, while if you’d like to use dApps on BSC, you’ll need BEP-20 tokens.
Another great way to bring assets to BSC is using the .
You can select many of the biggest blockchains, such as Ethereum or TRON, and convert their native tokens to on BSC. The bridge works in both directions. You can monitor the on-chain reserve that ensures that the wrapped tokens on BSC are sufficiently collateralized by the native tokens here: .
If this seems like your preferred way of getting assets to BSC, check out our guide to .
And don’t forget that these are just a few of the biggest ones. New and exciting dApps are getting launched all the time. You can track them on , , or the .
is the number one on Binance Smart Chain.
Similar to or , you can do token swaps for BEP-20 tokens on PancakeSwap.
You can also earn passive income by providing liquidity to one (or more) of the liquidity pools. Just be aware of before depositing.
If you’re interested, check out our detailed .
is a borrow-lending protocol similar to or on Ethereum. It’s a decentralized money market where you can borrow and lend BEP-20 tokens with algorithmically set interest rates.
Have some idle funds lying around? Venus can be an option to earn interest on them or use them as collateral to borrow against to participate in .
Venus also enables a decentralized stablecoin called VAI, which is backed by a basket of cryptoassets. In this way, you could think of Venus as a hybrid of Compound and on BSC.
is a yield aggregator on BSC. You can think of it as similar to on Ethereum. It automatically tries to find the most optimal way for you to earn a yield on your deposits.
is also a popular AMM on BSC. You can do BEP-20 token swaps and provide liquidity.
The is a synthetic asset protocol on BSC. It allows users to create liquidity pools for BEP-20 tokens – just like many other AMMs.
is a popular lending protocol on Ethereum that is also deployed on BSC. You can borrow and lend BEP-20 tokens.
So, now we have almost everything to get started. But how will we track our activity on BSC? Well, is the best place.
So once you’ve found your addresses, what else should you keep an eye on? There are several handy metrics that track the ongoing activity on BSC, and we’ve collected them in this article: .
If you’re interested in DeFi, It may be worth keeping a close eye on it. Where’s the best place to do that? Follow the Twitter for the latest updates about BSC.
Do you still have questions about the Binance Smart Chain? Check out our Q&A platform, , where the Binance community will answer your questions.
