June 2, 2026 • 9 mins
Confused by DeFi, NFTs, tokens, and yield farming?
You’re not alone—and this episode is where to start.
In this episode of the Weekly ROAR Podcast, Dustin Hedrick and Brandon Billings break down some of the biggest concepts in Web3 in a way that beginners can actually understand. From decentralized finance and digital tokens to NFTs, yield farming, and blockchain ecosystems, this conversation is designed to help newcomers build a strong foundation in the rapidly evolving world of crypto.
Whether you’re completely new to Web3 or trying to connect the dots between all the buzzwords, this episode explains how these technologies work together—and why they matter for the future of finance and digital ownership.
- What DeFi is and how it challenges traditional banking systems
- How tokens, NFTs, and yield farming function within Web3 ecosystems
- The importance of security, education, and understanding risk in crypto
Resources & Links:
https://www.r0ar.io/
If this episode helped simplify Web3 for you, follow the podcast, share it with someone new to crypto, and stay connected as we continue unpacking the future of decentralized technology.
Weekly ROAR Podcast with Dustin Hedrick & Brandon Billings
Sponsored by https://www.r0ar.io/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:04):
Welcome to your weekly roar where we break down
what actually matters, cutthrough the noise, and give you
something you can use right now.
I'm Dustin, Brandon here is thebetter bearded one, and today
we're doing something a littledifferent.
We're slowing it down andbreaking it all the way down.
So we're talking DeFi, farming,yields, NFTs, tokens, and what
(00:28):
all of this actually means ifyou're brand new.
So if you've ever heard theseterms and thought, I should
understand this, but I don't.
This one's for you.
So let's get into it.
SPEAKER_02 (00:41):
This week Spark is simple.
Why does Web3 sound socomplicated when it's really
just money, ownership, andsystems rebuilt?
Because the language is new, butthe concepts, not that new.
Let's start with the foundation.
What is DeFi?
DeFi is decentralized finance.
(01:03):
Instead of banks, middlemen,institutions controlling access,
you have code, which is smartcontracts running financial
systems on the blockchain.
Think about it like this (01:13):
a bank holds your money, a DeFi
protocol lets you hold your ownmoney, and still do things like
lend, borrow, and earn yield.
SPEAKER_01 (01:24):
So here's the quick take.
Here's the thing that mostpeople get wrong.
DeFi isn't about getting richquick, it's about removing
middlemen.
You know?
I mean, Brandy, come on.
Seriously, you got family thatsays, oh, yay, magic internet
money.
I would say free internet money,buddy.
It's like, no, that's not.
(01:46):
It's not.
Now, why is this important?
Because for the first time, youdon't need permission to
participate in financialsystems.
It's really cool.
And that's the big shift.
You own it, you'reself-sovereign.
Bankers don't like hearing thatword, but bankers get with the
program because either you joinus or you are replaced.
Just saying.
(02:07):
So before we get into the nextpart of this, this might be a
good moment to grab a coffee orreset for a second because what
we're about to get into goes alayer deeper.
SPEAKER_02 (02:20):
All right, let's break it down in terms that
everyone hears.
Here is our deep dive, butrarely understands clearly.
Tokens.
Everything in Web3 starts withtokens.
These are digital assets thatcan represent money, like stable
coins, utility, access toplatforms, ownership, governance
(02:45):
tokens.
SPEAKER_01 (02:46):
Yield is the next thing.
It's how you earn.
So it's similar to interest in abank.
Um, but instead of a bank payingyou, you're getting protocols
that pay you.
And let's be real, you'regetting a better return and a
more honest return, and it'simmediate.
The next one is the term isstaking.
(03:07):
Staking means locking yourtokens to support a network.
In return, you earn rewards.
Think of it like putting moneyinto a savings account, but
you're helping secure ablockchain or even create more
opportunities for folks toborrow and lend off of it.
The next one is farming.
(03:28):
It's yield farming.
This is where it gets a littlemore advanced, a little more
confusing, but let's dig into itgently.
Yield farming means that youprovide liquidity, which is your
tokens, to a platform so thatothers can trade, swap, or
borrow.
And in return, you earn fees andrewards.
(03:48):
So, in essence, imagine it likethis.
Instead of the bank taking yourdollar and converting it into$8
or$9 of lending, you're actuallypart of the process.
You're the one that's going handto hand in smart contracting and
doing it.
And of course, what are folksgoing to do when you create that
liquidity on the platform andyou farm it?
(04:10):
They're going to reward you backbecause it means more people get
to join the game.
And so that's a big deal.
You earn the fees and rewards,you earn almost all of them
versus a banker who's making allthe money and saying, I'll give
you 0.04% interest.
What?
SPEAKER_02 (04:31):
And that brings us to our real talk moment.
Let's be honest for a second.
Higher yield usually meanshigher risk.
Because things like smartcontract bugs, market
volatility, impermanent loss canall impact your returns.
NFTs, not just art, NFTs arenon-fungible tokens.
(04:55):
They represent ownership,access, and identity.
Yes, they can be art, but alsotickets or memberships, in-game
assets, real-world ownership,like tokenized assets.
That's exciting.
SPEAKER_01 (05:09):
I know, I know, I'm super excited about that.
I mean, we've gone thisdirection because of Roar
Portal, give guidance to people,and RWA, which is really
exciting to us.
And we're building everything inbetween just because it made
sense.
So, how it all connects.
Here's the big picture, myfriends.
Tokens are the foundation.
(05:30):
DeFi is the system.
Yield farming, yield and farmingis how you earn what you earned.
NFTs are ownership and access.
And it's all one ecosystem.
That's as simply as we can putit.
So, hot seat question.
There's really one question yougot to ask yourself at this
(05:53):
point.
Are you just watching this spaceor learning how to use it?
And I normally wouldn't give ananswer here, but let me give you
an answer.
If you want to learn more aboutusing it, head over to roar.io
rzeroar.io and check out on ourwebsite crypto you.
It'll help you learn more andfollow us here.
(06:14):
Now, before we land this, take asecond and think about how this
actually shows up in your world,because the next piece is where
it all really connects.
SPEAKER_02 (06:27):
This week's roar.
Let's bring it home.
Because this isn't just aboutdefinitions, it's all about
confidence.
For newcomers, if you're new tothis space, start simple.
Learn what a wallet is,understand tokens, try small
transactions, explore platformsslowly.
SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
What to avoid.
So don't chase hype.
Don't invest in what you don'tunderstand.
Don't invest what you don't haveto lose.
None of this is financial advicebecause this is still the wild,
wild west.
And don't ignore security.
What to focus on.
(07:09):
This is what to focus on becausemore and more of you are going
to have to jump in one way oranother as we see rails across
the world go this direction.
The rails are going this way.
Banks are already building outthe rails in blockchain.
So is Swift, MasterCard, Visa,and others.
The Treasury now does.
So we're here.
(07:29):
Don't ignore it.
So what to focus on right nowfor you?
You're not too late.
You're not behind.
Focus on education.
False on this podcast for thisradio show.
Utility, real ecosystems, andlong-term thinking.
And if you want to know moreabout all of that, try Real
Portal because really, that'swhat we're looking into on the
(07:50):
developer's perspective.
SPEAKER_02 (07:53):
That brings us to our one-minute insight.
Here's what this actually means: DeFi replaces traditional (07:55):
undefined
financial systems with code.
Tokens are the building blocks.
Yield comes from participation,and NFTs represent ownership.
And the entire system is open toanyone willing to learn it.
SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
And we're trying to do our best to take down the
steep learning curve, to takedown the barriers that are
holding everyone back.
So if there's one thing to takefrom this this week, this is our
rule line.
You don't need to understandeverything to get started, but
you do need to start if you wantto understand it.
(08:34):
Wow.
The space rewards curiosity.
And the earlier you learn it,the more it goes to work for
you.
It works for you.
That's this week's roar.
If this helped you understandeven one piece of Web3 better,
share it with someone who's beentrying to figure this out.
(08:55):
And make sure you're tapped inon X as well as other platforms
where you hear us, because we'regoing deeper in future episodes.
More clarity, more insight, morereal conversations.
So until next time, stay sharp,stay curious, and keep moving
forward.
This is your weekly roar.
Take care, guys.
Take care, everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (09:15):
Thank you for tuning in to your weekly roar podcast.
See the show notes to learn moreabout the topics in today's
episode.
And be sure to subscribe so younever miss out on the latest
high impact trends andstrategies shaping the future of
decentralized tech.
Welcome to your weekly roar where we break down
what actually matters, cutthrough the noise, and give you
something you can use right now.
I'm Dustin, Brandon here is thebetter bearded one, and today
we're doing something a littledifferent.
We're slowing it down andbreaking it all the way down.
So we're talking DeFi, farming,yields, NFTs, tokens, and what
(00:28):
all of this actually means ifyou're brand new.
So if you've ever heard theseterms and thought, I should
understand this, but I don't.
This one's for you.
So let's get into it.
SPEAKER_02 (00:41):
This week Spark is simple.
Why does Web3 sound socomplicated when it's really
just money, ownership, andsystems rebuilt?
Because the language is new, butthe concepts, not that new.
Let's start with the foundation.
What is DeFi?
DeFi is decentralized finance.
(01:03):
Instead of banks, middlemen,institutions controlling access,
you have code, which is smartcontracts running financial
systems on the blockchain.
Think about it like this (01:13):
a bank holds your money, a DeFi
protocol lets you hold your ownmoney, and still do things like
lend, borrow, and earn yield.
SPEAKER_01 (01:24):
So here's the quick take.
Here's the thing that mostpeople get wrong.
DeFi isn't about getting richquick, it's about removing
middlemen.
You know?
I mean, Brandy, come on.
Seriously, you got family thatsays, oh, yay, magic internet
money.
I would say free internet money,buddy.
It's like, no, that's not.
(01:46):
It's not.
Now, why is this important?
Because for the first time, youdon't need permission to
participate in financialsystems.
It's really cool.
And that's the big shift.
You own it, you'reself-sovereign.
Bankers don't like hearing thatword, but bankers get with the
program because either you joinus or you are replaced.
Just saying.
(02:07):
So before we get into the nextpart of this, this might be a
good moment to grab a coffee orreset for a second because what
we're about to get into goes alayer deeper.
SPEAKER_02 (02:20):
All right, let's break it down in terms that
everyone hears.
Here is our deep dive, butrarely understands clearly.
Tokens.
Everything in Web3 starts withtokens.
These are digital assets thatcan represent money, like stable
coins, utility, access toplatforms, ownership, governance
(02:45):
tokens.
SPEAKER_01 (02:46):
Yield is the next thing.
It's how you earn.
So it's similar to interest in abank.
Um, but instead of a bank payingyou, you're getting protocols
that pay you.
And let's be real, you'regetting a better return and a
more honest return, and it'simmediate.
The next one is the term isstaking.
(03:07):
Staking means locking yourtokens to support a network.
In return, you earn rewards.
Think of it like putting moneyinto a savings account, but
you're helping secure ablockchain or even create more
opportunities for folks toborrow and lend off of it.
The next one is farming.
(03:28):
It's yield farming.
This is where it gets a littlemore advanced, a little more
confusing, but let's dig into itgently.
Yield farming means that youprovide liquidity, which is your
tokens, to a platform so thatothers can trade, swap, or
borrow.
And in return, you earn fees andrewards.
(03:48):
So, in essence, imagine it likethis.
Instead of the bank taking yourdollar and converting it into$8
or$9 of lending, you're actuallypart of the process.
You're the one that's going handto hand in smart contracting and
doing it.
And of course, what are folksgoing to do when you create that
liquidity on the platform andyou farm it?
(04:10):
They're going to reward you backbecause it means more people get
to join the game.
And so that's a big deal.
You earn the fees and rewards,you earn almost all of them
versus a banker who's making allthe money and saying, I'll give
you 0.04% interest.
What?
SPEAKER_02 (04:31):
And that brings us to our real talk moment.
Let's be honest for a second.
Higher yield usually meanshigher risk.
Because things like smartcontract bugs, market
volatility, impermanent loss canall impact your returns.
NFTs, not just art, NFTs arenon-fungible tokens.
(04:55):
They represent ownership,access, and identity.
Yes, they can be art, but alsotickets or memberships, in-game
assets, real-world ownership,like tokenized assets.
That's exciting.
SPEAKER_01 (05:09):
I know, I know, I'm super excited about that.
I mean, we've gone thisdirection because of Roar
Portal, give guidance to people,and RWA, which is really
exciting to us.
And we're building everything inbetween just because it made
sense.
So, how it all connects.
Here's the big picture, myfriends.
Tokens are the foundation.
(05:30):
DeFi is the system.
Yield farming, yield and farmingis how you earn what you earned.
NFTs are ownership and access.
And it's all one ecosystem.
That's as simply as we can putit.
So, hot seat question.
There's really one question yougot to ask yourself at this
(05:53):
point.
Are you just watching this spaceor learning how to use it?
And I normally wouldn't give ananswer here, but let me give you
an answer.
If you want to learn more aboutusing it, head over to roar.io
rzeroar.io and check out on ourwebsite crypto you.
It'll help you learn more andfollow us here.
(06:14):
Now, before we land this, take asecond and think about how this
actually shows up in your world,because the next piece is where
it all really connects.
SPEAKER_02 (06:27):
This week's roar.
Let's bring it home.
Because this isn't just aboutdefinitions, it's all about
confidence.
For newcomers, if you're new tothis space, start simple.
Learn what a wallet is,understand tokens, try small
transactions, explore platformsslowly.
SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
What to avoid.
So don't chase hype.
Don't invest in what you don'tunderstand.
Don't invest what you don't haveto lose.
None of this is financial advicebecause this is still the wild,
wild west.
And don't ignore security.
What to focus on.
(07:09):
This is what to focus on becausemore and more of you are going
to have to jump in one way oranother as we see rails across
the world go this direction.
The rails are going this way.
Banks are already building outthe rails in blockchain.
So is Swift, MasterCard, Visa,and others.
The Treasury now does.
So we're here.
(07:29):
Don't ignore it.
So what to focus on right nowfor you?
You're not too late.
You're not behind.
Focus on education.
False on this podcast for thisradio show.
Utility, real ecosystems, andlong-term thinking.
And if you want to know moreabout all of that, try Real
Portal because really, that'swhat we're looking into on the
(07:50):
developer's perspective.
SPEAKER_02 (07:53):
That brings us to our one-minute insight.
Here's what this actually means: DeFi replaces traditional (07:55):
undefined
financial systems with code.
Tokens are the building blocks.
Yield comes from participation,and NFTs represent ownership.
And the entire system is open toanyone willing to learn it.
SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
And we're trying to do our best to take down the
steep learning curve, to takedown the barriers that are
holding everyone back.
So if there's one thing to takefrom this this week, this is our
rule line.
You don't need to understandeverything to get started, but
you do need to start if you wantto understand it.
(08:34):
Wow.
The space rewards curiosity.
And the earlier you learn it,the more it goes to work for
you.
It works for you.
That's this week's roar.
If this helped you understandeven one piece of Web3 better,
share it with someone who's beentrying to figure this out.
(08:55):
And make sure you're tapped inon X as well as other platforms
where you hear us, because we'regoing deeper in future episodes.
More clarity, more insight, morereal conversations.
So until next time, stay sharp,stay curious, and keep moving
forward.
This is your weekly roar.
Take care, guys.
Take care, everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (09:15):
Thank you for tuning in to your weekly roar podcast.
See the show notes to learn moreabout the topics in today's
episode.
And be sure to subscribe so younever miss out on the latest
high impact trends andstrategies shaping the future of
decentralized tech.
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