Want to experience DeFi but always feel it's too complicated? Actually, with 500U, you can start your first on-chain investment on Lista DAO in just 30 minutes. No need for advanced theories, I’ve broken down the entire process into the simplest 7 steps.

**Preliminary preparations are very simple**

First, you need to prepare three things: an account on a major exchange, a small amount of BNB to pay for on-chain transaction fees, and 500U stablecoins. That’s all.

**Step 1: Buy interest-bearing assets on the exchange**

Log into your exchange account and use 500U to purchase asUSDF. This asset is a bit special—it comes with built-in yield. The moment you buy it, it starts earning interest in your spot wallet. Someone might ask why choose it—because it’s stable, low risk, and suitable for beginners to try.

**Step 2: Cross-chain transfer to your wallet**

Next, transfer this asset from the exchange to your own control wallet (like MetaMask). A small but important detail here: be sure to select the BSC chain (Binance Smart Chain), as it has the lowest fees. Before transferring, remember to prepare some BNB in your wallet for Gas fees, or subsequent operations might get stuck.

**Step 3: Connect your wallet to the lending protocol**

Open your browser, search for the official Lista DAO website. Once inside, click “Connect Wallet,” choose MetaMask or your wallet type, then confirm the connection. Remember to switch to the BSC network so you can see the assets you just transferred across chains.

**Step 4: Deposit assets as collateral**

Find the “Deposit” page, select the asset type as USDF, and deposit the full amount equivalent to your 500U. This money becomes your collateral, which the protocol uses to evaluate how much you can borrow.

**Step 5: Borrow USD1 stablecoins**

Now, the critical moment. On the “Borrow” page, the system will tell you how much you can borrow based on your collateral. But don’t be greedy— for your first operation, it’s recommended to borrow only 200 to 300U worth of USD1, maintaining a high collateral ratio. This reduces risk and gives you peace of mind. If the market fluctuates later, you’ll have enough buffer.

**Step 6: Reinvest USD1 (this step is optional, depending on your preference)**

The borrowed USD1 is now in your wallet. Next, you have two options: one, cross-chain back to the exchange and put it into a financial product to continue earning; two, participate directly in Lista’s liquidity pools to seek other yield opportunities. For beginners, it’s recommended to choose the first option—deposit the USD1 back into a financial product on the exchange to keep earning interest.

**Step 7: Regularly monitor your collateral ratio**

Return to the Lista homepage and check your “Collateral Ratio” status. This indicator is very important; keep it in the green safe zone. If the market fluctuates significantly and asset prices drop, your collateral ratio may decrease, risking liquidation. Regularly check and, if there are signs of risk, add more collateral in advance.

**That’s how it works**

After 30 minutes, you’ll find yourself earning two streams of interest: the yield from asUSDF itself, plus the returns from USD1 in the financial product. This is the basic logic of on-chain arbitrage—using the same money to leverage multiple opportunities.

The whole process isn’t complicated, but details determine success or failure. If you have questions, the community has many users willing to help answer. The charm of DeFi lies here—every real user operation contributes to the value accumulation of the entire ecosystem.