Last month, I happened to see a friend in the crypto circle mentioning that staking USDf on Falcon Finance could reliably yield 9% annualized return. As a newcomer who had just entered DeFi for half a year, I wanted to earn some stable returns while also fearing pitfalls, so I decided to adopt a 'small amount trial and error' mindset and personally tested it for 30 days. From initially not even understanding the relationship between USDf and $FF, to now being able to skillfully switch minting modes and plan staking rhythms, I will share all the pitfalls I encountered and the small bonuses I earned along the way with fellow beginners like me today.
In the first 3 days of getting started, I almost made a rookie mistake—mistaking USDf for a regular stablecoin, I exchanged it and just left it there without managing it. It wasn't until I saw someone in the community say, 'Storing USDf in the vault can generate sUSDf, and the returns will automatically increase,' that I realized I had wasted my earnings. I quickly followed the tutorial and deposited 1000 USDf into the protocol vault. The next day, when I checked, there was indeed a little more sUSDf. Although the amount wasn't much, the feeling of 'money making money' suddenly came to me. Later, I learned that this is the beauty of the FF dual-token model, where USDf anchors value and sUSDf accumulates earnings. Using both in tandem maximizes returns.
What truly surprised me was the innovative minting feature. I happened to have a small amount of BTC that I was reluctant to liquidate, yet wanted to use for liquidity turnover. I tried using BTC as collateral to mint USDf, and the process was simpler than I imagined. I uploaded asset proof, set the collateral period, and within 10 minutes, over 2000 USDf was credited to my account. The key point is that my BTC remained during the collateral period; later, when BTC rose slightly, I supplemented with a small amount of collateral and unlocked part of the appreciation returns, which was equivalent to 'one asset earning two profits', an experience I had never had with other DeFi projects before.
Of course, I also encountered some pitfalls during the trial and error process. At first, I saw that the $FF staking yield was higher than flexible savings coins, and impulsively locked all my FF for 6 months. As a result, a few days later, the FF price rose by 20%, and when I wanted to sell part of it to take profit, I found that the lock-up period had not yet arrived, so I could only watch the subsequent price drop back down. This taught me a lesson: the staking period must be chosen in conjunction with your own funding needs. If you are optimistic about the market in the short term, choose flexible staking; if you are optimistic about the ecosystem in the long term, then lock up moderately. Do not blindly pursue high returns while neglecting liquidity.
Besides making money, the FF Falcon Miles loyalty system has also given me quite a few pleasant surprises. Occasionally participating in governance votes and inviting friends to register, I unknowingly accumulated a lot of points, and unexpectedly upgraded to LV2 last month, receiving a small $FF airdrop and unlocking a 5% staking yield bonus. Although the airdrop amount was not large, the feeling of 'participation brings rewards' made me feel that I am not just an 'investor', but more like a part of the ecosystem.
After 30 days of experience, my biggest feeling is that Falcon Finance is not like some DeFi projects that are 'anti-human'. Instead, it understands the needs of ordinary users well — wanting to earn stable profits while fearing too high risks; wanting to activate their assets while not wanting to liquidate at a loss. Its universal collateral, dual-token yield, and points system just happen to cover all these needs. Of course, as a newcomer, I still want to remind everyone: before entering the market, be sure to understand the core mechanisms, try small amounts, and don’t be blinded by short-term high returns. After all, preserving the principal is the top priority.
Now I have formed my own little strategy: regularly minting USDf stablecoins to earn basic returns, using a small amount of BTC for innovative minting to obtain liquidity, and flexibly staking part of my $FF to ensure stable returns while leaving enough room to respond to market fluctuations. I plan to continue accumulating Falcon Miles for upgrades in the future, striving to unlock new features for priority experience and see if I can mine more ecological dividends.
