The foundations
Basics
Everything starts here. These are the core ideas behind crypto — what it is, how it works, and how to take your first steps — explained one concept at a time, in plain language.
The core ideas
- What Is Bitcoin? — The plain-language starting point.
- What Is a Blockchain? — How the technology underneath actually works.
- What Is Ethereum? — The “world computer” idea, explained simply.
- Bitcoin vs Ethereum: What’s the Difference? — Two different purposes, compared side by side.
- What Is a Stablecoin? — Crypto’s steadier coins.
- What Is an Altcoin? — Everything that isn’t Bitcoin — and the honest risks.
- Token vs Coin: What’s the Difference? — Why some crypto has its own blockchain and some is built on another.
- What Is Market Cap? — Why it matters far more than the price of a single coin.
- What Is Circulating Supply? — How many coins exist, and why supply shapes value.
- What Is a Satoshi? — The smallest unit of Bitcoin, and why you never need to buy a whole one.
- What Is Fiat? — Why crypto calls regular money “fiat,” and how it differs from cryptocurrency.
- What Does “Decentralized” Actually Mean? — Crypto’s most-used word, explained honestly.
Wallets, exchanges & buying in
- What Is a Crypto Wallet? — Keeping your coins safe, and what keys really are.
- What Is a Public vs Private Key? — The two keys behind your crypto, explained simply.
- What Is a Crypto Address? — Like an account number for receiving crypto — and how to use it safely.
- What Is a Block Explorer? — The free tool for checking if a transaction went through, and seeing the blockchain yourself.
- What Is a Crypto Exchange? — And is your crypto safe on one?
- What Are On-Ramps and Off-Ramps? — How you get regular money into crypto and back out again.
- How to Buy Your First Crypto — A step-by-step beginner’s guide.
- Which Crypto Should a Beginner Buy First? — An honest, no-hype way to think about your first choice.
- What Is a Crypto Faucet? — How “free crypto” sites really work, why the rewards are trivial, and the scams to avoid.
- What Are Gas Fees? — Why transactions cost what they cost.
When a word stumps you
- Crypto Terms Glossary — Plain-language definitions for the jargon you’ll keep running into.
- What Is a Ticker Symbol? — What codes like BTC and ETH mean, and the fake-ticker risk to watch for.
- What Does “HODL” Mean? — Crypto’s famous typo, and the sensible idea behind it.