Start here What the thing is, before you own any of it.
Basics
Six pages, in the order in which they make sense. By the end you will know what a blockchain actually records, why a seed phrase is the whole account rather than a password to it, what a transfer costs and why that cost changes, and how buying a small amount works from start to finish. Nothing here assumes you own anything yet, and nothing here tells you that you should.
In this section
- 6 guides
- 90 glossary terms
Start here if you own nothing yet
The path, in order
Six pages. Each one assumes the one above it, and nothing more.
- What crypto actually is A shared ledger, a key that proves something on it is yours, and nobody to call if you lose that key. Everything else is detail. 7 min checked 19 Oct 2026
- Coins, tokens and stablecoins Bitcoin, USDT and a token launched last Tuesday are not the same category of thing. The difference is who, if anyone, issues them. 8 min checked 19 Oct 2026
- Networks and addresses The same token exists on several networks, the addresses look alike, and choosing the wrong one is the most common way beginners lose funds. 9 min checked 19 Oct 2026
- Keys and seed phrases Twelve words that are worth exactly as much as everything they control. What they actually are, and where they should live. 8 min checked 19 Oct 2026
- Fees and confirmations Why the same transfer costs cents on one network and twelve dollars on another, and why "pending" usually means one of three things. 7 min checked 19 Oct 2026
- Buying your first coin About an hour, roughly ten dollars, and six steps. The buying is the easy half; the part most people skip is the part that matters. 10 min checked 19 Oct 2026
Everything in Basics
The full map of this subject. Items without a link are being written.
Where this sits
The whole compendium is four groups. You are in the one marked below.