• Guide To Cryptocurrency
• Cryptocurrency Guide For Beginners Pdf
• Investing In Cryptocurrency For Beginners

How To Invest in Cryptocurrencies Beginners Guide If you want to buy cryptocurrency quickly and easily with your credit card check out the Kraken Exchange! Cryptocurrencies have pretty much been a topic of intense discussion over the last few years. How many times have we heard stories of people becoming overnight millionaires and, at the same time, stories of people who lost hundreds of. Beginners Guide to Cryptocurrency Wallets Reading the crypto market and identifying opportunities are important factors in trading cryptocurrencies successfully. But being able to stay safe and secure while facilitating these trades is just as important.

Storing your cryptocurrency safely with a good wallet isn’t difficult, unless you don’t know the best crypto wallet to use.

Are you looking for the best way to keep your investment safe?

Is it hard finding the best wallet to secure your digital currency?

If you want the best cryptocurrency wallets for storing your crypto-coins, right here am going to show you almost all the wallets you can choose from to store secure your assets safely.

There is no way you will be using only one kind or type of cryptocurrency wallet, because we live in a world, where technology has made almost everything and anything possible.

Many professionals doing cryptocurrency trading, that always get different cryptocurrencies like using different wallets to safely guard and secure their investments – be it a big money investment or little pocket-money.

However, choosing the best cryptocurrency wallet for your multi Bitcoin cryptocurrency transactions, depends on specific needs you’re looking unto, and the level of security you also want for your investment.

Before we continue to know about the best crypto wallets for your cryptocurrency investment, I will like you to know that the best kind of cryptocurrency wallet, is the one that allows you to have full access to your private keys.

Investors are always advised to keep their wallet private keys safe in a very secured place that only them will know.

If you also ask me, I will say that for me, a multiple currency wallet will be the best for you, because it will serve as a universal crypto wallet.

Let me go straight and explain what cryptocurrency wallet is all about.

Shall we?

What is cryptocurrency wallet?

If you are considering investing in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, or any of altcoin investment, that would be very great, but you will obviously need somewhere to store your coins.

It is from this place that you will store your crypto investment is where from, you will be sending or receiving all your crypto assets.

This storage place, space or device is the cryptocurrency wallet.

Crypto wallets comes in forms and kinds. These forms include hardware wallets, software wallets, paper and web online wallets.

Most of these kinds of wallets, especially the desktop software wallets runs in full nodes. This means that they always download the complete blockchain copy to get access to your cryptocurrency stake.

The full nodes wallets always takes time to synchronize with the blockchain to reach your stored cryptocurrencies. This makes them to create massive amount of data in offline storage of the device.

Alternatively, there is a lite version of the wallet known as, Simple Payment Verification (SPV) wallets which uses the full node, but this time, it uses full nodes that is hosted elsewhere.

This makes it helps to make it faster to reach blockchain network to confirm transactions. It also uses less space in the storage disk.

Multi vs single crypto wallet

A single coin currency wallet is the type that only supports only one type of cryptocurrency. These kind of crypto wallets are mostly made specifically for that cryptocurrency which they support.

For example, BitLox anonymous crypto hardware wallet is a bitcoin wallet made specifically for making bitcoin transactions anonymous.

In other words, multi-currency wallets are those cryptocurrency wallets that can support many crypto-coins at the same time.

As a cryptocurrency investor, you may have acquired many kinds of cryptocurrencies, so maintaining all of them with separate wallets can be very tedious, and overwhelming.

This is why you need to use a multi-currency wallet (universal cryptocurrency wallet) that can be able to securely hold all your crypto investments in one place at once.

However, some cryptocurrencies like; Ripple and Monero still uses their unique wallets. They’re not well supported by some of the best multi-cryptocurrency wallets in the market.

This means, you will need to get wallets that are made specifically for those cryptocurrencies.

What is a crypto wallet key?

A crypto wallet key is a very long alphanumeric series of codes or pass-phrases that unlocks your crypto investment wallet content, and in most cases, these pass-phrase called, seed words.

Seed phrase-words are unrelated words used to retrieve crypto assets stored in a wallet. Anyway wallet that uses these codes or pass-phrase is known as a HD (Hierarchical Deterministic) wallet.

In other words, anyone can have full control or access to all the cryptocurrency stored in your wallet, without the need to also have access to your devices (e.g. Personal computer, Mobile phone etc.).

This is how most people lose their cryptocurrency investments to thefts. So be very careful with where you’re keeping your seed word pass-phrases.

Wallet keys are used to create wallet transaction address. Crypto wallet address is an ID characters used to receive or send cryptocurrency from your wallet.

In HD wallets, wallet IDs can be created multiple times, and this helps to prevent you from sharing your private key publicly in the bid to transact with your cryptocurrency investment portfolio.

Thus, there are still some risk involve in sharing public address to other people. Especially, when they always recognize your address in any transaction.

Types of Cryptocurrency Wallets

Before we proceed, there are different types of crypto wallets according to how they store, or retrieve the cryptocurrency stored with them during transactions.

Hot wallet

These are the type of wallets that uses keys created by devices that has encrypted access to the Internet. These types of wallets requires access to the Internet to store or retrieve your crypto assets.

The device in which they are installed can be fully accessed remotely.

Though hot wallets are the most popular type of wallets do to its utility, they are regarded as highly unsecured technologically. In case of hack, they are always the very first target for most hackers

Cold wallet

Cold wallets are regard as the most secured type of wallets due to the fact that, they don’t need Internet access to send or retrieve cryptocurrency transactions.

They totally store your investments without the need to reach the blockchain using Internet. Example of wallets in this category are; hardware wallets, paper wallets and brain wallets.

Brain wallets are the ones that only give you pass-phrases, and password you need to gain access to your investment, while paper wallet is the type of wallet that you need to write, or print your pass-phrases to your wallet.

Hosted wallet

This is the type of wallet that is hosted or installed in a third-party server, which you don’t have any access to your private keys. The private keys are held in an online server on your behalf.

In the case of hack attack, these servers are heavily attacked due to multiple number of wallets that are stored in them.

See these servers, just like banks that holds your financial asset on your behalf. These servers are not insured or regulated by the FDIC insurance.

Decentralized wallet

This type of wallets is somehow the same with the cold wallets. It allows you the fullest access to your cryptocurrency transactions.

You will not need any third-party server, Internet or person to exchange your cryptocurrency with other platforms and investors.

It doesn’t increase your anonymity anyways.

Factors to know a secured wallet

Before you choose to start making use of any wallet, please make sure the cryptocurrency wallet has most of these features listed below…

1. Backup Private keys

To fully have control of your cryptocurrency investment portfolio, you will need a wallet that has a feature to back up its pass-phrase seed words.

This will help you to retrieve or transfer your money to another wallet in the case of misplacement or lose.

2. Two-factor authentication

This kind of security is called, Second-Level-Security. Some wallets interchange this feature with fingerprint in devices that has bio-metric sensors.

2-FA is that kind of security whereby, if a hacker manages to crack or hijack your password, they will still need to comment a special kind of code that will always be sent to your mobile phone number, before access to your wallet can be granted.

3. Multi-signature support

This feature is for when more than one person is making use of a particular wallet address.

To avoid misusing, multi keys is needed before a some amount of Ripple coins can be transferred out of such address that has multi-sign feature.

However, this feature can also be used by one person to fully protect their cryptocurrency funds lose from theft.

4. Not hosted on an exchange

A large number of cryptocurrency enthusiasts have used exchange wallets like that of; Coinbase and Luno online wallet to keep their investments.

This is not a good practice as there can be massive hack attack on the exchange, and the target mostly are on the wallets due the huge number of cryptocurrencies stored in it.

Generally, storing cryptocurrencies using exchange online wallet is not recommended for security purposes, and these exchanges will not allow you access to your private keys which they keep to themselves on your behalf.

This also means that, you don’t have any control of your cryptocurrency investment.

Avoid using exchange wallets to store cryptocurrencies unless you are using the platform to trade them while having a time-frame to move all of them to a more secured hardware wallet (Highly recommended).

Kinds of crypto wallets

This also brings us to discuss on the kinds of cryptocurrency wallets, how they are, and how they work altogether:

Hardware cryptocurrency wallets

Hardware wallets are mostly recommended, because they have very high security. They are easy to carry about, due the fact they look like USB devices, which allows you access to your private keys.

Ledger Nano S

Since 2014, Ledger company has been known as one of the companies in the cryptocurrency market, to produce one of the most secured wallets to store cryptocurrencies.

The Ledger Nano S comes with a LED screen that displays payment validation and PIN to confirm transactions. This device is very convenient and easy to carry around in your pocket.

Nano S features two-factor authentication. It comes with its own operating called, BOLOS, and has support for windows 7+, Mac OS 10.8+ and almost all Linux systems.

Ledger Nano S also has support for multitude of cryptocurrencies. It requires you to have it connected to your personal laptop with Internet access to work perfectly.

Ledger Nano X

The Ledger Nano X cryptocurrency wallet is the newest instalment of hardware wallets from Ledger. It’s aesthetically pleasing and extremely secure.

The Ledger Nano X has several lines of defence making it an extremely secure option for storing your cryptocurrency assets.

Through the use of a microchip and PIN Code, this device can only be turned on when a PIN is entered correctly, and once a certain amount of PIN code failures, the device will be wiped completely.

Don’t worry… Your crypto investments are still safe. This is due to another line of security known as your recovery phrase.

By default, Nano X may not have the necessary firmware for storage, but these can be easily installed. But according to the Ledger website, the device is capable of having over 100 wallet apps, including ALL ERC-20, and Ethereum tokens.

The Ledger Nano X currently supports over 1185 cryptocurrencies!

Trezor Wallet

Trezor is produced by SatoshiLabs. The Trezor team are the people to produce first hardware wallet using modern cryptography. The wallet has a LED screen display, which is used to get access to the PIN code.

Trezor One also has two-factor authentication feature used for verifying transactions. This device offers support for up to 500 alternative coins.

It is compatible with most operating systems like; Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems. Just like the Ledger hardware wallet, Nano S, you also need to connect it to a computer for it to work.

Cryptocurrency Software wallets

Software wallets are mostly secured mobile applications, or software made specifically for storing cryptocurrencies. Some of these wallets are also offline wallets, but still not as secured as hardware wallets.

Jaxx wallet

Jaxx to me, is one of the best crypto wallet app for both PC and mobile phones. It supports almost 70 cryptocurrencies as at the time of writing this post content.

It is actually a dedicated client for Windows, Mac and Linux – including an app for Android and IOS gadgets. It also has Chrome browser extension.

This cryptocurrency wallet application, Jaxx is also an offline wallet but uses Internet to synchronize and access the blockchain network when transacting cryptocurrencies.

Binance Trust wallet

Binance cryptocurrency exchange partnered with Trust company to release the trust wallet. This is the best mobile crypto wallet app, if you would like to take part in cryptocurrency airdrops.

It has support for only Ethereum DApps (e.g. ERC 20 and ERC 23) tokens. This is also a secured wallet to stored all your Ethereum based cryptocurrencies.

It is mostly preferred for mobile crypto wallet users.

Cryptocurrency Paper wallet

These are not really the best cryptocurrency wallets in the market, but it allows you to print, or write private keys on a piece of paper, which seem more secured.

But the risk of loosing your investment due to misplacement of the paper, or tear is higher than other wallets.

This kind of wallet are also among the most secured wallet, but it also comes with a risk of loosing your cryptocurrency investment if not kept away from water.

Online web wallets

This is a less secured and inexpensive way of storing your cryptocurrency assets, even though most beginners insist that they’re among best crypto wallets online.

These kinds of wallets are those wallets hosted in an exchange (like; Luno or LocalBitcoins) to temporally keep your investment, while using the exchange platform to do cryptocurrency trading.

It’s mostly not advisable to leave your coins on the exchanges for too long, to avoid loosing your cryptocurrency investment in case of hack attacks.

My final thoughts

The best wallets to be used for reducing the risk of loosing your cryptocurrency investment, are those wallets that doesn’t need to continuously have access to the Internet to keep your coins.

These kind of wallets are always secured from hackers.

Hardware wallets are highly preferred wallets you should have at your disposal as a serious crypto investor, to fully secure your investment from lose and thefts.

The best strategy to use other kinds of wallet, is to keep up a time-frame for keeping any cryptocurrency asset with these unsecured wallets.

If you have already chosen your best multi-currency wallet, and wish to buy your first cryptocurrency at best rate, I will recommend you use CoinSwitch, which is one the best exchange platform you can use right away.

The cryptocurrency transfer is always fast and swift.

To start trading coins for profit, you will need a genuine and reliable cryptocurrency trading platform, where you can start trading your Bitcoin for some other penny cryptocurrencies for income.

Welcome To The World of Crypto

Hello and welcome, curious human who wants to learn more about getting started with cryptocurrency!

If you’re a very early beginner just poking around and wanting to know more about this “thing you heard of from a friend or seen in the news”, then congrats! You’re in the right place.

My goals for this beginners cryptocurrency guide and how you’ll benefit:

• Warmly welcome you to the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain
• Empower you to sort through the overwhelm by explaining a few basics in simpler terms
• Point you to some useful resources for education and investing in cryptocurrency for beginners
• Ask you questions to help you think about your own unique journey

I know that it can be overwhelming. Heck, even I’m overwhelmed still, a few years in. There’s a lot of noise out there, and much of it seems either: 1) too technical or 2) kinda scammy (let’s be honest).

However, the good news is that I’m here to welcome you, from one normal person to another. Think of me as a friendly host greeting you at the door of a somewhat geeky but totally awesome party.

Who am I?

A non-technical crypto & blockchain enthusiast who happened to find out about cryptocurrency back in 2015. Mainly I’m a real human. Professionally, I’m a writer, empowerment coach, entrepreneur, and marketing comms consultant. I’m super passionate about empowering others and creating impact at scale.

What got me into it?

My then-date, now-husband. I loved the way he tried to explain Bitcoin to me while flirting over dinner, and well, the rest is history. Since then, I’ve been a big believer in blockchain and its potential to move humanity forward.

What about you?

My guess is that you’re mainly interested because you’ve heard of crypto recently through news headlines or someone you know. Bitcoin prices have skyrocketed in 2021 (all-time-high at over $41,000 per Bitcoin at time of this writing), and major companies like PayPal, Visa, and Square have hopped on board too.

But you may have also noticed that crypto prices fall as quickly as they rise. Though it’s not as Wild West as it was a few years back, you’ve still got to hold onto your hats cowboy or cowgirl.

And here’s where I must note the disclaimers:

• This is NOT professional investment advice. While I’ll talk about investing in crypto from my own point of view, if you do choose to invest, you need to do it in a way that’s aligned to your own goals and preferences.
• The world of crypto can be a bumpy ride. Buckle up! 😉
• This is not meant to be an in-depth nor technical guide. There are endless online resources that go deeper (and I’ll include good starting points for you with links to curated resources)

This is YOUR journey. I’m just here to greet you at the door.

I created this beginner toolkit so that you can refer back to it and digest at your own pace, so please be sure to bookmark it and save it.

You got that? We good? Ok, then let’s get started.

Crypto Basics

While you might not need to know nitty gritty technical details to understand crypto, it’s important to have a basic foundation. Knowledge is power, my friend.

What is cryptocurrency?

A digital currency secured by cryptography. It is a store of value and medium of exchange, created electronically via blockchain technology.

What makes cryptocurrency so cool:

• Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized. This means that transactions on a peer-to-peer network of computers are verified and records are maintained by a decentralized system, rather than by a centralized authority. It’s in the hands of its users.
• Due to its underlying technology, it is nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend.
• Its supply is not determined by a central bank nor government (unlike traditional analog “fiat” currencies like the dollar, euro, yen, etc.)
• To date, there are thousands of different cryptocurrencies, but the most well-known with the largest market size are currently Bitcoin and Ethereum.

For a high-level overview of cryptocurrency, please read Investopedia’s explanation here.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is technology in which blocks of information are chained together in a shared digital record.

Think of the blockchain as a shared memory. It is what remembers the different transactions. Without memory and who paid who, cryptocurrency like Bitcoin doesn't work. That is why the blockchain is important and enables cryptocurrency.

What makes blockchain technology so useful (below applies to public blockchains):

• It is secure and less likely to get hacked because it leverages cryptography
• It is immutable. That means the data is un-deletable/un-changeable
• It is transparent and trustworthy. It can be audited by anyone who is in the system
• It can be used as a shared, public ledger to record information and transactions
• It is open for anyone to join and participate
• It can be on a public decentralized network (no one person, government, or authority owns it), yet you can have a private key to access your own data
• It enables transactions to be sent and received from anybody in the world
• “Blockchains combine the openness of democracy and the Internet with the merit of markets.” -Naval

For a more detailed walkthrough on blockchain, please see this step-by-step Blockgeeks guide.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin (BTC) is a decentralized digital currency that is built on blockchain technology. It enables instant payments to anyone, anywhere in the world.

• Bitcoin is the first established cryptocurrency, and the most well-known. It’s market cap is currently ~600 Billion USD
• In 2008, Bitcoin was first mentioned in a white paper by the mysterious pseudonymous “Satoshi Nakamoto”. In 2009, Bitcoin software was made available to the public and the Bitcoin blockchain was created. Read more on the history here.
• There is a limited supply. In total, only 21 million Bitcoin will ever exist. Here’s why.
• It is considered “digital gold” because of its store of value and needing to be “mined” (the process by which new Bitcoins are created)
• There is an extremely well-organized “Getting Started” guide on Bitcoin.org that walks you through the different steps of how to use and accept Bitcoin.

I can also recommend following Andreas M. Antonopoulos, who is a longtime expert and excellent educator in the Bitcoin and blockchain space. He has a “Bitcoin For Beginners” video series.

What is Ethereum?

Ethereum is a global, open-source platform for money and decentralized applications. Ether (ETH) is the cryptocurrency of Ethereum apps.

• It is the second most-popular cryptocurrency by market cap, currently ~150 Billion USD
• First mentioned in a white paper by Vitalik Buterin in 2013, it was created with other developers and launched publicly in 2015
• It’s not just a currency. As explained by Ethereum.org,
  • “Ethereum is a technology that lets you send cryptocurrency to anyone for a small fee.”
  • “It also powers applications that everyone can use and no one can take down.”
  • “Ethereum builds on Bitcoin's innovation, with some big differences. Both let you use digital money without payment providers or banks.”
  • “But Ethereum is programmable, so you can also use it for lots of different digital assets. This also means Ethereum is for more than payments. It's a marketplace of financial services, games and apps that can't steal your data or censor you.”
• If Bitcoin is an app for money, you can think of Ethereum as an app store. In the Ethereum app network other developers can build apps, using the features and functionality of blockchain technology.

You can read more about the differences between Bitcoin vs. Ethereum here

What about other cryptocurrencies?

There are literally thousands of other “altcoins” (ie, cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin). Some have great promise, value, ambitions and intent. However, unfortunately some are scams that don’t bring value (some people call them “shitcoins”). You can take a peek at the variety at CoinMarketCap and do your own research in which cryptocurrencies you want to get involved in.

Can cryptocurrency or blockchain be used in real life by real people?

Yes! Though mainstream adoption has been relatively slow, there are multiple use cases.

Now, more and more people are becoming aware of the power of using crypto and blockchain.

Here are some top use case examples:

• Sending peer-to-peer electronic cash, even internationally. You could send crypto via your phone to your cousin in another country. While there might be varying network fees for that, they would receive what you sent almost instantly. (Especially when compared to slow bank transfers).
• Financial empowerment for citizens, especially in developing countries where inflation rates are high, national currency is unstable, and there’s government corruption.
• Smart contracts. These are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement between parties being directly written into lines of code. These contracts can then be leveraged in healthcare, media, real estate, governance, and other industries. Here’s a peek into 25 blockchain use cases.
• Using your crypto to buy things in the real world. For example you can exchange your crypto for gift cards to major retailers on Bitrefill. Or buy items on Amazon via Purse.

I first discovered uses for blockchain in a personal way after my mom died of cancer. Managing the legal parts of her death were excruciatingly painful. And it inspired me to do further research and write an article on Hacker Noon here: “How Blockchain Could Make Life & Death Easier for Families.”

For more real-world context and stories, I highly recommend reading the book, “Blockchain Revolution” which explains how blockchain is changing money, business, and the world.

The crypto job market is also growing, as evidenced by the many job listings on CryptoJobsList.

And to see how Bitcoin is impacting real human lives in countries like Argentina and Uganda, please check out our short documentary series BitcoinFilm, a volunteer-run project that I’m a part of.

Investing in Crypto

Lately, there’s been lots more mainstream interest in crypto investing. At the Bitcoin ATM (yes, these exist!) in our neighborhood, the shopkeeper said that even grandmas are buying Bitcoin now. What was once seen as sketchy has now become more popular.

Disclaimer: Once again this is NOT professional investment advice as you are responsible for your own investments. I am just sharing my personal thoughts in response to the top three frequently asked questions from friends.

FAQ #1: “Where do I start if I want to invest in cryptocurrency?”

This is a loaded question. It really depends on where you are in life, what your goals are, where you live, etc. However, here’s what I can say:

• Educate yourself. And since you’re reading this, you’re already on your way. Knowledge is power, not just for financial empowerment, but because the space is really growing and will disrupt existing archaic systems globally.
• Learning about the big picture impacts of cryptocurrency, it’s why, and ideology behind it, can help keep you more calm and think long-term.
• There are heaps of investment resources and so-called “advisors” out there. Some are legit, some are shady. Be wary of where you get your resources. And do your own homework before choosing which crypto to invest in.
• “How to Invest in Cryptocurrencies: The Ultimate Beginner Guide” by Blockgeeks covers buying crypto, storing crypto securely, and other important considerations.
• If you want to buy first on an established exchange with your money as a total beginner, you might want to take a look at Coinbase, Blockchain.com or Kraken. These are few of the big ones.
• You can start small with what you’re comfortable with. It’s possible to buy a fraction of Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. Even if it’s $500 worth, at least now you have skin in the game and are more motivated to learn.

My story?

I started really small. In 2015, my now-husband gave me $5 worth of Bitcoin. Then I kinda forgot about it. A year later, I started investing and put in automatic weekly buys of as low as $75 on Coinbase for tiny fractions of Bitcoin. And when I felt like I learned enough to take bigger risks I bought more and added other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Litecoin.

I am a long-term investor and NOT a crypto trader. My strategy has simply been to buy a little and hold it. In crypto slang terms I “HODL” hehe. Could I make more profits by trading? Sure. But I honestly don’t have the mental energy nor balls to do that. And it’s paid off as now my modest crypto portfolio has given me some financial freedom.

You may try a very different approach. I can’t advise on what’s best for you.

But here are somecoaching questions to help you figure out what's right for you:

What are your goals for investing in crypto?

For example in my case, I want financial freedom that allows me to focus on my overall health, happiness, well-being, family, and legacy. I want to have enough assets in my portfolio to cover a few years of basic living expenses and self-fund my passion projects. I don't want to have to trade time for money and burn out working anymore. I've burnt out three times already in the past (def not fun) and work-life balance is super important to me now.

What’s a comfortable balance for you between risk vs gain?

In my case, I was admittedly terrible at saving money in my bank anyway, so I figured I might as well invest bit by bit at the chance of gaining. Back when I started, crypto was even riskier and less established, but I wanted to try having my money work for me by investing long-term. Overall in life I am comfortable with taking educated risks. That said, I'm the type to invest in more established cryptocurrencies, whereas some of my friends have the balls to day trade some newer ones.

What are you willing to lose, without significantly impacting your lifestyle?

In my case, I never invest more than I’m ready to lose. This helps me not freak out about day-to-day price fluctuations.

Where do you live and what are the crypto regulations and taxes in your area?

For example, in Germany, there are no capital gain taxes on selling crypto if you hold your assets for over one year. Whereas in the US, crypto gains are subject to capital gains taxes if you sell no matter how long you hold.

How does crypto fit into your overall investments and income streams?

In my case, I have diversified my overall portfolio by investing in a retirement fund and a bit of real estate. If any one thing goes south, I have other options beyond crypto. As for income I am an entrepreneur and can scale my businesses as needed for income.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. That’s why it’s up to you to research and decide what fits your unique situation and lifestyle.

Of course, there are broader considerations in investing beyond crypto. If you’re just getting started in empowering yourself to learn more about financial freedom, I’m writing a separate article on the mindset of creating your financial freedom and growing your wealth holistically. Subscribe to my newsletter here so you don’t miss it.

FAQ #2: “Am I too late to the cryptocurrency game?”

Everything is relative. What is your personal definition of late?

• As my husband Jacob says, “If you think of it in terms of education, then it's really never too late to start educating yourself. Blockchains are here to stay and they will change the world. It's like the invention of the book. We shouldn't hold ourselves back from reading books just because other people have already started reading and we feel late to the game.”
• As my friend Savannah Peterson mentions here, “We’re now in the technical trough of realization where we’ll see how this technology will actually benefit us. Which means if you’re just learning about blockchain for the first time this year, or this month or today, you’re perfectly on-time.”
• To put things in perspective, people asked about being late when Bitcoin was at $1,000. Then people asked again when it soared to $20,000 in 2017. It dropped back down to the $5000 range in March 2020, and is now in the $30,000 range at the time of this writing.
• For some, it is a hot time to invest in crypto. For others, there is FOMO for not getting in sooner. Some are still skeptical and wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole because of the roller coaster ups and downs. And others patiently wait to “buy the dip” (when prices drop again).

Only you can define what “late” means. You have to decide for yourself if or when to get in.

FAQ #3: “Is cryptocurrency risky? What about scams and hackers?”

Once again, everything is relative. What is your personal definition of risky?

• To put it into perspective, have you ever believed that something like your job or business was “secure”, and then you lost it? 2020 has shown us that there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world. Investing in crypto can be a tool for self-empowerment and reclaiming your personal agency.
• If you invest in crypto, it’s helpful to think of it as a relationship. You have to maintain it, put time into it, educate yourself on it, grow with it. If you think you can just get in and out like a one night stand to get rich quick, well then good luck to you.
• If you don’t maintain it, you could lose it. Seriously. If you forget how to log in to your account, lose a paper or hardware wallet and don’t have backups, then you can’t access it and it’s gone. I know people who have lost thousands of dollars worth of Bitcoin because they couldn’t remember their own passwords.
• Yes there are scams and hackers, but that’s also true for current financial systems, and current state of the internet. If anything, getting into crypto has helped me become even more aware of security and privacy issues in the regular world.
• That said, you do have to be mindful of security risks and protect yourself via secure passwords, two-factor-identification, different wallets, etc. Binance provides a beginner’s overview of “How to Secure Your Cryptocurrency”
• There are a lot of mainstream misconceptions about Bitcoin and its risks. Anthony Pompliano’s interview here with Daniela Cambone articulately clears some of them up.

For me, investing is a part of my long-term strategy to reduce overall risk in my life by diversifying my income streams. Investing in crypto is just one stream.

How will you choose to balance risk vs reward?

Learn More

I hope that you found this welcome guide helpful. While it might feel like there’s a lot to navigate in crypto, I’m happy that you stopped by to check out this new world and educate yourself on the basics.

A lot of people just think about crypto in terms of investing, but there are so many possibilities for it to change the way we live and work beyond that. There’s a growing community of people who want to leverage it to do good, so don’t let a couple of bad apples discourage you.

Now it’s up to you to go forth and continue your own journey! You can do it, I believe in you!

Guide To Cryptocurrency

List of helpful resources to learn more:

• Blockgeeks - Blockchain education portal with articles, guides, courses
• Bitcoin.org - Full of user-friendly resources and information on Bitcoin
• Investopedia - Simplified financial information for investing overall (beyond crypto)
• Coinmarketcap Latest cryptocurrency prices by market cap
• Coindesk - A leader in crypto and blockchain news and information
• Let’s Talk Bitcoin - Podcasts, articles, forums to give voice to crypto & blockchain
• Bitcoinfilm.org - Human stories of Bitcoin’s impact on society, told through short films

Connect & Share

Kindly note: You might have a bunch of questions at this time, which is so exciting! However, I have limited capacity to answer individual questions because I am entering a new chapter of life as a first-time mom who’s also writing a memoir on grief. That’s why I’ve built this welcome guide to make my knowledge more scalable. I kindly ask that you empower yourself to continue your own research. 🙂

However, I’d LOVE for us to stay in touch in other ways:

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Cryptocurrency Guide For Beginners Pdf

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Welcome to the world of crypto and blockchain. And cheers to designing a life + work you dream of!

To the moon!

With love and light,

Investing In Cryptocurrency For Beginners

Jenn