Crypto, decoded

Understand crypto before you trust it.

Plain-English guides to how crypto works, how to keep it safe and how to spot the scams — with no hype, no tips and no price predictions.

Beginner learning path

Six guides, in order

  1. How blockchain works

    How a blockchain works, step by step: blocks, hashes, nodes and consensus, what happens when you send crypto, what blockchains are good at and common myths.

  2. Exchange or wallet?

    The difference between keeping crypto on an exchange and in your own wallet: who holds the keys, what happens if things go wrong, and when to use each.

  3. Hot vs cold wallets

    Hot wallets are convenient; cold wallets are safer. How each works, the real risks, costs and a simple rule for splitting your crypto between them.

  4. Your seed phrase

    What a seed phrase (recovery phrase) is, why anyone who sees it can take your crypto, and how to back it up safely offline, with the mistakes to avoid.

  5. Buying bitcoin safely

    A safety checklist for buying bitcoin: how to check a platform is regulated, secure your account, understand fees, avoid common scams and store what you buy.

  6. Tax basics

    How crypto is taxed in the US and UK: which transactions are taxable, capital gains versus income, the records to keep and a note on the UAE’s approach.

Protect your coins

More guides

Crypto Basics

What Is a Stablecoin?

What stablecoins are, how fiat-backed, crypto-backed and algorithmic stablecoins try to hold their value, what they’re used for and the risks to understand.

2 min read

Crypto Basics

Ethereum Explained Simply

Ethereum explained in plain English: what makes it different from Bitcoin, how smart contracts and gas fees work, the switch to proof of stake and key risks.

2 min read

Crypto Basics

What Is Staking?

What crypto staking is, how proof-of-stake validators earn rewards, the main ways to stake from solo validators to exchanges, and the risks behind the yields.

2 min read

Crypto Basics

What Is DeFi?

Decentralised finance explained simply: how DeFi lending, trading and liquidity pools work without banks, why people use them and the risks behind the yields.

2 min read

Stuck on a term?

Crypto Glossary: 100 Terms Explained

A plain-English crypto glossary of 100 essential terms, from addresses and airdrops to validators and whales, with the scam-related terms everyone should know.

Open the glossary

Independent

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Sourced

We check facts against primary sources and official guidance, and list them on every guide.

Kept current

We revisit guides when facts, prices or rules change, and date every update.