THE LEARNING PATH
Ten lessons. Zero jargon. From "what is Bitcoin" to holding your own keys.
Updated
Read them in order — each lesson builds on the last. About 8 minutes each, an afternoon in total. No signup required.
What Is Bitcoin? →
10 LESSONS · ~80 MIN TOTAL
THE PATH AT A GLANCE
STAGE 1
3 LESSONS
Understand it
What bitcoin is, why the supply is fixed, and how a block gets found. No jargon and no price talk.
STAGE 2
3 LESSONS
Buy it safely
Choosing where to buy, what the fees really cost you, and the mistakes that happen on the first purchase.
STAGE 3
4 LESSONS
Hold your own keys
Backups that actually work, testing your recovery, and the point at which a hardware wallet is worth it.
STAGE 1
Understand it
01
What is Bitcoin, actually?Money without a bank — explained with a village ledger, not cryptography.
8 MIN
02
How does it work under the hood?Blocks, miners, and why nobody can print more of it.
9 MIN
03
Why is it worth anything?Scarcity, the 21 million cap, and the honest case for and against.
7 MIN
STAGE 2
Buy it safely
04
Buying your first bitcoin, step by stepPicking an exchange, verifying identity, and making the first buy — with screenshots.
10 MIN
05
Fees, spreads, and how not to overpayThe three ways exchanges charge you, and which buttons to avoid.
7 MIN
06
Spotting scams before they spot youGiveaway scams, fake support, seed phishing — the patterns that catch newcomers.
8 MIN
STAGE 3
Hold your own keys
07
Wallets, explained like luggageHot vs. cold, software vs. hardware — which one fits how much you hold.
8 MIN
08
Moving off the exchangeYour first withdrawal to self-custody, including the test transaction everyone should do.
9 MIN
09
Seed phrases: the 12 words that are your moneyHow to back them up, where to keep them, and what never to do with them.
8 MIN
10
Security habits for the long haulA once-a-year checklist: backups, inheritance, and keeping quiet about what you hold.
6 MIN
EXPLORE BITCOIN GUIDES
The learning path is the start. This is the library.
Browse the evergreen Bitcoin Almanack library by topic. Every guide below has a permanent home here instead of being buried in the navigation.
GETTING STARTEDGo from understanding Bitcoin to using it safely.
WALLETS & SECURITYKeys, backups, hardware wallets and recovery.
BITCOIN EXPLAINEDDeeper questions about Bitcoin, markets and the network.
TAXES & LEGALRules, taxes and legal status without the jargon.
ESTATE & PROTECTIONMake sure your coins outlive you — and remain recoverable.
GOING DEEPERSpecialized reviews and resources for experienced readers.
GETTING STARTED
Go from understanding Bitcoin to using it safely.
Self-custody guideA practical guide to controlling your own keys and building a recovery plan.
How to buy bitcoinHow to buy bitcoin safely, compare venues and avoid common first-purchase mistakes.
Run a full nodeRunning your own node means verifying bitcoin's rules yourself instead of trusting someone else's. Hardware, software, and setup, start to finish.
Bitcoin for businessAccepting bitcoin payments without taking price risk: payment processors, point-of-sale options, tax treatment, and the setup checklist for merchants.
WALLETS & SECURITY
Keys, backups, hardware wallets and recovery.
What if your hardware wallet company shuts down?If a hardware wallet company shuts down, your bitcoin does not disappear. Learn how seed backups, compatibility, passphrases and recovery actually work.
How much bitcoin is lost forever?Roughly 3 million bitcoin are probably gone for good — lost keys, dead drives, forgotten passwords. What that means for supply, and how not to join them.
All wallets rankedRanked Bitcoin wallets across hardware, software and specialized use cases.
Wallet comparisonsSide-by-side wallet comparisons for security, recovery and usability.
Multisig setup checklistA step-by-step checklist for planning a multisig setup before moving funds.
BITCOIN EXPLAINED
Deeper questions about Bitcoin, markets and the network.
Is lost bitcoin still legally yours?Losing your keys doesn't transfer ownership — it also doesn't get you a tax write-off. What property law, tax law, and fiduciary-access statutes actually say about bitcoin you can no longer reach.
What are prediction markets?Yes/no shares, prices that read as probabilities, and a crypto-native settlement layer: how prediction markets work, why their odds are worth watching, and…
Satoshi's “I don't have time” quote, explainedOn 29 July 2010 Satoshi ended a scaling reply with “I don’t have time to try to convince you.” A sign-off, not a licence to stop explaining Bitcoin.
TAXES & LEGAL
Rules, taxes and legal status without the jargon.
Bitcoin legal status by countryWhere bitcoin is legal, restricted, or banned in 2026 — a country-by-country breakdown of regulatory status for owning, trading, and mining bitcoin.
Bitcoin taxes in the EUHow bitcoin gains, income, and holding periods are taxed across major EU member states — Germany's 1-year exemption, France's flat tax, and more.
Mining income: hobby or business?Home Bitcoin mining income is taxable either way — but hobby vs. business status changes what you can deduct. Where the IRS draws the line, and why it matters.
Reporting bitcoin gifts to the IRSReceiving bitcoin as a gift isn't taxable. Giving a large amount can trigger a Form 709 filing requirement — here's exactly where the line is.
ESTATE & PROTECTION
Make sure your coins outlive you — and remain recoverable.
Bitcoin inheritance planningA practical framework for passing on bitcoin without a will that fails, a lost seed phrase, or heirs who never learn the coins exist.
Bitcoin trust vs. willA trust avoids probate and covers incapacity too; a will only covers death. Neither works for bitcoin without a real technical key-access plan.
Crypto inheritance tax by stateFederal law wipes out inherited bitcoin's built-up gain via step-up in basis. A handful of states tax it anyway — here's which ones, and who's exempt.
Bitcoin and life insuranceLife insurers ask about crypto on applications, and bitcoin-backed policy loans are emerging. Neither replaces a real inheritance plan for the coins.
Bitcoin power of attorneyA power of attorney grants legal authority — but bitcoin only responds to keys. What a bitcoin-aware POA needs to actually work.
Bitcoin in a divorceSelf-custody doesn't make bitcoin invisible in a divorce. What courts look at, how they value it, and why hidden wallets are riskier than people think.
Coinbase account after deathCoinbase doesn't recognize a will automatically. What happens to your account after death, and why self-custody still matters.
GOING DEEPER
Specialized reviews and resources for experienced readers.
The Bitcoin Miner's Almanac, reviewedRob Warren's The Bitcoin Miner's Almanac treats mining as a business: ASICs, power, hosting, unit economics. Who it serves, what it skips, our verdict.
Bitcoin betting: payments, custody and researchUnderstand how Bitcoin moves into and out of wagering accounts, with payment mechanics, custody risks and a research-first framework.
Bitcoin Almanac indicator, reviewedWillyAlgoTrader's Bitcoin Almanac maps cycle dates, hyperbolic curves and Fibonacci grids on one chart. What it's good for, and the assumption it hides.
Bitcoin conferences & eventsMajor Bitcoin conferences and events worth knowing about.
Glossary A–ZPlain-English definitions for Bitcoin terms, concepts and market language.
Bitcoin FAQDirect answers to common Bitcoin questions.
Finished the learning path?
Put Lesson 4 into practice with our tested rankings of where to buy.
Compare exchanges →
Stuck on a word?
Every term in these lessons links to the glossary — or browse it A–Z.
Open the glossary →
Understand Bitcoin ETF flows
Separate net inflows from trading volume, interpret zero values and compare daily activity with longer trends. Read the Bitcoin ETF flows guide →