Skip to content
Learn · Level

Beginner guides

No experience needed — plain-English guides to the core ideas.

807 guides
Crypto coin next to a computer

All beginner guides

Newest first · page 24 of 27.

The title What is a hard fork? over a dark navy scene of two glass cubes joined by a broken glowing lime green chain.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is a hard fork and what happens to your coinsA hard fork is a permanent rule change that can split a blockchain in two. Your old coins stay put, and forked coins you control count as income.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a crypto mainnet appears over a dark navy background with glowing lime green glass blocks linked by light on the rightCrypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is a crypto mainnet and how does it work?A crypto mainnet is the live blockchain where real transactions settle. Testnets use worthless coins, and confirmed payments cannot be undone.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title 'What is a token generation event?' over a dark navy background with glowing lime green blank tokens and light beams.Crypto BasicsBeginnerToken generation events: how a new token launchesA token generation event launches a project's own token and first gives out its supply through a sale, an airdrop or a listing, with vesting to watch.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a soft fork? over a dark navy background with glass blocks joined by lime green light.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is a soft fork? How it changes a networkA soft fork is a backward-compatible rule change on a crypto network: old nodes still accept new blocks, while miners enforce the tighter rules.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What Is a Nonce in Blockchain Transactions over a dark navy background with glowing cyan glass blocks joined by light lines on the right.BlockchainBeginnerWhat a nonce is in blockchain transactionsA nonce is a per-account counter that orders and identifies each transaction on account-based blockchains like Ethereum; a gap stalls the ones that follow.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 Title over a dark background with glowing lime green glass blocks joined by light on the right.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhy a cryptocurrency transaction can take longer than expectedCrypto transactions take longer when demand for block space exceeds network capacity. Miners or validators pick which pending transactions confirm first.2 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 A dark desk with a laptop and monitor showing glowing cyan bars, plus a blank hardware wallet and steel plate.BlockchainBeginnerHow to verify a transaction on a blockchain explorerYou verify a crypto transaction by pasting its hash into the explorer for that network, then checking status, confirmations, and the addresses.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a blockchain explorer? over glass blocks linked by glowing cyan chains in a dark navy space.BlockchainBeginnerWhat is a blockchain explorer and what does it show?A blockchain explorer is a public search tool for blockchain records. It shows a transaction's confirmations and fee, but it cannot move or recover funds.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a crypto testnet over a dark navy background with glowing lime green glass blocks linked by light on the right.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is a crypto testnet and what is it for?A crypto testnet is a separate blockchain where developers test code with free coins that have no real value, before the code goes live on mainnet.4 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is an open source blockchain project appears over a dark navy background with glowing cyan glass blocks linked by light.BlockchainBeginnerOpen source blockchain projects: what the public code meansAn open source blockchain project publishes its code so anyone can read, use, or modify it, and you can check the public repository and license.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The guide title over a dark navy background with glowing lime green glass blocks linked by light in the right half.Crypto BasicsBeginnerTransaction finality in crypto: what it meansTransaction finality means a crypto transfer is irreversible and cannot be rolled back. Exchanges wait for confirmations before crediting deposits.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a crypto protocol sits over a dark navy scene of glass blocks linked by lime green light on the right.Crypto BasicsBeginnerCrypto protocols: shared rules for digital assetsA crypto protocol is shared open-source rules that let computers coordinate without a central owner. Uniswap, launched in 2018, is one example.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title over a dark navy background with a glowing glass vault and blank metal tokens on the right, left side empty.Crypto BasicsBeginnerFixed supply cryptocurrency: what it means and how it worksA fixed supply cryptocurrency has a maximum coin count set by its code. New coins can still be issued until that cap, which network consensus enforces.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 A dark navy background with glowing lime green bars and dials on the right, left side empty, under the guide title on crypto supply and market value.Crypto BasicsBeginnerHow cryptocurrency supply affects its market valueCrypto supply affects market value through demand and tradable coins. Check the supply figures on a coin's page and note the date before you judge it.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 A dark desk with glowing gold monitors showing abstract bars and dials, the title of the guide over the dark left half.Buying & ExchangesBeginnerHow cryptocurrency exchanges work: orders and custodyA crypto exchange is a marketplace that matches buyers and sellers and records each trade. US exchanges verify identity under the Bank Secrecy Act.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is an inflationary cryptocurrency appears over a dark desk with blank coins and a glass vault lit in lime green.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is an inflationary cryptocurrency?An inflationary cryptocurrency grows its coin supply over time. New coins often pay miners or validators, dilute holders, and face US tax rules.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 A dark navy background with glowing lime green cubes and blank coin discs linked by light on the right, left side empty.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is a crypto token, and how is it different from a coin?A crypto token runs on an existing blockchain, while a coin is the native asset of its own chain. Tokens add contract, issuer, and liquidity risk.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a utility token? over a dark navy scene with a glowing glass token and circuit light on the right.Crypto BasicsBeginnerUtility Tokens: What They Are and How They WorkA utility token unlocks a blockchain app's product or service, not company profits. Smart contracts issue it and enforce its use inside that app.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title How to Calculate Cryptocurrency Profit over a dark desk with a blank calculator, notepad, pen, and folder.Crypto BasicsBeginnerHow to calculate cryptocurrency profit for taxesCrypto profit is sale proceeds minus your cost basis and related costs. Track each trade, pick a cost basis method, and report every taxable disposal.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 Cryptocurrency payment methods with a wallet, payment terminal, cards and glowing lime green accents on a dark navy desk.Crypto BasicsBeginnerCryptocurrency payment methods: how they workCrypto payment methods let you pay from a wallet or through a processor that pays the seller. Sends are irreversible, and the IRS taxes crypto as property.2 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a governance token above a dark navy scene of a glass ballot box and glowing voting cubes.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is a governance token and what does it do?A governance token lets holders vote on a protocol's rules, upgrades, and fees. It usually gives no legal ownership, dividends, or direct team control.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is tokenomics over a dark navy scene of blank glass discs, a cube and lime green glow on the right.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is tokenomics? How a token’s supply and demand workTokenomics is a token's supply, distribution, utility and incentives. Check max supply, vesting unlocks and demand drivers before judging a token.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The guide's title over a dark navy background with a glowing glass block, blank cards and a dial on the right.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat makes a cryptocurrency different from a payment balance?A crypto balance is a blockchain token you control with a private key, not a company's dollar balance. Confirmed Bitcoin transfers cannot be undone.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title floats over a dark navy background with a glass block, padlock, and blank form on the right, lit by lime green.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is the next cryptocurrency to blow up?No method reliably predicts the next cryptocurrency to blow up. You can check liquidity, holders, unlock dates and the US rules on token sales.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 A stack of blank papers, a magnifying glass, a closed laptop, and a pen on a dark desk with lime green light.Crypto BasicsBeginnerHow to read a cryptocurrency white paper criticallyA crypto white paper is the project's own pitch, not independent proof; check the official source, token unlocks, team, audits, and roadmap.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is tron cryptocurrency with the TRON logo over a dark navy scene of a glass block, hardware wallet, steel plate and padlock lit in red.Altcoins & TokensBeginnerWhat is TRON cryptocurrency and how does TRX work?TRON is a smart-contract blockchain whose native coin TRX pays for operations and staking. Justin Sun founded it in 2017, and it left Ethereum in 2018.2 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 How to recover cryptocurrency title over a dark desk with a blank hardware wallet, steel plate and padlock in lime green light.Crypto BasicsBeginnerHow to recover cryptocurrency: what you can tryCrypto recovery depends on how it was lost and who holds the keys. Try wallet backups, contact the exchange, and report scams to the FTC and IC3.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is the most stable cryptocurrency over stacks of blank coins, a glass vault and banknote paper in lime green light on dark navy.Crypto BasicsBeginnerWhat is the most stable cryptocurrency? Stablecoins explainedFiat-backed stablecoins like USDC and USDT are generally the most stable cryptocurrencies, since most aim to hold a steady dollar value; a few track other assets.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 Cryptocurrency mining software title over rows of mining machines with glowing cyan fans against a dark navy backgroundBlockchainBeginnerCryptocurrency mining software: what it is and how it worksCryptocurrency mining software runs mining hardware and connects it to a proof-of-work network. It does not mine by itself; hardware does the work.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026 The title What is a token in cryptocurrency over a dark navy background with glowing lime green glass blocks joined by light on the rightCrypto BasicsBeginnerWhat Is a Token in Cryptocurrency?A crypto token is a digital asset on another blockchain, not its native coin. Many tokens are created by smart contracts, and the host chain charges fees.3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026