Crypto 101
Start at the top and work down: each section builds on the one before it, from what crypto is to how it fits into the rest of your money. Every article is written for beginners and explains its terms as it goes.
Start Here
What crypto is, what gives it value and how people buy their first coin.
- What Is Cryptocurrency And How To Invest?Cryptocurrency is digital money recorded on a blockchain. Here's how it works and six ways to invest, from buying coins to spot ETFs, with the risks of each.
- What Is Bitcoin And How Can You Invest?Bitcoin is a digital currency with a fixed 21 million coin supply, run by a global network with no central bank. Learn how it works and how to buy it safely.
- What Is Ethereum?Ethereum is a blockchain that runs smart contracts, and ether (ETH) is its coin. See how it works, what people use it for, the risks and how to buy it.
- Are Cryptocurrencies Backed By Anything?Bitcoin and most crypto aren't backed by any asset, but stablecoins and gold tokens are. Here's what backs each type and how US stablecoin law works.
- How To Start Investing In CryptoHow to start investing in crypto: pick an exchange that serves your country, verify, fund, buy and store your coins, with measured costs and the risks to check.
- What Does "Not Your Keys, Not Your Crypto" Mean?“Not your keys, not your coins” means you only fully control crypto when you hold its private keys. Here's what that means, and the risks on each side.
How Crypto Works
The technology under the coins, in plain English.
- What Is A Blockchain And How Does It Work?A blockchain is a shared digital ledger copied across many computers, so no one party can quietly change it. See how blocks, hashes and consensus fit together.
- Proof Of Work vs. Proof Of Stake vs. Proof Of HistoryProof of work vs. proof of stake vs. proof of history: how each one works, which blockchains use it today, and what Solana's Alpenglow upgrade changed.
- What Is ETH Gas And How Much Do Ethereum Fees Cost?ETH gas is the fee you pay in ether to use the Ethereum network. Learn how gas is calculated, why fees fell to cents by 2026 and how to avoid paying too much.
- What Are Layer 2 Solutions Like Arbitrum, Base And Polygon?Layer 2 networks run on top of a blockchain like Ethereum to make transactions faster and cheaper. Learn how rollups work, the main networks and the risks.
- USDC vs. USDT: How The Two Biggest Stablecoins CompareUSDC and USDT are both $1 stablecoins, but they differ in who issues them, how reserves are checked and where they're legal. See how they compare side by side.
- What Is DeFi And How Is It Different Than Crypto?DeFi (decentralized finance) is a set of crypto apps for trading, lending and saving with no bank in the middle. See how it works, what it costs and the risks.
- What Is Staking And How Can You Make Money With Your Crypto?Crypto staking means locking coins to help secure a proof-of-stake network in exchange for rewards. See how it works, current exchange rates and the main risks.
- What Are Wrapped Tokens Like WBTC Or WETH?Wrapped tokens let a coin like bitcoin be used on another blockchain, backed one for one by the original. See how WBTC, WETH and cbBTC work and where they fail.
- What Is A Blockchain Bridge And How Do They Work?A blockchain bridge moves tokens between networks such as Ethereum and Solana. Here's how bridges work, the main types, the biggest hacks and how to stay safe.
- What Is An NFT And What Should Investors Know?An NFT is a blockchain token that proves ownership of one specific item. Learn how NFTs work, what happened to prices after 2021, how to buy one and the risks.
Buying Safely
Where to buy, how to move coins without losing them and how to spot a scam.
- Centralized vs. Decentralized Exchange: Which Should You Choose?Centralized vs. decentralized exchange: how CEXs and DEXs differ on custody, cost, coins and risk, plus our measured cost to buy $1,000 of ETH on each.
- What Is KYC And AML For Crypto Exchanges?KYC means a crypto exchange verifies who you are, and AML means it watches for money laundering. Here's what you'll be asked for and the rules by country.
- What Network Do You Use To Transfer Your Crypto?Use a network both the sending and receiving wallet support, ideally the coin's native one. See which networks each coin uses and how to avoid losing funds.
- What Are Multisig Wallets (And How To Set One Up)A multisig wallet needs two or more keys to approve a transaction. Compare Safe, Casa, Unchained, Nunchuk and free options, with costs and setup steps.
- Why You Can't Fully Trust Centralized ExchangesCentralized crypto exchanges are easy to use, but they hold your keys, set the rules and can freeze withdrawals. Here are the risks and how to limit them.
- Most Common Crypto And NFT Scams (And How To Avoid Them)Crypto scams cost Americans a record $11.4 billion in 2025, per the FBI. Here are the most common crypto and NFT scams, the red flags and how to report them.
- How Do These 16,000% APY Crypto Deals Really Work?Crypto deals touting 16,000% APY pay you in newly printed tokens that often lose value faster than you earn them. Here's how the math works and what to check.
- How To File A Complaint Against A Crypto ExchangeHow to file a complaint against a crypto exchange: the exchange's own process first, then the right regulator in the US, UK, EU, Canada or Australia.
- Crypto Hacks Tracker and Crypto Fines And Penalties Tracker
Taxes
How crypto is taxed in the US, from everyday trades to losses and reporting forms.
- How Taxes On Cryptocurrency And NFTs WorkCrypto is taxed like property: 0% to 20% long-term, up to 37% short-term and up to 28% on collectible NFTs. Here's how the rates work, with real sale examples.
- Form 1099-DA: How Crypto Broker Tax Reporting WorksForm 1099-DA is the IRS form crypto brokers use to report your sales. See what it shows, when cost basis appears and how to file when the form is incomplete.
- How To Report Crypto Losses On Your TaxesCrypto losses offset capital gains and up to $3,000 of other income a year, and the rest carries forward. Here's how to report them on Form 8949 and Schedule D.
- Washing Your Crypto: How The Wash Sale Rule Applies To CryptoThe US wash sale rule doesn't cover crypto yet, so you can sell at a loss and buy back. See how crypto tax-loss harvesting works and the bill that would end it.
- NFT Taxes: How Taxes On NFTs Work (And How To Track Them)Buying an NFT with crypto, selling it and earning royalties can be taxable. See how NFT taxes work, when the 28% collectible rate applies and how to track it.
- What Is FBAR Reporting For Cryptocurrency Taxes?A foreign account holding only crypto isn't FBAR-reportable yet, but mixed accounts are. See the $10,000 rule, Form 8938, penalties and which exchanges count.
- Bookkeeping And Accounting For Crypto And NFTsHow to book crypto and NFT transactions in a business: the accounts to set up, journal entries for sales, contractor payments and NFTs, and 2026 rule changes.
Using Crypto In Your Financial Life
Where crypto fits next to your retirement accounts, your net worth and your estate plan.
- Should Your Asset Allocation Include Crypto?How much crypto belongs in a portfolio? See what BlackRock and Morgan Stanley suggest, what a crash does at 2%, 5% and 10%, and how rebalancing works.
- How To Calculate Your Net Worth, Including CryptoHow to calculate your net worth step by step, how to count crypto correctly, and how you compare with the Federal Reserve's 2025 median net worth by age.
- How To Invest In Crypto In Your IRA Or 401(k)You can hold crypto in an IRA through a spot ETF or a crypto IRA, and in some 401(k)s. Compare costs, the 401(k) rule changes since 2025 and the risks.
- Should You Invest In Crypto In Your 401k?You can hold crypto in a 401(k) only if your plan allows it. See the 2026 rules, how bitcoin ETFs and brokerage windows work, the tax trade-offs and the risks.
- How To Invest In Crypto In Your HSAYou can invest in crypto in your HSA through a spot bitcoin ETF in a brokerage window or a self-directed crypto HSA. Here are the rules, costs and risks.
- Should You Invest In Crypto In A 529 Plan?No 529 plan lets you buy bitcoin or a crypto ETF. Here is why, what changed in 529 rules for 2026 and the other ways families hold crypto for college.
- Pros And Cons Of Investing In Crypto With Your Stock BrokerRobinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, Webull and eToro now sell crypto, and every broker offers bitcoin ETFs. Here's how brokers compare with crypto exchanges.
- How To Borrow Against Your Crypto Or NFTsYou can borrow against crypto with Coinbase, Strike, Ledn, Nexo or DeFi apps like Aave, and against NFTs through a few P2P apps. Compare LTVs, rates and risks.
- How To Handle Crypto And NFTs For Estate PlanningAn estate plan for crypto and NFTs needs an asset list, a safe way for heirs to get access and the right legal documents. Here's how to set one up step by step.
Money Basics
The habits that come before any investment, crypto or otherwise.
- How To Budget: A Simple System You Can Actually KeepHow to make a budget that survives real life: track spending with broad categories, cut fixed bills once a year, automate savings and recover from a bad month.
- 3 Reasons Why You Should Have An Emergency Fund And How To Get StartedWhy you need an emergency fund, how much to save, where to keep it and how savings accounts compare with stablecoins, using current rates and insurance limits.
- How To Save Money FastHow to save money fast: live on a bare-bones budget, cut fixed bills, automate transfers, earn extra and keep savings where it earns interest.
- How To Improve Your Credit ScoreHow to improve your credit score: pay on time, cut card utilization below 10%, check free weekly reports, and what crypto cards and loans do to your credit.
- How To Start Investing With $100 Or $500You can start investing with $100 or $500 using $1 fractional shares, index funds and small crypto buys. Here's where to start and which fees eat small balances.
- 3 Ways To Calculate Your Retirement NumberThree ways to calculate how much you need to retire, from a salary multiple to the 25x rule and a full calculator, with Social Security, pensions and crypto.
- Side Hustles: How To Pick One, Find The Time And Handle The TaxesSide hustles that fit a full-time job, what each pays, how to find the time, when to fund growth and how side income is taxed in the US, UK, Canada and abroad.