The primer

Start here if the vocabulary itself is still new. No prior assumptions.

1. 01Proof of stake, in practiceWhat validators actually do, what slashing punishes, and where the yield comes from.6 min
2. 02What a blockchain actually keeps track ofNot files, not coins in a vault — a single ledger of who can spend what, agreed on by everyone at once.5 min
3. 03Public and private keys, in plain termsOne key proves who you are without ever being shown to anyone. The other is the address people send to.5 min
4. 04Hot wallet vs. cold wallet, in one lineOne is connected to the internet and easy to spend from. The other isn't.3 min
5. 05Why crypto is non-custodial — and what that actually buys youIn a bank, your money is a claim on the bank. In self-custodied crypto, it's yours directly.5 min
6. 06Is crypto legal? What the law actually saysIn most of the world, yes. The confusion usually comes from mixing up three different questions.5 min
7. 07Why your bank might block a crypto transferThe monitoring rules were written for drug trafficking and terrorism financing. An ordinary purchase just happens to fit the same pattern.6 min

For readers past the vocabulary, working through how the pieces fit together.

1. 01What market structure legislation actually changesA plain reading of the bill stalling in the Senate, and which agency ends up holding the pen.7 min
2. 02How to read a stablecoin attestationWhat reserves reports do and do not tell you, and the line items that matter.6 min
3. 03Layer 2s: what actually moves off-chainThe execution moves; the settlement guarantee does not. That split is the entire idea.6 min
4. 04How a hard fork actually splits a chainThe software changes for everyone. Whether the chain splits into two depends on who upgrades.6 min
5. 05Zero-knowledge proofs, beyond the buzzwordA way to prove a statement is true without revealing anything else about why it's true.8 min
6. 06Proposer-builder separation: how block production split in twoProposing a block and deciding what goes inside it used to be the same job. Now they're usually two different businesses.8 min

What happens to a token before it ever trades on an exchange.

1. 01How a token private sale actually worksBefore a token trades anywhere public, it is usually sold in private rounds that look nothing like a share sale.7 min
2. 02Vesting cliffs, and why unlocks move priceThe single most predictable source of new sell pressure in crypto is a date written into a contract years earlier.5 min
3. 03OTC desks: how large trades avoid moving the marketA trade too large for the public order book doesn't disappear — it just happens somewhere the order book can't see it.6 min
4. 04Token generation events, and why the date mattersThe moment a token first exists is also the moment every private buyer's clock starts running.5 min
5. 05How to become an accredited investor — and what it actually unlocksThe label doesn't require an application or an exam. It requires meeting a specific income, net worth, or licensing threshold.6 min
6. 06ICOs and STOs: two ways to sell a token, two different rulebooksOne raised billions with almost no securities compliance. The other exists because regulators noticed.6 min

The mechanics behind a price you see and a fill you get.

1. 01What a spot ETF actually changesThe plumbing behind the ticker, and why creation and redemption is the part that matters.5 min
2. 02MEV, explained without the jargonWhy a bot captured $7.7M this morning, and who actually paid for it.5 min
3. 03Order books vs. AMMs: two ways to get a priceOne matches you with another trader. The other prices you against a formula and a pool of funds.6 min
4. 04What a funding rate actually pays you — or costs youA perpetual futures contract never expires, so it needs a different way to stay anchored to the spot price.5 min

Custody is the one mistake in crypto that cannot be corrected after the fact.

1. 01Custody, in one pageHot, warm and cold — what each costs you in convenience and in risk.5 min
2. 02Seed phrases: the one backup that mattersTwelve or twenty-four words regenerate every key your wallet will ever use. Treat them accordingly.4 min
3. 03Multisig, in practiceRequiring two or three signatures instead of one removes the single point of failure that ends most thefts.5 min
4. 04Why a hardware wallet only helps if you verify the screenThe device keeps your key offline. It cannot stop you from approving the wrong transaction on purpose.4 min

The handful of patterns behind almost every crypto scam that works.

1. 01Crypto broker scams, and why a licence is the whole testA broker who takes your money and trades on your behalf needs one thing before you send anything: a licence you can verify yourself.6 min
2. 02Always double-check the address you're sending toDouble-check the address every time — whether you're moving crypto between your own accounts or sending to someone else. Only your own signature can move funds out of a wallet.4 min
3. 03Fake exchange support: the scam hiding in a search adThe fastest-growing crypto scam starts with a real problem and a search bar, not a stranger's message.5 min
4. 04Gas fee and “validation” scams: the fee that goes to the wrong placeA real network fee is paid by you, to the network, as part of your own transaction — never sent to a person first.5 min