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Ten explainers in reading order. Each one assumes only the ones before it.
1
Brief, 4 min read (sample)
A shared record kept by many computers, and why that matters.
2
Explainer, 6 min read (sample)
The jobs inside a network, without the maths.
3
Explainer, 9 min read (sample)
How strangers agree on one record.
4
Explainer, 8 min read (sample)
The 21 million rule and what it does not mean.
5
Explainer, 7 min read (sample)
The words that rebuild a wallet, and how to keep them.
6
Deep dive, 12 min read (sample)
Convenience against control, set out side by side.
7
Explainer, 8 min read (sample)
Three designs and what has gone wrong before.
8
Explainer, 8 min read (sample)
Tokens, files and licences.
9
Deep dive, 15 min read (sample)
Platforms, tokens and the arguments in between.
10
Brief, 4 min read (sample)
Fake support staff, giveaways and promises of sure returns.
Before you read
The order goes from briefs to deep dives: the depth meter under each title shows it. Take one a day, or read them all on a quiet Sunday.
Our rule
We explain how crypto works and what the arguments are. We never tell you what to buy, sell or expect, and nobody pays us for coverage. Nothing on this site is financial advice.
Words to know
Blockchain
A shared record that many computers keep, where new entries are added in linked blocks.
Wallet
Software or a device that holds the keys to coins; the coins themselves stay on the chain.
Seed phrase
Twelve or twenty-four words that can rebuild a wallet. Never share them.
Gas
The fee paid to the network for a transaction or for running a smart contract.
Token
A unit created by a smart contract on an existing blockchain, not a chain of its own.
The weekly explainer: one topic, explained in plain words, every Sunday morning (sample).