Crypto, explained in plain words
Short explainers that start from zero. Read them in order, or jump to the topic you came for.
Start here, in this order
Each explainer assumes you have read the ones above it. About an hour in total.
A shared record of payments that many computers keep in step, and why nobody can quietly edit it.
8 min
A wallet holds keys, not coins. What a recovery phrase is and who can move your crypto.
10 min
What a fee pays for, why it changes by the hour and what “6 confirmations” means.
7 min
Tokens meant to track a currency, what stands behind them and what happens when that fails.
9 min
Giveaways, fake support, romance and recovery scams: the pattern and the tell for each.
12 min
The questions to take to a tax adviser or a lawyer before you do anything. We do not give the answers.
8 min
By topic
Every explainer is updated when the facts change; the date at the top says when.
Rules and the law
Crypto can lose most or all of its value quickly, and payments cannot be reversed. Nothing on this site is financial advice: we report what happened and explain how it works, never what to buy or sell.
What our explainers never do
- Tell you what to buy, when to buy or what it will be worth
- Link to an exchange sign-up, a referral code or a sponsored wallet
- Ask for your recovery phrase, not even as an example
- Show prices, charts or past returns
Crypto can lose most or all of its value quickly, and payments cannot be reversed. Nothing on this site is financial advice: we report what happened and explain how it works, never what to buy or sell.
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