Bitcoin education — first-person, primary sources.
The guides here are written from hands-on experience. I set up the hardware. I open the channels. I make the mistakes so you can read about them first. No VC voice. No affiliate-optimized listicles. Just what I've learned since 2017.
Self-custody is the central idea. The guides are organized by level — not by how long you've been in Bitcoin, but by what you're trying to do right now. Someone who bought their first sats yesterday and someone who's been holding since 2015 might both want to read a foundation guide on how mnemonics actually work, because that's a thing most people skip past.
Every guide cites primary sources: the Bitcoin whitepaper, the relevant BIPs, Bitcoin Core documentation, or primary data from mempool.space. If I assert something factual, there's a link to back it up. If I share an opinion, I label it as such.
The guides are written in first person. That means I'll tell you when something was confusing at first, when I made a mistake setting something up, and when my view on something has changed. That's more useful than authoritative-sounding prose from someone who has no skin in the game.
14 guides published
Foundation
8 guidesStart here if Bitcoin is new to you, or if you've been in it a while but never set up your own wallet.
- Foundation
My Bitcoin transaction is pending — what to do in 2026
Bitcoin transaction stuck in the mempool? Here's how to verify what actually happened, when to wait, when to bump the fee, and how to never end up here again.
May 2026
- Foundation
Wallet drainer red flags — 2026 verification checklist
How to spot the wallet drainers stealing $311M+ in early 2026 — fake extensions, sponsored ads, malicious dApps, and the signatures to never sign.
May 2026
- Foundation
BIP-39 recovery phrase — the security bible
What 12/24 BIP-39 words encode, where they live, the storage threat-model ladder, and why the passphrase kills more wallets than it saves.
May 2026
- Foundation
Bitcoin vs. 'Crypto': Why the distinction matters
Bitcoin and 'crypto' are not the same thing. Here's why a Bitcoiner draws the line — monetary properties, security model, decentralization, and culture.
Apr 2026
- Foundation
Setting up your first hardware wallet — step by step
A walkthrough of setting up your first Bitcoin hardware wallet safely — from unboxing to first receive, including the mistakes I made on mine.
Apr 2026
- Foundation
How to buy your first sats — a Bitcoiner's practical guide
A practical, no-hype guide to buying your first satoshis: exchanges vs P2P, Lightning, KYC tradeoffs, and what to do the moment you have them.
Apr 2026
- Foundation
Self-custody basics: why your keys belong on your hardware
The single most important thing I did as a Bitcoiner: took my coins off exchanges. A plain-English guide to seeds, wallets, and why FTX happened.
Apr 2026
- Foundation
What is Bitcoin? A Bitcoiner's first-person primer
Bitcoin explained from a Bitcoiner's perspective — sovereign money, verifiable scarcity, and why it's not just another 'crypto'. No hype.
Apr 2026
Intermediate
6 guidesLightning, hardware wallets, coin control, and the mechanics of self-custody.
- Intermediate
Hardware wallet 2026 buying guide — what to actually check
What separates a hardware wallet worth your Bitcoin from a $50 disappointment in 2026 — five criteria that actually matter, with concrete model picks.
May 2026
- Intermediate
Cold storage 2026: hardware vs multisig vs SeedQR
How to actually decide between a single hardware wallet, multisig, and steel/SeedQR backup in 2026 — by threat model, by amount, and by what fails when.
May 2026
- Intermediate
Is the four-year Bitcoin cycle dead? An evidence look
Halving cycles drove every Bitcoin bull run from 2012 to 2020. After the 2024 halving and ETFs at $58B, is the four-year pattern still real or noise?
May 2026
- Intermediate
Bitcoin vs Gold 2026 — the honest comparison
Gold up ~80% YTD; Bitcoin in accumulation after $126K. The honest case for each, where Bitcoin still dominates, and why this isn't a single-winner contest.
May 2026
- Intermediate
Ledger 2026 breach — what it means for your coins
The Ledger leak weaponised: $9.5M lost in fake-app scams, paper phishing using real addresses, and what self-custodians should actually do about it.
May 2026
- Intermediate
Lightning Network in 2026 — for people who actually use it
What 2026 Lightning actually feels like — custodial vs non-custodial flows, BOLT-12 offers, what changed since 2019, gotchas, and when on-chain is still right.
May 2026