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THE LEARNING PATH

Ten lessons. Zero jargon. From "what is Bitcoin" to holding your own keys.

Read them in order — each lesson builds on the last. About 8 minutes each, an afternoon in total. No signup required.
Start Lesson 1 → 10 LESSONS · ~80 MIN TOTAL
STAGE 1 Understand it
01 What is Bitcoin, actually?Money without a bank — explained with a village ledger, not cryptography. 8 MIN 02 How does it work under the hood?Blocks, miners, and why nobody can print more of it. 9 MIN 03 Why is it worth anything?Scarcity, the 21 million cap, and the honest case for and against. 7 MIN
STAGE 2 Buy it safely
04 Buying your first bitcoin, step by stepPicking an exchange, verifying identity, and making the first buy — with screenshots. 10 MIN 05 Fees, spreads, and how not to overpayThe three ways exchanges charge you, and which buttons to avoid. 7 MIN 06 Spotting scams before they spot youGiveaway scams, fake support, seed phishing — the patterns that catch newcomers. 8 MIN
STAGE 3 Hold your own keys
07 Wallets, explained like luggageHot vs. cold, software vs. hardware — which one fits how much you hold. 8 MIN 08 Moving off the exchangeYour first withdrawal to self-custody, including the test transaction everyone should do. 9 MIN 09 Seed phrases: the 12 words that are your moneyHow to back them up, where to keep them, and what never to do with them. 8 MIN 10 Security habits for the long haulA once-a-year checklist: backups, inheritance, and keeping quiet about what you hold. 6 MIN
GRADUATE SEMINAR Think bigger
The matrix, not the tradeHow war, liberty, capital, energy, and technology now price themselves through bitcoin — our founder's essay for leaders making consequential decisions. ESSAY · 8 MIN How much bitcoin is lost forever?Roughly three million coins are gone for good. Where the 21 million actually sits — and the three habits that keep yours out of that number. EXPLAINER · 6 MIN For bitcoin to become a global monetary network, corporations have to hold itThe case for corporate treasuries as the bridge between speculation and settlement. ESSAY · 6 MIN
Finished? Pick your exchange
Lesson 4 in practice — our tested rankings of where to buy.
Compare exchanges →
Stuck on a word?
Every term in these lessons links to the glossary — or browse it A–Z.
Open the glossary →
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