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 →