Crypto, for Beginners
Beginner guides to the crypto terms you actually run into โ Bitcoin, Ethereum, wallets, DeFi, gas, and KYC. One clear answer each, then why it matters.
Updated June 2026 ยท Reviewed by the PipeFlare team
All guides
What is Bitcoin
Bitcoin is digital money you can send anywhere in the world without a bank
Beginner ยท Cryptocurrency
What is Ethereum
Ethereum is a programmable blockchain that runs smart-contract apps without a company in the middle
Beginner ยท Smart contract platform
What is a crypto wallet
A crypto wallet stores the private keys that prove which coins on the blockchain are yours
Beginner ยท Wallet category
What is DeFi
DeFi is financial services that run on blockchains, with no bank or broker in the middle
Intermediate ยท Financial framework
What is an airdrop
An airdrop is when a project gives its new token to wallets that meet certain rules
Beginner ยท Token distribution
What is gas and gwei
Gas is the fee you pay to use Ethereum, and gwei is the tiny unit it's priced in
Beginner ยท Network mechanism
What is KYC
KYC stands for Know Your Customer โ the ID check a regulated exchange runs before letting you trade
Beginner ยท Compliance process
Who is Satoshi Nakamoto
Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonymous person or group who created Bitcoin and published its whitepaper in 2008
Beginner ยท Bitcoin history
Free crypto tax tools
Free crypto tax tools calculate your capital gains and losses from exchange transaction data or wallet history
Intermediate ยท Crypto tax
Crypto loans
A crypto loan lets you borrow cash or stablecoins by locking up crypto as collateral without selling it
Intermediate ยท DeFi / lending
Crypto tax by country
Most countries tax crypto as capital gains or income โ the rate and reporting method differ by jurisdiction
Intermediate ยท Crypto tax
Crypto free zones
A crypto free zone is a designated area where businesses can register and conduct crypto activity under a special regulatory and tax framework
Intermediate ยท Regulation & tax
Free crypto courses
Free crypto courses teach blockchain fundamentals, trading basics, and DeFi protocols through video lessons, readings, and quizzes
Beginner ยท Education
Crypto jobs
Crypto jobs span software engineering, product, marketing, research, and community roles at blockchain companies and DeFi protocols
Intermediate ยท Web3 careers
Free crypto APIs
A free crypto API gives developers real-time and historical price data, on-chain information, or market data without upfront cost
Intermediate ยท Developer tools
Bitcoin Dominance
Bitcoin dominance is Bitcoin's share of the total crypto market capitalization, expressed as a percentage
Beginner ยท Market metric
Crypto Fear & Greed Index
The crypto Fear and Greed Index is a 0โ100 sentiment gauge โ 0 is 'extreme fear', 100 is 'extreme greed'
Beginner ยท Market sentiment
How to use this hub
Crypto's vocabulary is intimidating on purpose. Most terms describe simple ideas wrapped in jargon by exchanges, developers, and marketers. Each guide here picks one term, gives the one-sentence answer first, then explains it for a curious beginner. You can read them in any order, and nothing here is financial advice.
If you are brand new, start with Bitcoin and crypto wallets. Together they cover what crypto actually is and how you hold it yourself. If you have already opened an exchange account, KYC and gas/gwei are the two terms you will hit on day one. DeFi and airdrops sit one layer deeper and assume you already control a wallet.
Every guide ends with a Sources block linking to primary documentation โ bitcoin.org, ethereum.org, the EIP-1559 spec, and FinCEN โ so you can verify the claim yourself. The hub is current to 2026 and reflects the upgrades that matter: Ethereum's 2022 move to proof-of-stake, EIP-1559's burn mechanism from Aug 2021, Bitcoin's 2024 halving, and the May 2025 Pectra upgrade.
All guides compared
Side-by-side of every guide, the difficulty level, and where you'll actually see the term. Tap any row for the full guide.
| Topic | Category | Difficulty | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is Bitcoin | Cryptocurrency | Beginner | Wallet apps, exchanges, news headlines, payment processors, ETFs |
| What is Ethereum | Smart contract platform | Beginner | Wallets, DeFi apps, NFT marketplaces, USDC and stablecoin transfers, Layer 2s like Base and Arbitrum |
| What is a crypto wallet | Wallet category | Beginner | Every crypto transaction โ exchange accounts, DeFi apps, NFT mints, airdrop claims, faucet payouts |
| What is DeFi | Financial framework | Intermediate | DEXs like Uniswap, lending markets like Aave, stablecoin yield, liquid staking, perps |
| What is an airdrop | Token distribution | Beginner | Project launch announcements, your wallet's claim page, crypto Twitter/X |
| What is gas and gwei | Network mechanism | Beginner | Every wallet's transaction confirmation screen, gas trackers like etherscan.io/gastracker |
| What is KYC | Compliance process | Beginner | Signing up for any regulated exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, Gemini) or EU CASP under MiCA |
| Who is Satoshi Nakamoto | Bitcoin history | Beginner | Bitcoin whitepaper, early Bitcoin forums, crypto news articles, wallet naming |
| Free crypto tax tools | Crypto tax | Intermediate | Tax season, exchange export menus, crypto accounting software |
| Crypto loans | DeFi / lending | Intermediate | DeFi lending protocols (Aave, Compound), CeFi platforms, Bitcoin-backed loan services |
| Crypto tax by country | Crypto tax | Intermediate | Tax reporting, exchange KYC forms, crypto accounting software country selection |
| Crypto free zones | Regulation & tax | Intermediate | Crypto business incorporation, exchange licensing, offshore structuring discussions |
| Free crypto courses | Education | Beginner | Coursera, edX, YouTube, exchange learn-and-earn programs, free DeFi docs |
| Crypto jobs | Web3 careers | Intermediate | Crypto-specific job boards, LinkedIn, Discord protocol servers, grant programs |
| Free crypto APIs | Developer tools | Intermediate | Crypto apps, portfolio trackers, trading bots, price widgets, on-chain analytics tools |
| Bitcoin Dominance | Market metric | Beginner | TradingView charts (BTC.D ticker), CoinGecko/CoinMarketCap home pages, market-sentiment dashboards |
| Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Market sentiment | Beginner | Alternative.me's daily gauge, most crypto dashboards, TradingView widgets, wallet apps |
Common questions
Where should a complete beginner start?
The literal first step is opening an account on a regulated exchange (see our sign-up bonus comparisons), completing KYC identity verification, and buying a small amount you're comfortable with โ everything else follows from there. Read Bitcoin and crypto wallets first to understand what you're buying and how to hold it yourself, then Ethereum and KYC to cover the rest of what you'll see on any exchange or app.
What is the difference between a coin and a token?
A coin has its own independent blockchain โ Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana are all coins, native to their own network. A token is built on top of someone else's blockchain using a smart-contract standard, like the thousands of ERC-20 tokens (USDC, UNI, SHIB) that run on Ethereum without needing their own chain. Both can be bought, sold, and held the same way in a wallet or exchange โ the distinction is purely about which blockchain actually processes the transaction.
What is the difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum?
Bitcoin is digital money with a fixed supply of 21 million coins, designed for peer-to-peer payments. Ethereum is a programmable blockchain that runs smart contracts โ small programs that can hold and move value. That is why DeFi, NFTs, and most stablecoins live on Ethereum, not Bitcoin.
Do I need to understand all of this before I start?
No. You need a basic grasp of wallets and KYC to use an exchange safely. You can learn DeFi, airdrops, and gas as you encounter them. The one rule that never bends: do not sign a transaction you do not understand.
Why does every crypto page mention gas fees?
Because every Ethereum and Layer 2 transaction costs gas to run. Since EIP-1559 in August 2021, the fee has two parts โ a base fee set by the network and burned, and a small tip to the validator. Bitcoin has its own version measured in sats per virtual byte.
Is crypto safe to learn about?
Reading is risk-free. Real risk starts the moment you hold real funds โ phishing sites, fake claim pages, wrong-network sends, and contract approvals you did not read can all drain a wallet. Each guide here flags the common failure modes so you can avoid them.
Do these guides cover taxes?
These guides mention tax treatment only where it is directly relevant โ for example, the IRS treats airdrops as ordinary income at fair-market value on receipt in the US. For your country and situation, talk to a tax professional. Crypto tax rules vary widely and change often.
Sources
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