Crypto Fundamentals
First principles of money, blockchains, tokens, and exchanges.
8 chapters · 1 hr total
- 01
What Is Money? A First-Principles Look at Crypto
Money has three jobs, store of value, medium of exchange, unit of account. Crypto inherits, breaks, and rebuilds each one. Here's how to think about it.
8 min read
- 02
Blockchain Basics: What Actually Happens When You Send Crypto
Strip away the buzzwords and a blockchain is a shared spreadsheet plus a rule for who gets to write the next row. Here's how that mechanism actually works.
9 min read
- 03
Stablecoins Explained: USDT, USDC, DAI, and Why They Aren't All Equal
A stablecoin is a tokenized claim on a dollar, but the quality of that claim depends entirely on what backs it. Here's how to read the difference.
8 min read
- 04
CEX vs DEX: How Centralized and Decentralized Exchanges Actually Differ
Centralized and decentralized exchanges solve the same problem with opposite trade-offs. Knowing which to use for which trade is a real edge.
9 min read
- 05
Public Keys and Wallets: How Crypto Ownership Actually Works
A wallet doesn't 'hold' your crypto. It holds the private key that proves you own crypto on a public ledger. Understanding the distinction prevents the mistakes that destroy holdings.
7 min read
- 06
Bitcoin vs Ethereum: How the Two Largest Cryptocurrencies Actually Differ
Bitcoin and Ethereum are often grouped as 'crypto' but they're solving different problems with different trade-offs. Understanding the difference shapes how you think about each.
8 min read
- 07
Gas Fees Explained: Why Every Blockchain Transaction Costs Money
Gas is the fee you pay for the network to process your transaction. Understanding how it's priced, when it spikes, and how to minimize it saves real money.
6 min read
- 08
Crypto vs Traditional Markets: Where the Differences Actually Matter
Crypto markets share much with traditional finance but differ in important specific ways. Understanding both the similarities and the differences shapes effective trading.
7 min read