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FREE COURSE · 60 LESSONS · 3 LEVELS

The full curriculum

Every lesson in order, from "what is cryptocurrency?" to holding your own keys, then DeFi, staking, NFTs and tax. Each one takes about five minutes and ends with a five-question quiz. Start anywhere.

Start with block 01See your progress

Level 1: Foundations

Blocks 01 to 20. Ends with the Foundations certificate.
MODULE A · 5 LESSONS · 21 MIN

Bitcoin basics

  1. 01What is cryptocurrency?Cryptocurrency is digital money that no bank or government controls. Learn how it differs from the money in your bank account and what risks come with it.4 min
  2. 02Why Bitcoin was createdBitcoin solved the double-spend problem without a bank in the middle. Learn where it came from, what the white paper proposed and who Satoshi Nakamoto was.4 min
  3. 03How a blockchain worksA blockchain is a record of transactions grouped into blocks, each locked to the one before it. Learn what nodes, hashes and confirmations are.4 min
  4. 04Mining and proof of workMining decides who adds the next Bitcoin block and how new bitcoin is created. Learn how proof of work, difficulty and mining rewards protect the network.5 min
  5. 05Bitcoin's supply: halvings and the 21 million capThere will never be more than 21 million bitcoin. Learn how halvings work, why the supply is capped and what scarcity does and does not mean for price.4 min
MODULE B · 6 LESSONS · 26 MIN

Ethereum and other assets

  1. 06What is Ethereum?Ethereum is a blockchain that runs programs as well as payments. Learn what ether is for, how Ethereum differs from Bitcoin and who controls it.4 min
  2. 07Smart contracts explainedA smart contract is a program stored on a blockchain that runs exactly as written. Learn what they can do, why bugs are costly and what signing one means.4 min
  3. 08Proof of stake and staking basicsProof of stake secures a blockchain with locked-up coins instead of mining. Learn how validators, rewards and slashing work, and the risks of each way to stake.5 min
  4. 09Coins vs. tokensA coin is native to its own blockchain. A token is created by a smart contract on someone else's. Learn the difference and the mistakes it helps you avoid.4 min
  5. 10Stablecoins explainedA stablecoin is a token designed to hold a fixed value, usually one US dollar. Learn the main types, how they have failed and what rules now apply.5 min
  6. 11Altcoins and memecoins: what you're really buyingAn altcoin is any cryptocurrency other than bitcoin. Learn what a token does and does not give you, and why memecoins are the riskiest corner of the market.4 min
MODULE C · 6 LESSONS · 26 MIN

Buying your first crypto

  1. 12How crypto exchanges workA crypto exchange is a company that matches buyers and sellers and holds your coins for you. Learn how exchanges work and why they are not banks.4 min
  2. 13How to choose an exchangeA seven-point checklist for choosing a crypto exchange, covering registration, custody, proof of reserves, security, fees and withdrawals.5 min
  3. 14Buying your first Bitcoin, step by stepA step-by-step walkthrough of a first bitcoin purchase, from securing your account to checking the fee, with the scams to avoid along the way.5 min
  4. 15Order types and trading feesMarket orders, limit orders and stop orders behave differently, and fees come in several forms. Learn how each works and how to find the real cost of a trade.4 min
  5. 16Dollar-cost averagingDollar-cost averaging means buying a fixed amount at regular intervals. Learn what it does, what it cannot do and what the research says about lump sums.4 min
  6. 17Market cap, volume, and volatilityThree numbers appear next to every coin: market cap, volume and price change. Learn what each one measures and how each can mislead.4 min
MODULE D · 3 LESSONS · 14 MIN

Staying safe

  1. 18The most common crypto scamsThe scams that take the most money from crypto users, how each one works, and the warning signs that apply to all of them.5 min
  2. 19How to research a projectSeven questions to ask before buying any coin or token, the red flags that should stop you, and where to find answers you can trust.5 min
  3. 20How much to invest: risk and position sizingHow to decide what share of your savings, if any, belongs in crypto. Covers what regulators say, the order of priorities and simple position-sizing arithmetic.4 min

Level 2: Custody

Blocks 21 to 40. Ends with the Custody certificate.
MODULE E · 5 LESSONS · 20 MIN

Wallet fundamentals

  1. 21What a wallet really is: keys, not coinsA crypto wallet does not hold coins. It holds the keys that control them. Learn what that means for backups, lost phones and switching apps.4 min
  2. 22Public keys, private keys, and addressesA private key signs, a public key verifies and an address receives. Learn how the three are linked and which ones are safe to share.4 min
  3. 23Seed phrases explainedA seed phrase is a list of 12 to 24 words that can rebuild every key in your wallet. Learn how it works and the rules for keeping it safe.4 min
  4. 24Custodial vs. self-custodyEither a company holds your keys or you do. Learn what each choice protects you from, what it exposes you to and how people combine the two.4 min
  5. 25Hot vs. cold walletsA hot wallet keeps keys on an internet-connected device and a cold wallet keeps them offline. Learn the trade-off and how to split your funds between them.4 min
MODULE F · 5 LESSONS · 22 MIN

Setting up

  1. 26How to choose a software walletSeven things to check before trusting a wallet app with your keys, from open-source code to where you download it. No brand recommendations.4 min
  2. 27Setting up a mobile wallet, step by stepA nine-step walkthrough for setting up a self-custody wallet on your phone, including writing down the seed phrase and testing that the backup works.5 min
  3. 28How to choose a hardware walletWhat a hardware wallet does, six things to check before buying one and why where you buy it matters as much as which one you buy.4 min
  4. 29Setting up a hardware wallet, step by stepTen steps for setting up a hardware wallet safely, from checking the device and updating firmware to testing recovery before you move your savings.5 min
  5. 30Backing up your seed phraseYour seed phrase has to survive fire, flood, theft and your own memory. Learn what to write it on, where to keep it and how many copies to make.4 min
MODULE G · 5 LESSONS · 22 MIN

Moving crypto

  1. 31Sending and receiving cryptoHow to send and receive crypto without losing it, including the address checks that defeat clipboard malware and address poisoning.4 min
  2. 32Network fees and gasEvery blockchain transaction pays a fee to the network. Learn how Bitcoin fees and Ethereum gas are calculated and how to avoid overpaying.4 min
  3. 33Networks and bridges: avoiding wrong-chain mistakesThe same token can exist on several blockchains, and sending it over the wrong one can lose it. Learn how networks, bridges and wrapped tokens work.5 min
  4. 34Reading a block explorerA block explorer is a search engine for a blockchain. Learn how to look up a transaction, read its status and check an address or token for yourself.4 min
  5. 35Moving coins off an exchangeA step-by-step first withdrawal from an exchange to your own wallet, using a small test transfer and the checks that prevent the usual mistakes.5 min
MODULE H · 5 LESSONS · 25 MIN

Advanced security

  1. 36Securing your accounts: passwords, 2FA, and SIM swapsHow to protect exchange and email accounts with unique passwords, strong two-factor authentication and defences against SIM-swap attacks.5 min
  2. 37Phishing, fake apps, and malicious approvalsThieves get your seed phrase, or get you to sign a harmful transaction. Learn how phishing sites, fake apps and token approvals work and how to shut them out.5 min
  3. 38Passphrases and multisigA passphrase and a multisignature wallet both remove the single point of failure in a seed phrase. Learn how each works and the new risks each brings.5 min
  4. 39Inheritance planning for cryptoIf you hold your own keys, your family cannot inherit your crypto without a plan. Learn what to prepare, what to keep out of your will and who to involve.4 min
  5. 40Security checklist and what to do if something goes wrongThe complete security checklist from this course, and a clear response plan for an exposed seed phrase, a bad approval, a hacked account or a scam.6 min

Level 3: Using crypto

Blocks 41 to 60. Ends with the Using crypto certificate.
MODULE I · 5 LESSONS · 24 MIN

DeFi basics

  1. 41What is DeFi?DeFi means financial services run by smart contracts instead of companies. Learn what you can do with it, how it differs from a bank or exchange, and why "decentralised" needs checking.4 min
  2. 42DEXs and liquidity pools: how swapping worksA decentralised exchange swaps tokens against a pool, not an order book. Learn how a liquidity pool sets its price, what price impact and slippage are, and how to swap without overpaying.5 min
  3. 43Lending and borrowing in DeFiDeFi loans are backed by collateral, not credit checks. Learn how lending pools pay interest, what a health factor is, and how a price fall can liquidate a borrower.5 min
  4. 44Where DeFi yield comes fromEvery yield is paid by someone. Learn the real sources of return in DeFi, how token rewards inflate the headline rate, what impermanent loss is, and four questions to ask before you deposit.5 min
  5. 45The risks of DeFiDeFi fails in a handful of known ways. Learn how contract bugs, manipulated price feeds, admin keys, depegs and fake websites cost users money, and the habits that limit your exposure.5 min
MODULE J · 5 LESSONS · 22 MIN

Staking in depth

  1. 46Inside Ethereum staking: validators, rewards and exitsA closer look at Ethereum staking: what a validator does, where rewards come from, why the rate changes, the two keys involved, and how long it takes to get staked ETH back.5 min
  2. 47Four ways to stake ETH comparedHome staking, staking as a service, pooled staking and staking through an exchange compared: what each needs, who holds the keys, what it costs and what can go wrong.5 min
  3. 48Liquid staking tokens explainedA liquid staking token stands for staked ETH and can be traded or used in DeFi. Learn how tokens like stETH work, why they can trade below ETH, and the risks stacked inside them.4 min
  4. 49Restaking explainedRestaking uses already-staked ETH to back other services for extra reward. Learn how it works, who the operators are, and why each extra layer of yield is an extra way to be slashed.4 min
  5. 50How to judge a staking offerSeven checks for any staking or "earn" offer on any network: where the rate comes from, what inflation does to it, who holds the keys, lock-ups, fees, slashing and tax.4 min
MODULE K · 5 LESSONS · 20 MIN

NFTs

  1. 51What an NFT really isAn NFT is a unique token recorded in a smart contract. Learn what the token proves, what you do and do not own when you buy one, and why the picture is not the NFT.4 min
  2. 52Where an NFT's data livesMost NFTs store only a link on the blockchain. Learn what metadata is, the difference between a web server, IPFS and on-chain storage, and how to check whether an NFT's image could change or vanish.4 min
  3. 53Buying and selling NFTs: fees, royalties and fake volumeHow NFT marketplaces work, what minting and listing involve, the fees and royalties that come out of a sale, why NFTs are hard to sell, and how wash trading inflates the numbers.4 min
  4. 54NFT scams and how to avoid themThe common NFT scams: fake mint sites, approval drainers, counterfeit collections, surprise airdrops and rug pulls. Learn what each asks you to sign and the habits that stop them.4 min
  5. 55Beyond art: names, tickets and tokenised assetsNFTs are also used for blockchain names, tickets, queue receipts and claims on real-world assets. Learn how each works and the one question that tells you what the token is worth.4 min
MODULE L · 5 LESSONS · 23 MIN

Taxes and records

  1. 56How crypto is taxed: the basicsCrypto is taxed as property in the United States. Learn which actions are taxable, which are not, the difference between capital gains and income, and why swapping one coin for another counts.4 min
  2. 57Capital gains and cost basisHow a crypto gain or loss is worked out under US rules: cost basis, fees, short-term and long-term holding periods, which coins count as sold, how losses are used and where the wash sale rule stands.5 min
  3. 58When crypto counts as incomeStaking rewards, mining, pay in crypto and coins from a hard fork are income under US rules, valued on the day you receive them. Learn how that works, what becomes your cost basis, and what is not income.4 min
  4. 59Records, forms and tax softwareWhat crypto records to keep, what Form 1099-DA does and does not show, which US tax forms crypto goes on, and how to use crypto tax software safely and check its results.5 min
  5. 60Hard cases and common tax mistakesWhere US crypto tax guidance runs out, including DeFi deposits, liquid staking, wrapping and lost coins, how to act when the rules are unclear, and the mistakes that cost ordinary investors most.5 min
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