Before you buy your first coin, learn the language — it protects your money.
Beginners don't lose money because the ideas are hard — they lose it because nobody translated the words first.
Blockchain = a shared ledger nobody can erase. Wallet = the app or device holding the keys that prove you own your coins.
12 or 24 words that ARE your money. Lose them, it's gone. Share them, it's theirs. There is no 'forgot password.'
An exchange is where you buy — but coins left there are an IOU, not ownership. Market cap (price × supply) shows a coin's real size.
Altcoin = any coin that isn't Bitcoin — many never recover from crashes. Stablecoin = designed to hold steady, but 'stable' is a goal, not a guarantee.
Gas fees pay the network — and can eat a small transfer whole. Volatility means 10% daily swings are an ordinary day in crypto.
Creators hype a coin, collect the money, then vanish. Red flags: anonymous teams, guaranteed returns, pushy influencers.
Before buying, explain it aloud: which blockchain, where's the seed phrase, what's the market cap, what are the gas fees? Can't answer? Research first — don't buy yet.
All 10 terms, explained in plain English — plus how to spot scams using them.