Crypto Fundamentals

About Crypto Fundamentals

Most crypto explanations fail in the same way: they either assume you already know what a blockchain is, or they spend so long on the philosophy that you never learn what a transaction hash is for.

These twenty guides take the practical route. They cover the words you will meet in the first hour of using an exchange or wallet — addresses, confirmations, gas, market cap, circulating supply — and explain what each one actually tells you, not just what it means.

They also cover the distinctions that trip people up early and cost money later: the difference between a coin and a token, why "decentralised" describes a spectrum rather than a state, and who the participants in this market actually are. Miners, validators, market makers and protocol developers all have different incentives, and those incentives shape the prices you see.

Start here if crypto is new to you. Everything else on this site assumes the vocabulary covered in this topic.

What you will learn

• What Is Crypto? — 5 guides: Cryptocurrency vs Digital Assets Explained, Crypto vs Fiat Currency Explained, Coins vs Tokens Explained, Decentralisation Spectrum Explained, Core Crypto Use Cases Explained.
• Core Terminology — 5 guides: Blockchain, Wallet Address, Transaction Hash, Block Confirmations, Network Fees (Gas).
• Market Ecosystem — 5 guides: Miners and Validators, Protocol Developers, Crypto Exchanges, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers, Retail vs Institutional Participants.
• Market Basics — 5 guides: 24/7 Crypto Markets, Crypto Price Quotations, Market Capitalisation, Circulating Supply, Trading Volume and Liquidity.

20 guides across 4 themes, about 78 minutes of reading, spanning novice level.

Questions covered in this topic

• Is Bitcoin a digital asset?
• Are NFTs cryptocurrencies?
• Are stablecoins cryptocurrencies?
• Why does the terminology matter for trading?
• Is money in my bank account already digital?
• Can crypto replace fiat currency?
• Why is Bitcoin more volatile than major fiat currencies?
• Where do stablecoins fit?
• Is Ethereum a coin or token?
• Is USDC a coin?

Where this fits

This is the foundation for everything else. Once the terminology is comfortable, Wallets, Custody & Security covers how to hold assets safely, and Market Structure & Exchanges covers where they actually trade. If the technology itself interests you, Blockchain & Networks goes a layer deeper into how the ledger works.