default mode supports the development of the crypto Financial network in the name of greater Autonomy over our lives. ideally, crypto will be an option for any online exchanging this space ends up offering in the future. It is an important system for us to know about and to use.
Similar to cash and banking institutions, crypto is just another option that has its specific use cases. It is simply the third lane, next to cash and banking systems. And this one can be used for both “in the now” online exchanges aND long-term investment. It’s direct 1:1, incognito, untraceable, and best of all kept away from big institutions and government bodies. with less risk than it is all been Perceived.
For me it’s just another form of money, except this one isn’t chained to governments or banks.
it is not a place to get rich or to strike instant gold. nor is it about making GIFs and selling for large prices. It is to take part in an anti-government system economy, have more secure and private exchanges, and invest in your long-term future. I hope this article can break some of the stereotypes, bias’s and Unconscious Resistance to the crypto network!
If you can learn basic money Management, then you can learn this. Read the article below to learn the basics, including how to start, a simple set up, lessons learned, risk structure, Environmental footprint, and some more advanced reads!
Crypto: Simple Understanding and Setup
Crypto is a decentralized currency method. It means the system is shared across thousands of independent computers, so no single person, company, or institution owns it. In a centralized world where a few big players control almost everything, decentralization matters because it gives people a way to exchange, store value, and move money without relying on, or being limited by, those powers.
Other online exchange methods like e-transfer, PayPal, Wise, etc. all reveal personal information (like your full legal name), have different fee structures, and require big final-bank institutions to see and verify your spending. when using Crypto to pay or exchange online it has very low peer-to-peer fees (often cents), is completely incognito, tax-free, and doesn’t need a middleman or big bank.
There’s also the bonus that in the mid-to-long run it acts like a solid investment. sometimes better than what traditional institutions offer. So you get the benefits of cash and the benefits of investment in one place.
Crypto holds value for the same reason gold does: there’s a limited amount of it, and as more people want it, the price goes up. You can’t “print” more Bitcoin, just like you can’t make more gold. And unlike our regular money (fiat), which is just paper with no inherent value, many coins have actual utility. ETH powers apps and smart contracts, XRP moves money globally, stablecoins act like digital cash. so the value isn’t just scarcity, it’s also the infrastructure behind them.
there’s a fee to buy and sell crypto (less for swapping). This is the biggest roadblock. [ Pro tip: get the 7–30 day free “pro” trials on exchanges to buy with no fees, then cancel. ] it’s basically a pay-to-play for the exchanges that host your wallet. Over time, that cost is offset by assets that earn interest (called APY in the platforms), and the market rising long-term.
Crypto will go up and down. hard drops and hard spikes. But the long-term direction is upward. A small number of major holders (“whales”) move the market with big transactions and global news cycles. When it dips, it can be a good time to add a little. When it’s high, maybe take a tiny treat out for yourself. patience and Emotional regulation is the name of the game here!
And when it comes to investing (any type really), the best time to start is whenever you have the mind and energy for it, regardless of where the market sits. just make sure you do your research or/and get advice. Anytime I get crypto from other people, I think of it as fuel for my future bank account. A forced way to save. And if we exchanged more peer-to-peer, there would be even more benefits to not trading it to cash and spending it inside the ecosystem.
It took a few years of buying random coins, fear selling, losing fees, FOMO buying, AI bot trading, going down day trading spirals, youtube, podcasts. when i really got interested was on a 4-hour road trip learning about The history and back bone of this financial system on youtube. The Robin Hood, rebel spirit, and engineer in me were impressed by this feat of Ingenuity!
Before the “how,” here’s some brain popcorn:
- Crypto is private. Not tied to banks or government systems. Incognito. No personal Information reveals.
- Crypto is direct. 1:1. No middle layers, approvals, or waiting.
- Crypto is built strong. Designed by the rumored creator Satoshi Nakamoto like a fortress.
- Crypto WILL take huge crashes and huge spikes. This is its normal pattern, the key is not to get emotional about it.
- Big players couldn’t break it or take it over. They couldn’t beat it, so they joined it.
- Governments and institutions are now buying in. This confirms the design and secures long-term existence.
- Crypto isn’t BFFs with the tax man. can’t really charge tax on peer to peer Incognito Exchanges for good, services, payments, etc.
- Crypto behaves like cash + investment in one place. Mid-to-long term, upward trend — if you can stomach the swings.
- Crypto is a resource with value. Both scarcity value and use-case utility value.
- Crypto is the third lane. Still love cash economy for in-person. Still use banks for storing wealth and day to day. Crypto is just an up and coming new use case.
- Crypto is the cleanest workaround to the big system available right now. Not illegal or shady, just decentralized.
- Profits inside the system aren’t taxable until they leave the system. just like stocks. but unlike stocks you can use stocks to exchange for goods and Services. So staying in the system has benefits. Also, it is hard to prove if you own crypto or not, the Government works on a good faith system, that you will report your gains if you cash out. small amounts are Unlikely, but not impossible to get on their audit radar. And this is evolving overtime, the Government is finding more ways to force Exchanges to Implement more Complaint workflows.
If you want to try it, here’s the simplest setup I can think of based on my experience learning this all on my own.
Okay, here is where to start!!
The Process
1. Download an exchange + add funds
In Canada, I’ve used Coinbase and Kraken. use the free pro-trials to get a no fee purchase. cancel the trial once done. If it were me, i’d Deposit somewhere between $300–$2000 to start.
*note: the exchange will require them to authenticate your identity, with Identification. This is mandated by the government and also keeps you safe.
Why at least $300?
- your brain learns better from real movement
- the swings actually register
- you pay more attention
- it feels like you have a stake in the game
- it makes the whole thing easier to understand
Why not more than $2000 at the start?
- start with something you can comfortably watch, even though its a safe buy, its good sense not to put anything in there to stat that your world would end if you lost, into anything you don’t fully Understand yet.
- no need to start big unless you’re buying something specific Unless you are using it for a one-time crypto exchange.
- you can always add more later, i didn’t add anything more for almost two years! now i add to it when i can.
Honestly, $500–$1000 is the sweet spot.
2. Buy Bitcoin
This alone is a huge step forward for your future. If you stop here, great. Honestly, for most people this is all that is needed, you don’t need to watch or check it. You can make a plan to Continuously build your asset size or just add from time to time based on the market or when you’ve got some extra change!
3. if you want to go a bit deeper: Buy the major three coins
With $300, here’s a clean start:
- $100 ETH (Ethereum)
- $100 BTC (Bitcoin)
- $100 XRP (Ripple)
Three little horses, each with its own personality. Watching them side-by-side teaches you everything you need to know.
Why These Three?
BTC: “the heavy, steady one”
→ largest market size (more expensive per 1 coin)
→ future major currency / the anchor
→ slow, predictable, stable
→ when BTC shifts → the rest shift
ETH: “chaotic and fun”
→ Second Largest market size
→ great for apps, smart contracts, digital infrastructure
→ emotional swings, big character
→ when ETH jumps → half the board reacts
XRP: “the fast, efficient one”
→ built for speed, global transfers, big-system transactions
→ calm, slow, then sharp moves when institutions make noise
→ XRP moves when the system moves
There are many other solid coins and stablecoins that are safe for long-term holding and used widely for exchange. These are just the three of the biggest and the ones I’ve played with the most. but pave your own lane. There is no one right way.
4. A simple ratio if you ever hold more
(Not advice — just what made sense to me.)
- 50–40% BTC
- 30–35% ETH
- 20–25% XRP
- 2–10% “experiments”
5. A few helpful lessons
- It’s good to add more coins over time — big paydays, small amounts, dips in the news.
- ETH swings hard. If you catch it on a down swing and hold 1–2 years, it can pay nicely.
- BTC and ETH show you how smaller coins move.
- XRP reacts to institutions and court rulings.
- Playing with small amounts teaches you timing and patience.
- Losses taught me almost more than wins.
- Crypto is a long game.
- Start slow. Build comfort.
- Don’t FOMO buy or fear sell.
- Experiment if you want — just know your risks.
- Don’t come here for instant gold. Come for privacy, autonomy, and long-term value.
- If you ever get the brain-time, listen to Crypto Casey.
Her beginner guides are clear and easy to follow.
A Note on the Design of the System
Each major cryptocurrency runs on its own network of computers. Bitcoin has its network, Ethereum has its network, XRP has its network. These networks usually have thousands, often tens of thousands, of computers worldwide running the same information at the same time.
Each computer holds a copy of the records. Because the system is spread across so many independent machines, there’s no single place to hack, shut down, or control. The network stays honest because all the copies have to line up.
A coin isn’t like a piece of paper or cheap metal. It’s a digital asset backed by the entire network behind it. which is why it holds value.
It is such a unique market where one asset, BTC, is really in a league of its own.
- It is valued about 3000% higher than the next highest coin (Ethereum) and around 40,000 % percent higher than the third place coin when comparing price alone.
- BTC takes up about 60 percent of the entire crypto market, and there are roughly 30 million different crypto currencies that have been created.
- Out of all of those, there are 10-15 large cap coins (such as (ETH, XRP, sOL, etc), 5 major stable coins (uSDT, USDC.. don’t have much value unless you are actively trading or just want to hold cash money equivilants in crypto Exchanges, only 10,000 to 12,000 are considered active in any way, and only about 500 to 700 are actually listed on the common exchanges that everyday people use.
Risk structure
- Once you make a transfer, it is almost impossible to get it back. Always double check the send and receive address and make sure you are using the correct network. Banks can reverse errors. Crypto exchanges cannot. This is because crypto is hard to trace and there is no central authority to appeal to.
- large cap (BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, etc.) and Stablecoins (USDT, etc) are here for the long run. Other coins may not be. Non stable coins can disappear, collapse, or fail. Only invest in smaller or newer coins with money you are comfortable fully losing.
- Exchanges are not exempt from hackers. Major exchanges have top tier cybersecurity, similar to banks. But unlike banks, they do not have unlimited capital or government backing to absorb losses. See the [wallet safety] section below to safeguard assets.
- Large market disasters are unlikely but not impossible. Yes, the whole ecosystem could crash one day. If that ever happened, the traditional banking system would likely be in crisis too. At that point, we would all be relying on cash under the bed and basic survival skills.
- Emotional swings are one of the biggest risks. FOMO buying at the top and fear selling at the bottom creates most losses. The emotional reactions of beginners often cause more damage than the market itself.
- Scams and fake websites exist. Always triple check links. Do not click random support messages. Never share your recovery phrase with anyone. Most scams target the user, not the crypto.
blockchain and the envriomental impact
Crypto does use energy. The network needs electricity to keep itself secure, to verify transactions, and to stay independent from governments and banks. as it grows, it is certaintly something to pay attention to and think about longer-term Suitability. However, as it stands, its footprint is still well below traditonal banking systems.
The banking system uses energy on every layer of its structure. There are buildings, land, heating, cooling, lighting, office towers, printing plants, transportation systems, bank machines, servers, custodians, employees, credit networks, and all the middle companies involved. This is an enormous footprint that people rarely think about, because it is hidden inside daily life.
Both systems have impacts. Neither is perfect. The important part is staying Conscious with our choices. In the same way we think about the food we eat or how we treat the land around us, we can be conscious about how we exchange money. We can look at the whole picture and make choices that support our values, our privacy, and our long term future. balancing walking the line and fixing the line. Conscious use, informed choices, and tools that give people more freedom instead of more dependence.
Energy Footprint Comparison
for all my fellow analysis / numbers nerds
| System | Estimated Annual Energy Use | What Creates the Footprint |
|---|---|---|
| All major crypto networks combined | Roughly 250 to 300 TWh per year | Thousands of global computers verifying transactions, decentralized networks, nodes, and validators |
| Traditional banking system worldwide including tech | Likely 300 TWh per year and possibly higher | Office towers, branches, land use, cash production, global transportation, ATM networks, credit card systems, servers, data centers, payment processors, cloud infrastructure, fraud detection systems, corporate tech, and the full structure of banks and financial institutions |
| Global transportation sector | More than 8,000 TWh per year | Cars, trucks, buses, trains, ships, planes, and Technology and Infrastructure of the global movement of goods and people |
| Gold mining industry | 130 to 240 TWh per year | Extraction, heavy machinery, refining, chemical processing, global trade |
| Cash printing and circulation cycle | Tens of TWh per year plus non energy impacts | Paper production, destruction of trees, forestry footprint, inks, chemicals, printing facilities, ATM networks, transportation of banknotes, security storage |
A Quick Note on Crypto Culture
a lot of the space still has that bro energy.
Like they own the place and think its some smoky back-room roulette table. but Crypto isn’t too complicated or too exclusive.
It would be great to see more women, queer people, creatives, intuitives, soft thinkers, and people who don’t match the crypto-bro mold take up space here. A new tone can exist.
The media also paints a bad impression. because if everyone exchanged here, it would be a real issue for the money machines.
More Advanced Topics
1. My Experience With Crypto AI Trading
- AI will get better eventually, but for now holding is best.
- I’ve experimented with AI trading — the tech isn’t there yet.
- Not enough control levers or inputs.
- Bots don’t have enough flexibility.
- Feels early.
- Unless you’re a full-time day trader, buying and holding works better.
- Still worth learning so you’re ready when advanced systems arrive.
2. Crypto Wallets + Cybersecurity (Quick Blurb)
Once you buy crypto, you can keep it on the exchange (easy) or move it to a wallet (safer). For day to day use and small to medium amounts don’t worry about this. Unless you need to make a transfer that Requires sending to a wallet first. (some online platofrms only take “payments” from wallets).
A wallet is basically your own key to your money. no one can touch it unless they have your recovery phrase.
Two types:
- Hot wallet (connected to the internet — easy, convenient)
- Cold wallet (offline hardware — most secure)
Keep your recovery phrase offline, never share it, and don’t screenshot it. Your wallet = your ownership.
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