How to Spot a Crypto Scam: 12 Red Flags
The 12 red flags behind most crypto scams, from guaranteed returns and romance scams to fake exchanges and recovery fraud, and what to do if targeted.
Crypto, decoded
Understand crypto before you trust it.
Plain-English guides to how crypto works, how to keep it safe and how to spot the scams — with no hype, no tips and no price predictions.
Latest guides
Hot Wallet vs Cold Wallet: Which Do You Need?
Hot wallets are convenient; cold wallets are safer. How each works, the real risks, costs and a simple rule for splitting your crypto between them.
Bitcoin Halving Explained: What It Is and Why It Matters
Every 210,000 blocks, the new bitcoin paid to miners is cut in half. How the halving works, the dates so far, what it means for supply and miners.
What Is a Seed Phrase and How to Store It
What a seed phrase (recovery phrase) is, why anyone who sees it can take your crypto, and how to back it up safely offline, with the mistakes to avoid.
How to Buy Bitcoin Safely: A Checklist
A safety checklist for buying bitcoin: how to check a platform is regulated, secure your account, understand fees, avoid common scams and store what you buy.
Crypto Taxes: The Basics
How crypto is taxed in the US and UK: which transactions are taxable, capital gains versus income, the records to keep and a note on the UAE’s approach.
What Is a Stablecoin?
What stablecoins are, how fiat-backed, crypto-backed and algorithmic stablecoins try to hold their value, what they’re used for and the risks to understand.
Ethereum Explained Simply
Ethereum explained in plain English: what makes it different from Bitcoin, how smart contracts and gas fees work, the switch to proof of stake and key risks.
What Is Staking?
What crypto staking is, how proof-of-stake validators earn rewards, the main ways to stake from solo validators to exchanges, and the risks behind the yields.
Exchange vs Wallet: What’s the Difference?
The difference between keeping crypto on an exchange and in your own wallet: who holds the keys, what happens if things go wrong, and when to use each.
What Is DeFi?
Decentralised finance explained simply: how DeFi lending, trading and liquidity pools work without banks, why people use them and the risks behind the yields.
Rug Pulls Explained
How crypto rug pulls work, from drained liquidity to tokens you can’t sell, a famous example, the red flags to check before buying and what to do if you’re hit.
Crypto Glossary: 100 Terms Explained
A plain-English crypto glossary of 100 essential terms, from addresses and airdrops to validators and whales, with the scam-related terms everyone should know.
How Blockchain Works
How a blockchain works, step by step: blocks, hashes, nodes and consensus, what happens when you send crypto, what blockchains are good at and common myths.
Is Crypto Legal in the UAE, UK and US?
Is crypto legal in the UAE, UK and US? Who regulates it in each country, how exchanges are licensed, what protections you do and don’t get, and tax basics.
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Security & Scams
Red flags, common scams and how to protect your coins and your identity.
3 guidesCrypto Basics
Wallets, keys and blockchains explained without jargon.
8 guidesBitcoin
How the Bitcoin network works, from mining to the halving.
2 guidesTax & Regulation
Crypto tax basics and the rules in major countries, explained without legal jargon.
2 guidesIndependent
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We check facts against primary sources and official guidance, and list them on every guide.
Kept current
We revisit guides when facts, prices or rules change, and date every update.