Bitcoin Basics

Bitcoin is digital money that isn’t controlled by any person, company, or government. It runs on a public network called a blockchain that anyone can verify.

Why Bitcoin?

  • Open: No bank account needed. Anyone with internet can use it.
  • Scarce: Only 21 million will ever exist. No printing more.
  • Borderless: Send value anywhere in minutes.

Keys & Wallets

Your wallet holds your private keys. These keys sign transactions and prove ownership. Keep your seed phrase safe and never share it.

Practice first: receive a tiny amount, then send it back to yourself.

Never share your seed phrase. No support team will ever ask for it.

Key terms

  • Satoshis (sats): Smallest unit of bitcoin (1 BTC = 100,000,000 sats).
  • On-chain vs Lightning: Base layer vs faster payment layer.
  • Self-custody: You control keys (not an exchange).

Next steps

  1. Install a reputable mobile wallet.
  2. Receive a few hundred rupees in sats.
  3. Send part of it back to yourself to practice.