142 guides by Heidi.
Wallets & CustodyHow to Turn an Old Phone Into a Hardware Wallet (and When to Just Buy One)
Yes, a spare phone can work like a hardware wallet. Wipe it, take the SIM out, install an open-source signing app such as AirGap Vault, then keep it offline for good and sign by QR code. It is cheaper but weaker than a dedicated device: the phone was built to be online, and old phones stop getting security updates.
Heidi ChakosWallets & Custody
Wallets & CustodyMultisig Explained: How to Split Your Bitcoin Keys and Why It Matters
Multisig means your bitcoin only moves when a set number of keys sign, for example any 2 of 3. No single lost, stolen or faulty key can empty the wallet. In the July 2026 Coldcard drain, single-key wallets were emptied, while multisig wallets with only one affected key were not reported drained.
Heidi ChakosScams & Risk
Scams & RiskCrypto Scams on Telegram: How to Spot a Fake Channel, Admin or Bot
Almost every crypto scam on Telegram starts the same way: someone you did not contact offers help, profit or verification. Real channels broadcast one way and never ask for your seed phrase, a wallet connection or a payment. Join channels only from the publisher's website, and check the handle letter by letter.
Heidi ChakosWallets & Custody
Wallets & CustodyLost or Stolen Hardware Wallet, or the Maker Goes Bust: What Happens to Your Crypto
Your crypto is not inside the hardware wallet; it is on the network, and the device only holds the key. Lose the device and your recovery words restore everything onto any compatible wallet. Lose the words and the device together and the coins are gone. If the maker goes bust nothing changes, because the words follow an open standard.
Heidi ChakosRegulation & Tax
Regulation & TaxHow to Legally Reduce Your Crypto Taxes: What We Did and What Actually Works in 2026
You cut crypto tax legally by holding past the long-term line, harvesting losses in the same year, choosing which lots you sell, spreading sales across tax years, donating instead of selling, borrowing rather than selling, or genuinely moving to a country that exempts long-held coins. Spending on a card, swapping into stablecoins and offshore paper companies do not work. We moved; here is what changed.
Heidi ChakosRegulation & Tax
Regulation & TaxSecond Citizenship by Investment for Crypto Holders: What It Costs in 2026 and What We Learned Doing It
Citizenship by investment gives you a second passport for a government contribution, from about $200,000 in the Caribbean to $1 million in El Salvador, after source-of-funds checks that accept crypto wealth. It buys optionality, not a tax break: a passport is not a tax residency. Heidi got St Kitts citizenship in 2018; here is what changed since and what to check before paying anyone.
Heidi ChakosRegulation & Tax
Regulation & TaxPortugal Residency and Crypto Taxes in 2026: What Changed and What We've Learned Living Here
Portugal still excludes gains on crypto held 365 days or more and does not tax crypto-to-crypto swaps, but almost everything else has changed: the Golden Visa property route closed in 2023, NHR closed to newcomers, and from 19 May 2026 citizenship takes 10 years of residence instead of 5. We moved here in 2021; this is the 2026 picture.
Heidi ChakosDeFi
DeFiIs Crypto.com Safe? Licences, Hacks, Complaints and the CRO Decision, Reviewed for 2026
Crypto.com is safe enough to buy on and risky to store on. It holds MiCA, UK, Singapore, Dubai and US derivatives licences, and its only hack, $34 million in January 2022, was fully reimbursed. Against that: a 1.8 Trustpilot score, no independent proof of reserves since 2022, and a 2025 vote that re-minted 70 billion burned CRO. Use it as an on-ramp, not a vault.
Heidi ChakosWallets & Custody
Wallets & CustodyLedger Recover Explained: How It Works and Why We Don't Use It
Ledger Recover is an optional paid service in which your Ledger encrypts a copy of your seed, splits it into three shards and sends them to Ledger, Coincover and EscrowTech after an ID check. Any two shards can rebuild your wallet. We do not use it: it ties your identity to your keys and relies on firmware you cannot inspect.
Heidi Chakos