142 guides by Heidi.
Wallets & CustodyWhat is a Lightning Wallet? [Explained] - How it Works?
A Lightning wallet is a Bitcoin wallet that sends and receives BTC through the Lightning Network, a second layer built on top of Bitcoin. Payments move through off-chain payment channels, so they settle in seconds and cost tiny routing fees instead of miner fees, compared with roughly 10-minute confirmations on the base chain. Popular options include Phoenix, Muun, Zeus, Breez and Wallet of Satoshi.
Heidi ChakosFundamentals
FundamentalsCrypto Explained Simple: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is digital money secured by cryptography and recorded on a blockchain, a shared ledger kept by a network of computers rather than a bank. Transactions are signed with a private key, validated by miners (Proof of Work) or stakers (Proof of Stake), and grouped into linked blocks. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the largest examples, bought through exchanges like Coinbase or Kraken.
Heidi ChakosStablecoins
StablecoinsWhat Does Pegging Mean in Crypto? A Comprehensive Guide
Pegging in crypto means tying a token's value to another asset at a fixed ratio, usually a stablecoin tracking the dollar 1:1. Pegs are held by collateral reserves (USDC, USDT, DAI), by algorithms (TerraUSD, which collapsed in 2022), or a mix. Pegged is not the same as backed, and pegs can break: USDC fell to $0.87 in March 2023 when Silicon Valley Bank failed.
Heidi ChakosBitcoinBitcoinStrategic Bitcoin Reserve: Everything Explained
The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is a US government stockpile of Bitcoin created by President Trump's executive order on March 6, 2025. It is funded only with roughly 200,000 BTC seized through forfeiture proceedings, not taxpayer purchases, and is managed by the Treasury under a no-sell rule unless Congress decides otherwise. A separate Digital Asset Stockpile holds seized non-Bitcoin crypto that Treasury may sell.
Heidi ChakosAnalysis
AnalysisWhat Does Volume Mean In Cryptocurrency? [A Complete Guide]
Volume in crypto is the total number of coins or tokens traded over a given period, shown as a histogram under the price chart. High volume means deep liquidity and real conviction behind a move; a rally on falling volume is a warning sign. OBV and Chaikin Money Flow help read it, but wash trading and thin markets distort the numbers.
Heidi ChakosAnalysisAnalysisGuide to Long Term Crypto Investment Strategy
A long-term crypto strategy means staying the course through volatility rather than reacting to swings like Bitcoin's fall from over $68,000 in 2021 to under $20,000 by mid-2022. Research the sectors shaping the market such as DeFi and Layer 2, diversify, secure your assets, keep detailed transaction records, and remember that crypto gains are taxable in most countries. Educational only, not financial advice.
4 min read/Heidi ChakosFundamentals
Fundamentals8 Best Crypto Movies to Watch in 2026
The best crypto movies to watch are mostly documentaries: Biggest Heist Ever (Netflix, the Bitfinex theft), Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery (HBO's Satoshi hunt), Trust No One (Netflix, the QuadrigaCX collapse), Banking on Bitcoin, The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin, and Trust Machine. For drama, Silk Road (2021) dramatizes Ross Ulbricht's dark web market, and the action film G20 adds a crypto-and-deepfake villain.
Heidi ChakosFundamentals
FundamentalsWhat is Virtual Protocol Crypto? [A Complete Guide]
Virtuals Protocol is a Base-network platform, launched in 2024, that turns AI agents into tokenized, co-owned digital assets. Each agent gets a fixed 1 billion tokens paired with VIRTUAL in liquidity pools, and fees agents earn from users are used to buy back and burn agent tokens. VIRTUAL has a fixed 1 billion supply (60% public, 35% treasury, 5% liquidity).
Heidi ChakosReviews & Safety
Reviews & SafetyHow To Buy Monero? [A Complete Guide]
Buy Monero on a KYC exchange that still lists XMR, such as Kraken (outside the UK and EU/EEA) or Bitfinex, using a card or bank deposit. If you already hold Bitcoin, swap it for XMR through Changelly, SimpleSwap or Cake Wallet. For a no-KYC purchase, use Bisq, Haveno or RetoSwap. Whichever route you take, withdraw the coins to a wallet you control.
Heidi Chakos