142 guides by Heidi.
MiningHow to Mine Monero (XMR): Tools, Setups, and Rewards
You can mine Monero with the CPU in your computer thanks to its CPU-friendly RandomX algorithm. Download XMRig from its official GitHub, point it at a pool like SupportXMR or P2Pool with your XMR address, enable huge pages, and let it run. Every block pays 0.6 XMR forever. Profitability hinges on electricity: under ~$0.08/kWh you earn a little, above $0.10/kWh you likely lose money.
Heidi ChakosFundamentals
FundamentalsHow to Create Your Own Cryptocurrency
You can create your own cryptocurrency in under ten minutes for less than $5 on an instant launch platform like Pump.fun, spend $50 to $500 on a no-code generator, or pay $5,000 to $50,000+ for custom development. Launching is the easy part. Tokenomics, Howey Test compliance, locked liquidity and a real community decide whether it survives; 53% of tokens launched since 2021 are defunct.
Heidi ChakosDeFi
DeFiWhat Is Crypto Bridging and How Do Blockchain Bridges Work?
Crypto bridging moves a token from one blockchain to another through a protocol that either locks the original and mints a wrapped version, or pays you from a liquidity pool on the destination chain. Native Layer 2 bridges (Arbitrum, Optimism, Base) inherit Ethereum's security and are safest; third-party bridges add their own validators and risk. Over $2.5 billion has been stolen from bridges since 2021.
Heidi ChakosFundamentals
FundamentalsWhat Is DeSci (Decentralized Science) and How It’s Changing Research
DeSci (Decentralized Science) applies blockchain, DAOs and tokenized ownership to research so funding is voted on transparently, findings are published openly, peer reviewers get paid and discoveries can be co-owned through IP-NFTs. It does not replace universities or journals; it fills the gaps they leave. VitaDAO has deployed over $10 million across 20+ longevity projects, and HairDAO was the first DAO to file a patent.
Heidi ChakosRegulation & Tax
Regulation & TaxWhat Is KYC in Crypto? Know Your Customer Explained
KYC (Know Your Customer) in crypto is the identity verification a centralized exchange or fiat onramp runs before you can deposit money, trade or withdraw: a government ID, a selfie or liveness check, and proof of address. Platforms require it to satisfy anti-money-laundering rules and keep their banks. Self-custody wallets and decentralized exchanges never ask for ID.
Heidi ChakosBitcoin
BitcoinWhat Is Wrapped BTC (WBTC)
Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum backed 1:1 by real Bitcoin held by custodians such as BitGo. It lets Bitcoin holders lend, trade and earn yield in DeFi without selling their BTC. The trade-off is trust: you swap Bitcoin's trustless model for custodial, smart contract and peg risk, so it suits active DeFi users rather than long-term cold storage.
Heidi ChakosAnalysis
AnalysisWhat Is a Crypto Whale and Why Do They Matter?
A crypto whale is an individual or entity holding enough cryptocurrency to influence prices when they move funds, roughly 1,000 or more BTC or 10,000 or more ETH. Whales include early adopters, institutions, exchanges holding customer funds, and anonymous wallets. Their transfers move markets partly through the trades and mostly through how smaller holders react, so treat whale alerts as context, not a trading signal.
15 min read/Heidi ChakosBitcoin
BitcoinHow Do Bitcoin ATMs Work? A Beginner’s Guide
Bitcoin ATMs are cash-to-crypto kiosks run by private operators, not banks. You verify a phone number, scan your wallet's QR code, feed in cash, and the machine buys Bitcoin through an exchange and sends it to your address within minutes. Total fees typically run 10 to 25%, versus under 1% on online exchanges, so they only make sense for small, urgent cash purchases.
Heidi ChakosMining
MiningWhat Happens When All The Bitcoin Is Mined?
When all 21 million Bitcoin are mined, around 2140, block rewards stop and miners earn only transaction fees, a gradual handoff driven by halvings every four years. As of January 2026 about 19.6 million BTC (93.3%) already exist, with roughly 450 new coins a day at the 3.125 BTC reward. Security will then depend on fees being worth enough to keep miners running.
16 min read/Heidi Chakos