Beginner guides

Short, sourced explainers. Education only, not financial advice.

📈 Stocks & funds

What is a stock? A plain-English guide for beginnersA share is a small piece of ownership in a company. Here's what that means, how you can make or lose money, and what to check before you buy.5 min read What is an ETF? Index funds explainedAn exchange-traded fund bundles many stocks or bonds into one product you can buy like a share. Here's how ETFs work, what they cost and where the risks are.5 min read

🪙 Crypto

Crypto wallets and safety: keys, seed phrases and common scamsCustodial vs self-custody, what a seed phrase is, and the scams that cost beginners the most. A practical safety checklist.5 min read What is a stablecoin? Dollar tokens and what backs themStablecoins aim to hold a steady value, usually one US dollar. How fiat-backed stablecoins work, how they differ, and the risks that remain.4 min read What is Bitcoin? How it works, in plain EnglishBitcoin is a digital currency that runs on a public network with no central operator. Here is how transactions, mining and the 21 million cap work, and the main risks.6 min read

🧭 Basics for both

Dollar-cost averaging (DCA): investing a fixed amount on a scheduleDCA means buying for the same amount at regular intervals, whatever the price. How it works, a worked example, and what it can and can't do.4 min read How to read a price chart: candles, volume and timeframesLine charts, candlesticks, volume bars and moving averages: what the parts of a price chart mean and the mistakes beginners make reading them.5 min read Risk basics: volatility, diversification and your time horizonEvery investment can lose value. A practical look at the kinds of risk, why spreading your money matters, and how to match risk to when you need the money.5 min read

🔎 Crypto in depth

Bitcoin Halving Cycle Explained: Dates and HistoryWhat the Bitcoin halving is, past halving dates and block rewards, when the next one is expected, and what it does and does not mean for price.4 min read DAC8 Explained: EU Crypto Tax Reporting from 2026What DAC8 and the OECD's CARF mean for crypto users in the EU: who reports, what data is shared with tax authorities and key dates.4 min read How to Read a Crypto Whitepaper: A ChecklistA practical checklist for reading a crypto whitepaper: the problem, technology, tokenomics, team, roadmap and the red flags to watch for.4 min read Is Crypto Staking Worth It? Risks and RewardsHow crypto staking works, where the rewards come from, and the real risks: lock-ups, slashing, platform risk, inflation and taxes.4 min read Ledger vs Trezor vs Exchange: Where to Keep CryptoLedger vs Trezor hardware wallets compared with keeping crypto on an exchange: security model, open source, backups, costs and who each suits.4 min read Market Cap vs Fully Diluted Valuation in CryptoThe difference between market cap and fully diluted valuation (FDV) in crypto, why a big gap matters, and how to check supply data yourself.4 min read What Happens If a Crypto Exchange Goes Bust?What happens to your coins if a crypto exchange becomes insolvent, what past collapses like FTX and Mt. Gox showed, and how to reduce the risk.5 min read What Is a Crypto Airdrop and How Does It Work?How crypto airdrops work, what snapshots and eligibility mean, how airdrops are taxed, and how to spot fake airdrop scams.4 min read What Is a Token Unlock in Crypto? Vesting ExplainedWhat a token unlock is, how vesting and cliffs work, why unlocks can affect price, and how to check a project's unlock schedule.4 min read What Is Impermanent Loss in a Liquidity Pool?Impermanent loss explained with a simple example: why liquidity providers can end up with less than holding, and when fees make up for it.4 min read What MiCA Means for Crypto Users in the EUThe EU's MiCA crypto regulation in plain English: key dates, licensing, stablecoin rules, what changes for users and what MiCA does not cover.4 min read Why Are Crypto Gas Fees So High? How Fees WorkWhat gas fees are, why they rise and fall, how Ethereum's base fee and priority fee work, and practical ways to pay less.4 min read

🔎 Stocks in depth

Accumulating vs Distributing ETF: Which Is Better?Accumulating vs distributing ETFs explained: how each handles dividends, tax differences, compounding and how to choose for your situation.4 min read Ex-Dividend Date vs Record Date: What's the Difference?Ex-dividend date vs record date explained: which date decides if you get the dividend, how T+1 settlement changed it and why the price drops.4 min read How Do Earnings Reports Affect Stock Prices?Why stocks move on earnings: expectations vs results, EPS and revenue surprises, guidance, after-hours trading and how to read a report.4 min read How Do Stock Splits Work? Price, Value and Cost BasisHow stock splits work, why companies split, what happens to your shares, price, cost basis and options, with real split examples.4 min read How to Buy US Stocks from Europe: Withholding TaxHow Europeans can buy US stocks like Apple or Nvidia: brokers, the W-8BEN form, US dividend withholding tax, currency costs and ETFs.4 min read S&P 500 vs Nasdaq-100: What's the Difference?S&P 500 vs Nasdaq-100 explained: how each index is built, sector weights, concentration, volatility and which suits which kind of investor.4 min read What Happens to My Shares If a Company Is Bought Out?What happens to your shares in a cash, stock or mixed takeover, how tender offers and squeeze-outs work, and what to check as a shareholder.4 min read What Happens to Your Shares If a Company Goes Bankrupt?What happens to shareholders in a bankruptcy, the creditor pecking order, Chapter 11 vs Chapter 7, delisting and when shares become worthless.4 min read What Is a Reverse Stock Split and Why Do It?How a reverse stock split works, why companies do it (often to keep a listing), what happens to fractional shares, and what it can signal.4 min read What Is a Stock Buyback and Why Do Companies Do It?How stock buybacks work, why companies repurchase shares, how buybacks affect EPS and shareholders, and the main criticisms.4 min read What Is Free Float Market Cap? A Simple GuideFree float explained: which shares count as freely tradable, how free float market cap is calculated and why index providers use it.4 min read