Player Play IconBeginners

This section is for beginners who are completely new to Bitcoin and want to learn the basics of how it works and how to get started using it.

Start here:

How Does Bitcoin Work?

Getting started

So you want to get started using bitcoin? Here are the basic steps:

Wallets
A quick guide to bitcoin wallets, and recommendations on which ones to use.
Exchanges
Recommendations on the best exchanges to buy bitcoins from.
Sending
How to send and receive bitcoin using a bitcoin wallet.
Security
How to keep your bitcoins secure.

Guide

This is a very quick guide to how bitcoin works for beginners.

I wrote this guide when I was first learning about Bitcoin. I wanted to write something that gave a fast overview of what bitcoin is, and explain the most common terms I kept hearing about. I mean, what the hell is a "blockchain", "mining", and a "private key"?

So if you have no idea about how bitcoin works and want to get up to speed as quickly as possible, this guide is for you.

This guide is completely non-technical and should only take about 60 minutes. If you want to learn more, see the technical section for more detailed explanations.