Three steps. That is the whole on-ramp.
Almost everyone overcomplicates the start. You do not need to understand consensus algorithms to own crypto safely. You need to do three things in order, and each one takes about fifteen minutes.
Get an account and buy something small
Pick one regulated exchange, verify your identity, and buy twenty dollars of Bitcoin or Ethereum. The goal is not profit. The goal is to complete the loop once so it stops being abstract.
Open your first accountStep twoMove it to a wallet you control
Set up a self custody wallet, write down the recovery words on paper, and send a small test amount. This is the moment crypto starts being different from a bank app.
Set up a walletStep threeDo your first swap onchain
Connect that wallet to a decentralized exchange and trade one token for another with no company in the middle. Once you have done it, the rest of the space makes sense.
Walk through a swapWhat do you want to figure out today?
Every section is written for someone who has never done this before, and none of it assumes you already know the words.
Crypto basics
Blockchains, keys, gas, confirmations. The vocabulary and the mental model, without jargon.
Start learningLayer 1, 2 and 3
Why there are hundreds of networks, what separates them, and which one you should actually use.
Compare networksDEX and CEX
The single most useful distinction in crypto. Who holds your money, and what that means when things go wrong.
See the differenceStaying safe
Scams, drainers, rug pulls and approvals. What the attacks look like and how to not be the target.
Protect yourselfReading charts
Candlesticks, support, resistance and twelve real patterns with diagrams you can actually follow.
Learn to read chartsWhat moves the market
Fed meetings, inflation prints, elections and ETF flows. The macro forces behind every cycle.
Understand the driversWallets by chain
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Cosmos all need different tools. Here is the right one for each.
Find your walletCrypto dictionary
HODL, rug pull, FUD, RWA, impermanent loss. Over a hundred terms explained in plain English.
Look up a termThe networks, priced in real time
These are the base layer chains that everything else is built on. Prices update from CoinGecko every time you load the page.
Price is the least interesting thing about a blockchain, but it is usually the first thing people ask about, so here it is. What matters far more is what each network is actually for, who runs it, and what happens when it is under stress. Every chain below has its own page covering exactly that.
Not your keys, not your coins
An exchange balance is an IOU
When your crypto sits on an exchange, the exchange holds the keys. You hold a promise. That promise has been broken before, by platforms that looked completely healthy right up until withdrawals stopped.
Self custody is a skill, not a purchase
Buying a hardware wallet does not make you safe. Knowing what a seed phrase is, where it lives, and what you would do if your house burned down is what makes you safe.
Most losses are avoidable
The vast majority of people who lose money in crypto do not lose it to a market crash. They lose it to a fake support agent, a poisoned link, or a token approval they granted two years ago and forgot about.
Where to actually open an account
These are the platforms we use and recommend, in the order that makes sense for a beginner in the United States. Some of these links are referral links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only list platforms we would tell a friend to use.
Each platform has its own page explaining what it is good at, what it costs, and where it falls short. We do not pretend any of them is perfect.
See the full setup orderSometimes you just want someone on the call with you
Reading about a seed phrase is one thing. Setting up a hardware wallet while somebody who has done it a hundred times watches your screen is another.
Orca sessions are live, screen shared, and paced for whoever is on the other end. We set up your accounts, get your wallet secured properly, walk through your first swap, and answer whatever you have been too embarrassed to ask in a Discord server.
$149
Accounts opened, wallet secured, first purchase completed while you watch.
$299
Everything in Starter plus self custody, your first onchain swap and a follow up week of email support.
$599
A full onboarding across three calls, chart basics, a security audit and thirty days of support.
Start where you actually are
If you have never bought crypto, start with the setup guide. If you already hold some but it is all sitting on an exchange, start with self custody. If you are not sure, book a session and we will figure it out together.