Crypto Investor
Locked6 lessons remaining to earn this badge.
Crypto assets are widely discussed and widely misunderstood. This level explains the technology in plain language, is direct about how volatile and how often unsuccessful these projects have been, and separates disciplined long-term ownership of something you understand from short-term speculation dressed up as investing.
What you'll learn
- Explain what a crypto asset actually represents and what a blockchain does and does not guarantee
- Describe Bitcoin's fixed supply and why that makes it different from a company or a currency issued by a government
- Explain what smart contracts are and the extra risks that programmable networks introduce
- Read a token's supply schedule and allocation and explain why those mechanics matter more than marketing
- Distinguish custody options and describe the position-sizing and behavioural discipline that separates long-term ownership from speculation
- 4.1
What Crypto Assets Are
A blockchain is a shared record of transactions maintained by many computers at once.
5 min - 4.2
Bitcoin and Digital Scarcity
Bitcoin is a decentralised digital asset with a fixed maximum supply and no issuing authority.
5 min - 4.3
Smart Contracts and Crypto Networks
Ethereum is a programmable blockchain where applications run as smart contracts.
5 min - 4.4
Tokenomics
Tokenomics is the study of a crypto asset's supply, issuance and allocation mechanics.
7 min - 4.5
Custody and Crypto Security
Whoever controls the private keys controls the assets.
6 min - 4.6
Crypto Risk and Long-Term Investing
Crypto adds technological, regulatory, custody and counterparty risk on top of extreme price volatility.
5 min
Optional supplemental lessons
Extra reading for this level. Optional — they don't count toward this badge or the certificate.
- Crypto Scams and Red Flags · after Lesson 4.5 · 5 min
Common crypto scams and how custody mistakes are exploited.
Worked case · Hypothetical example
Spotting scam, custody and signing risks
Skill: Recognising risky requests; circulating vs fully diluted supply
A fictional token, BRKT, is promoted in a chat group: 'Connect your wallet and sign to claim a free airdrop. 400m tokens circulating, price $2.'
No wallet is connected and no real funds are used in this exercise.
| Price | $2.00 |
|---|---|
| Circulating supply | 400m |
| Maximum supply | 1bn (600m unlock over 2 years) |
Worked through
- Red flags: Unsolicited offer, urgency, and a request to sign: a signature can grant a contract permission to move your tokens.
- Market cap: $2 × 400m = $800m.
- Fully diluted value: $2 × 1bn = $2bn. Unlocks can add selling supply.
Limitation: Supply figures depend on the project's own disclosures, which may change.
Your turn
Check yourself against the rubric
- Names signing/approval risk and never sharing a recovery phrase
- $600m market cap; $1.5bn fully diluted
- Notes that unlocks can add supply
Your answers are saved privately in this browser. Practice isn't graded and doesn't count toward badges or the certificate.