Guides and explainers
Start with the basics, then dig into the big stories.
What is crypto?
Crypto is digital money tracked on a shared public ledger called a blockchain, with no bank in charge. Here is how it works, in plain English.
How blockchains work
A blockchain is a chain of transaction blocks, each linked to the last by a hash and kept in sync by a consensus rule like proof of work or stake.
Crypto wallets, explained
A crypto wallet holds the private keys that control your coins. Custodial wallets keep keys for you; self custody wallets leave them with you.
What is a hard fork? With Bitcoin examples
A hard fork changes a blockchain's rules so old software rejects new blocks. Bitcoin Cash in 2017 is the best known Bitcoin example.
SegWit: Segregated Witness, explained
SegWit is a Bitcoin soft fork that activated at block 481,824 on Aug 24, 2017. It fixed malleability and raised effective block capacity.
How did the Merge affect Ethereum?
The Merge (Sep 15, 2022) moved Ethereum to proof of stake, cut energy use about 99.95 percent and new ETH issuance about 90 percent. Fees did not drop.
XRP vs SEC, explained
The SEC sued Ripple in Dec 2020. In July 2023 a judge ruled exchange sales of XRP were not securities offerings; Ripple paid a $125M penalty.
Why does DOGE pump?
Dogecoin's biggest price spikes line up with social media waves, Elon Musk posts and big events, not with changes to the coin itself.
Dogecoin and Elon Musk: the tweet timeline
A dated timeline of Elon Musk's best known Dogecoin moments, from his April 2019 'fav crypto' post to the 2024 DOGE department, with sourced prices.
Solana outage history
Solana had major outages in Sep 2021 (about 17 hours), May 2022, Feb 2023 and Feb 2024. Here is what caused each one.
Updated
Sources
Facts written in our own words. Last checked Oct 14, 2026.