Hello fellow stackers! I've created this account to talk about my new book:
Bitcoin, Hands On! 28 “learn-by-doing” exercises to master the basics of managing your own Bitcoin, including wallets, transactions, and self custody
Right now the ebook is available, the paperback should be available soon.
I wrote the book because self custody with bitcoin can be very challenging. The combination of unfamiliar software and technology--along with the knowledge that a mistake could cause you to lose your nest egg--often leads to either analysis paralysis, or the decision to keep bitcoin on an exchange or an ETF.
And none of us want that.
In most of the exercises in the book, Sparrow wallet is used. Later on some exercises use Blue Wallet, and also Blockstream Green. I have the readers purchase just a small amount of bitcoin, and recommend that they regard the starter wallets as temporary, just for learning.
The idea is that the step-by-step exercises, along with slowly adding in new concepts and terms, will help readers gradually build confidence. And then they'll feel comfortable with self custody, and all that comes with it.
The target audience is people who know something about bitcoin and want to learn more, but are apprehensive about self custody.
My plans for the future are:
- Keep updating Bitcoin Hands On. The software changes all the time, I've had to change the book a number of times just in the past couple months, to deal with software changes. I want the book to be easy to follow, and that means being up-to-date.
- Make this book accessible to everyone. I'm not quite sure how to do that yet - I'd like to get it translated into other languages as well.
- Offer the book, and maybe some other material on a website. I don't want to be chained to Amazon
- If this one is popular, I'll write the next one - More Bitcoin Hands On. In that I'll have more advanced exercises, like multi-sig, things like that.
Anyone that wants a free pdf, email me at feedback@BitcoinHandsOn.com. Feel free to share with friends.
Here's the table of contents:
Introduction 1
Exercise 1: Install Sparrow Bitcoin Wallet 5
Exercise 2: Create wallet in Sparrow—Alice 8
Exercise 3: Buy Bitcoin 12
Exercise 4: Receive bitcoin into your Alice wallet 16
Exercise 5: Recover your Alice wallet 21
Exercise 6: Create wallet Bob 23
Exercise 7: Your first send—transfer bitcoin from Alice to Bob 25
Exercise 8: Review the Alice to Bob transaction 28
Exercise 9: Explore the Settings window of the Alice wallet 31
Exercise 10: Create watch only wallet based on Alice 34
Exercise 11: Explore the Alice Watch Only wallet 36
Exercise 12: Receive bitcoin via a watch only wallet 38
Exercise 13: Use the Alice Watch Only wallet to send a transaction 40
Exercise 14: Create wallet Bob Legacy Script Type 42
Exercise 15: Create wallet Alice With Passphrase 45
Exercise 16: Review some transactions 48
Exercise 17: Send bitcoin from Alice to Bob—review fees 52
Exercise 18: Bitcoin fees—what you pay, and why 54
Exercise 19: Install Blue Wallet and create the Carol wallet 58
Exercise 20: Send bitcoin from Bob in Sparrow to Carol in Blue Wallet 61
Exercise 21: Send bitcoin from your exchange to Blue Wallet Carol 63
Exercise 22: Import the Alice wallet to Blue Wallet via the public key 65
Exercise 23: Import the Alice wallet to Blue Wallet via the descriptor 67
Exercise 24: Set up password protection on Blue Wallet 68
Exercise 25: Recover the Bob wallet in Blue Wallet 70
Exercise 26: Send all bitcoin from the Bob Recovery wallet in Blue Wallet to Alice in Sparrow 73
Exercise 27: Bonus—use Blockstream Green wallet 75
Exercise 28: Clearing practice wallets and creating a long-term wallet 78
Final notes and next steps 80
Resources 89