# Crypto Basics

New to crypto? You're in the right place. This section explains the handful of ideas you actually need before holding your own coins — in plain language, no prior knowledge assumed. Each page ends by showing **how the concept works on a KeepKey**, so you're never learning theory in a vacuum.

If you've already set up your device, you can skip straight to the [Introduction](/docs) and the [Desktop Application](/docs/desktop).

## Read these in order

1. **[What Is a Crypto Wallet?](/docs/learn/what-is-a-wallet)** — Why a wallet holds *keys*, not coins, and what "self-custody" really means.
2. **[Keys & Addresses](/docs/learn/keys-and-addresses)** — Public keys you share, private keys you never do, and how receiving works.
3. **[Bitcoin Address Types](/docs/learn/address-types)** — Why Bitcoin shows several address types, and why Native SegWit (bc1…) is the default.
4. **[Your Recovery Phrase](/docs/learn/recovery-phrase)** — The 12 or 24 words that *are* your wallet, and how to back them up.
5. **[12 vs 24 Words](/docs/learn/seed-length)** — Why a longer recovery phrase is not a stronger wallet, and what actually is.
6. **[Transactions & Fees](/docs/learn/transactions-and-fees)** — How money moves on a blockchain, why it's irreversible, and what network fees pay for.
7. **[Networks, Coins & Tokens](/docs/learn/networks-and-tokens)** — Bitcoin vs Ethereum, native coins vs tokens, and what "supported" means.
8. **[PIN & Passphrase](/docs/learn/pin-and-passphrase)** — The two distinct locks on a hardware wallet and when to use each.
9. **[Staying Safe](/docs/learn/staying-safe)** — The scams that target crypto users and the simple habits that defeat them.

And keep the **[Glossary](/docs/learn/glossary)** open in a tab — every term links back to the page that explains it.

## The one-sentence version

A KeepKey is a small device that generates and stores the secret keys to your crypto, keeps them offline, and makes you physically approve every transaction on its own screen — so nobody can move your funds without the device in hand. Everything below explains *why that matters*.

> **Already holding crypto on an exchange?** That's a *custodial* account — the exchange holds your keys, not you. [What Is a Crypto Wallet?](/docs/learn/what-is-a-wallet) explains the difference and why moving to self-custody is the whole point of a KeepKey.

## More help

- [Signing and Approvals](/docs/learn/clear-signing)
- [Troubleshooting](/docs/desktop/troubleshooting)
- [Feature and release status](/docs/firmware/release-status)