The best way to learn about bitcoin, is to jump in and get several in your “pocket” to get a feel for how they work.

Despite the hype about how difficult and dangerous it really is, getting bitcoins is easier and safer than you might think. In a lot of ways, it is probably easier than opening an account at a normal bank. And, given what has been happening in the banking system, it is probably safer too.

There are a few things to learn: getting and using a software wallet, learning how to send and receive money, learning how to buy bitcoin from the person or an exchange.

Preparation

Before getting started, you will have to get yourself a wallet. You can certainly do this easily enough by registering with one of the exchanges which will host wallet for you. And, although I think you are likely to want to have a number of exchange wallets eventually, you need to start with one by yourself computer both to obtain a better feel for bitcoin and as the exchanges remain experimental themselves. When we get to that stage of the discussion, I am advising that you get in the habit of moving your cash and coins off the exchanges or diversifying across exchanges to keep your money safe.

What is a wallet?

It is a solution to store your bitcoins. Specifically, it really is software that has been designed to store bitcoin. It is usually run on your desktop computer, laptop, mobile device (except, as yet, Apple) and can also be produced to store bitcoins on things such as thumb drives. Should you be worried about being hacked, then that is clearly a good option. Even the Winklevoss* twins, who’ve millions committed to bitcoin, put their investment on hard disks which they then put into a safety deposit box.

*The Winklevoss twins will be the ones who originally had the theory for a social media site that became Facebook. They hired Mark Zuckerberg who took their idea as his own and became immensely rich.

What do you have to know about having a bitcoin wallet on your pc?

Below you can download the original bitcoin wallet, or client, in Windows or Mac format. These are not just wallets, but are in fact section of the bitcoin network. They will receive, store, and send your bitcoins. It is possible to create a number of addresses with a click (an address is really a number that appears like this: 1LyFcQatbg4BvT9gGTz6VdqqHKpPn5QBuk). You will notice a field where you could copy and paste lots like this from a person you wish to send money to and off it’ll go directly into that person’s wallet. You can also create a QR code that may let someone have a picture with an app on their phone and send you some bitcoin. It really is perfectly safe to give these out – the address and QR code are both for my donations page. Feel free to donate!

NOTE: This type of wallet acts both as a wallet for you personally and as area of the bitcoin system. The reason why bitcoin works is that every transaction is broadcast and recorded as a number across the entire system (meaning that every transaction is confirmed and made irreversible by the network itself). Any computer with the right software can be section of that system, checking and supporting the network. This wallet serves as your individual wallet and also as a support for that system. Therefore, be aware that it will take up 8-9 gigabytes of one’s computer’s memory. After you install the wallet, it will take as much as a day for the wallet to sync with the network. This is normal, does not harm your personal computer, and makes the system as a whole more secure, so it’s a good idea.

Bitcoin Qt

The original wallet.
It is a full-featured wallet: create multiple addresses to receive bitcoins, send bitcoins easily, track transactions, and back up your wallet.
Outside of the time it takes to sync, it is a very easy to use option.
Search for Bitcoin Qt wallet download to get their site.
Armory

Runs along with Bitcoi Qt, so that it has all of the same syncing requirements.
Armory enables you to back up, encrypt, and the ability to store your bitcoins off line.
Search for Bitcoin Armory Wallet to find their site.
If you don’t want to have that much memory used or don’t desire to wait for your wallet to sync, there are good wallets that not make you sync the entire history of bitcocin:

Multibit

A lightweight wallet that syncs quickly. This is good for new users.
Search for Bitcoin Multibit Wallet to get their site.
Electum

In addition to being quick and light, this wallet lets you recover lost data utilizing a passcode.
Seek out Bitcoin Electum Wallet to find their site.
After you obtain the wallet set up, take a few minutes clicking around. What to look for:

코인커뮤니티 There will be a full page that shows you how many bitcoins are currently in your wallet. Take into account that bitcoins can be broken up into smaller pieces, so you might see a decimal with plenty of zeros after it. (Interesting note, 0.00000001 is one Satoshi, named after the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin).