On Cryptocurrency Investment 2018 in 2018 have become a very well known and popular question over time. OK, so what’s Bitcoin?
It’s not an actual coin, it’s “cryptocurrency,” a digital form of payment that is produced (“mined”) by lots of people worldwide. It allows peer-to-peer transactions instantly, worldwide, for free or at very low cost.
Bitcoin was invented after decades of research into cryptography by software developer, Satoshi Nakamoto (believed to be a pseudonym), who designed the algorithm and introduced it in 2009. His true identity remains a mystery.
This currency is not backed by a tangible commodity (such as gold or silver); bitcoins are traded online which makes them a commodity in themselves.
Bitcoin is an open-source product, accessible by anyone who is a user. All you need is an email address, Internet access, and money to get started.
Is Bitcoin A Good Investment?
Bitcoin is mined on a distributed computer network of users running specialized software; the network solves certain mathematical proofs, and searches for a particular data sequence (“block”) that produces a particular pattern when the BTC trading is applied to it. A match produces a bitcoin. It’s complex and time- and energy-consuming.
Only 21 million bitcoins are ever to be mined (about 11 million are currently in circulation). The math problems the network computers solve get progressively more difficult to keep the mining operations and supply in check.
This network also validates all the transactions through cryptography.
How Does Bitcoins work?
Internet users transfer digital assets (bits) to each other on a network. There is no online bank; rather, Bitcoin has been described as an Internet-wide distributed ledger. Users buy Bitcoin with cash or by selling a product or service for Bitcoins. Bitcoin wallets store and use this digital currency. Users may sell out of this virtual ledger by trading their Bitcoin to someone else who wants in. Anyone can do this, anywhere in the world.
There are smartphone apps for conducting mobile Bitcoin transactions and Bitcoins exchanges are populating the Internet.
How is Bitcoin valued?
Bitcoin is not held or controlled by a financial institution; it is completely decentralized. Unlike real-world money it cannot be devalued by governments or banks.
These cashless transactions are fast and the processor can convert bitcoins into currency and make a daily direct deposit into the establishment’s bank account. It was announced in January 2014 that two Las Vegas hotel-casinos will accept Bitcoin payments at the front desk, in their restaurants, and in the gift shop.
It sounds good – so what’s the catch?
Business owners should consider issues of participation, security and cost.
• A relatively small number of ordinary consumers and merchants currently use or understand Bitcoin. However, adoption is increasing globally and tools and technologies are being developed to make participation easier.
• It’s the Internet, so hackers are threats to the exchanges. The Economist reported that a Bitcoin exchange was hacked in September 2013 and $250,000 in bitcoins was stolen from users’ online vaults. Bitcoins can be stolen like other currency, so vigilant network, server and database security is paramount.
How Much To Invest In Bitcoin
• Users must carefully safeguard their bitcoin wallets which contain their private keys. Secure backups or printouts are crucial.
• Bitcoin is not regulated or insured by the US government so there is no insurance for your account if the exchange goes out of business or is robbed by hackers.
• Bitcoins are relatively expensive. Current rates and selling prices are available on the online exchanges.
The virtual currency is not yet universal but it is gaining market awareness and acceptance. A business may decide to try Bitcoin to save on credit card and bank fees, as a customer convenience, or to see if it helps or hinders sales and profitability.
Are you thinking about accepting Bitcoin? Do you already use it? Share your thoughts and experiences with us.
Looking for a Bitcoin Buying Guide? Wondering where to start? People have a lot of misconceptions about bitcoin – the very first widely known and accepted cryptocurrency worldwide.
A lot of people think for example that only hackers and shady people use it. However bitcoin is actually going mainstream with everyone from TigerDirect to Expedia.com to Dell and even Subway accepting payments in bitcoin now.
Buy Bitcoin Instantly With Debit Card
Well, bitcoin has a lot of benefits over other currencies. For example, you can send bitcoins to someone as payment without having to go through the bank middleman (and get hit with extra fees). It’s also much faster than sending money via a bank wire or transfer. You can send bitcoins to someone and have them receiving the coins in seconds.
With all of this, it’s no surprise that many people are now trying to buy bitcoin for the first time. However it’s not as easy as going to your bank and withdrawing bitcoins – or going to a store and plunking down some hard-earned cash for bitcoin.
The system works a bit differently than that. This Bitcoin Buying Guide will go over a few things you need to know before you buy – so you can buy safely and securely.
Take your time and research the different places to buy before you decide. Factors to consider include coin prices, extra fees, method of payment and customer service.
Lets Learn Bitcoin Trading in South Africa
Once you’ve found a place to buy, get your funds ready (i.e. you may send a wire transfer or use your Visa to fund your account). Then wait for a good price. (Bitcoin prices are always fluctuating 24 hours, 7 days a week). Then place your order when you’re ready.
Once your order is filled and you have your coins, you’ll want to send them to your wallet. Simply enter your bitcoin address and get the seller to send you your bitcoins. You should see them show up in your wallet within minutes to an hour (depending on how fast the seller sends them out).
Voila, you are now a bitcoin owner. You can now send coins to pay for other goods and services, or hang on to them for a rainy day.
One last thing to remember: bitcoin is still in its infancy. There are huge price swings and the currency can be risky. Never buy more bitcoins than you can afford to lose.
Cryptocurrency Investment 2018 in 2018 ?
Everyone is curious as to what bitcoin is and how one gets to earn it and spend it. Bitcoin is the most famous and biggest digital currency in the world regarding market capitalization and the market share where there are no intermediaries to handle the transactions. Microsoft Co-founder, Bill Gates has a lot of faith in Bitcoin to the point of saying, "Bitcoin is a technological tour de force."
According to Leon Louw, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, every informed person needs to know at least about bitcoin since it has the potential to become one of the world's most significant developments.
One can buy bitcoins directly from other bitcoin users via marketplaces or through exchanges, and one pays for them through hard cash, credit or debit cards, electronic wire transfers, other cryptocurrencies, PayPal, et al.
• Wesellcrypto: - This site ranks high, and it is beginner friendly. It has a trust rating of B+, and you can buy bitcoins via your PayPal account.
• Bitquick: - This site is also beginner friendly allowing users to buy and accept payments for bitcoins via hard currency as well as bank transfers. It has a trust rating of B.
With bitcoins, you can anonymously buy merchandise; make cheaper international payments since the Bitcoins are not subject to regulation from any country. The bitcoin market is very volatile and more people are buying them hoping to make a profit when the price goes up.
Cryptocurrency Investment 2018 in 2018
hey what's up guys in this video I'mgonna go ahead and show you how to earn free bitcoin I'm going to show you threedifferent ways you can earn free bitcoins so go ahead watch the fullvideo and if you have any questions put them in the comments below I'll be theresponds in a video form or just simply respond to your comments if the commentis simple if the question is simple enough I should say and make sure youput your Bitcoin address in the comment section below I'm gonna pick one luckywinner every single week and give $10 worth of Bitcoin always so let's goahead that's dive in let's do this hey what'sup guys welcome back so yeah in this video I'm gonna show you how to earnfree Bitcoin there's three different ways as you can see it to my right wehave three different platforms basically what I'm gonna do I'm gonnashow you each platform how your Eva earn free Bitcoin and the Bitcoin that I'veearned through each platform so let's go ahead let's get started okay so withfree Bitcoin it's a website it's a free platform you're actually able to earn afree Bitcoin every 60 minutes this is my favorite website I'm gonna show you howto use it and how much I've earned and another neat part of this website it hasan option to gamble what you've been earning so there's like this little gamethat you play I think it's called high end low yudice Campbell how much youwant to win you either win or you lose it's a lot of people win a lot of moneyI'm not gonna play that game I'm just gonna go ahead and just keep what I earnand typically I just thought transfer it over to my wallet and then they alsohave weekly lottery drawings and they do have me crisis so let's go ahead let'stake a look at the free Bitcoin platform okay so we want to go to a free bit CEOdot I in free Bitcoin and this is how the website looks like it's a up it'sfairly simple if you want to earn your freeBitcoin you want to go to free Bitcoin and then what you want to do is enteryour ketchup as I think that's how you pronounce it you just want to make sureyou're not some bot so answer your CAPTCHA and once you roll that's whenyou get your Satoshi Satoshi just in case if you're not sure what it's aToshi is that's just a one decimal being Bitcoin so let's go ahead let's roll andI earned twelve Satoshi's so that's pretty cool and with this website youhave the option to roll every 59 minutes and the great thing about this they dohave different levels of how much you're able to pay out so depending on whatnumber you land on you're either going to get between twelve satoshis up towhat's what's this number 1 million 180 2033 satoshis and if you want to see howmuch that is in u.
dollars let's go ahead and convert that that should befun not really let's go ahead and do this Ilove to use currency dot Co just in case if you want to learn just in case if youwant to exchange or convert your your currency so what I'm gonna do I'm goingto convert it from Bitcoin and what I do I basically put in my currency so I putBTC two US dollars paste that in there convert it so yep the highest pea thehighest payout is two hundred and eight dollars so you can get that within anhour's so just make sure you leave this browser open and you should be able tocollect your free Bitcoin what I do I have this little check mark right hereit says place sounds when your timer runs out so that way it reminds you whenit's time to get your free Bitcoin and as you can see over here this is my mybalance so I have 67 Satoshi keep in mind a heritage transferwhat I did earn into my wallet I keep that over in my bit connect wallet butanyways I'm not gonna get into that but you you should be able to see herbalance right here so that's one way you can earn free Bitcoin on this platformanother way you can do is once you earn your feed Bitcoin you can go over tomultiply Bitcoin and this is a game that you can play it's called high and lowI'm not gonna play it it's a very simple game you should you can be able toresearch it online just to see how to play high and low there's like differenttactics I don't play this just because I don't want to risk when I lose once Ihave a certain amount of Satoshi or Bitcoin I go ahead and just transfer itover to my wallet another way to do it is by referrals so whenever someoneclicks on your link for free Bitcoin and whenever they roll whenever they playthe lottery whenever they play high and low would you actually get a percentageof those sorts of the Satoshi and on top of that you get a 25% increase yep Wowit even says right there we also pay a 25% referral commission on any interestearned by your referrals so that's pretty cool oh my and I'm back sorryabout that I was having some technical difficulties my computer shut off on meand now I'm back taking like 30 minutes to recover everything but um this is anX portion this is the lottery so they do have a lottery you're enteredautomatically so every time you're rolling you're gonna get two freebitcoins I mean two free lottery tickets and this happens every week so right nowfirst prize for the week would be let's go ahead and do a little conversion soif you're lucky holy-moly you can actually get $11,000so that's the lottery I have yet to play or I have yet to win anything I shouldsay cuz it automatically plays for you every week and you do a heavy referraltab over here I'm gonna gives you more informationon your commission rates so that is free Bitcoin I do have a link in thedescription go ahead sign up start earning free Bitcoin every hour andhopefully you're one of those lucky people that does win the biggest payoutin that one hour alright let's go on and move on to the next okay next we havecoinbase this is actually my favorite wallets but this you're able to buyyou're able to buy and sell Bitcoin you're able to hold Bitcoin and you'reable transfer Bitcoin it's completely free to sign up once you buy $100 worthof Bitcoin you get $10 worth of Bitcoin for freeumm this is beginner friendly so if you don't have a wallet go with coinbasesign up it's free you have you really don't have nothing to lose if you'regonna buy Bitcoin and on top of that you do get unlimited free Bitcoin this isthis actually came to a surprise for me I wasn't really pushing for Commission Iended up dropping the link to coin base on a Facebook group just to kind of testit out and well what did I put I ended up advertising it has just the freewallet because there was somebody in a Facebook group that was asking questionsabout where to get a wallet I give him my link I knew I had a referral code butthen again I wasn't really pushing for it he didn't sign up it was actuallysomeone else that saw that link so I did get a commission off of that and yeahyou do have the option and get free unlimited bitcoins so I just want to goahead and just show you proof that um I did earn ten dollars with a free Bitcoinwhen someone's it sign up under me I got this a couple days ago this is actuallyuh two weeks ago the day after Christmas and basically this is how the emaillooks like it just tells you you received some Satoshi I see Satoshiversus Bitcoin because it's not a full Bitcoin it's a fraction of it but I gotthese send me ten dollars and yeah thank yous in forI think already thinking what am i videos before and yep this is yourreferrals okay so I'm pretty sure wondering how do I get my ten dollarswithout referring somebody what you're gonna do you're gonna go to coinbaseyou're going to sign up for coinbase and then once you're signed up once you'veadded your payment method you're gonna go over to buy and sell and you're let'ssee what does it say over here BTC binds unavailable bitcoin purchases aretemporarily unavailable we apologize for the convenience so that is new to meI've never seen that before that I'm pretty sure that's more of a once in awhile thing they're probably doing some maintenance but regardless let's goahead and pretend that that message is not there let's dismiss it bye-byeand what we're gonna do we're gonna answer how much we wanna buy a brandanswer one hundred dollars you don't have to buy a hundred dollars it can belike five dollars ten dollars whatever the case may be but we're talking abouthow to get free Bitcoin in order to get the free Bitcoin you need to buy hundreddollars worth so you buy your hundred dollars you receive it in your accountthen you'll receive an email letting you know that you receive your ten dollarsworth of free Bitcoin and I'm gonna go ahead and show you another strategy onhow to earn free Bitcoin with coinbase once you have your profiles set upyou're gonna go ahead and click on your profile and click on invite friends guyswith cryptocurrency it is booming a lot of people think it's just the bubble andif it is a bubble that bubble is not going to burstwell for years many many years to come so get on itstart makes you make sure you're investing in Bitcoin and if your friendsand family if they're interested in Bitcoin you can share this link let mesee where it's at oh look it's letting me know I've Ireferred one person okay so this is gonna be your link you could share it onFacebook Twitter Instagram tumblr reddits whatever the case may be anyforums that you might be a part of but what I like to do well how I earn myfirst Commission my only Commission that I had to have from last week or twoweeks ago I went to a Facebook group and it was like make money at a home type ofgroup someone was wanting to know information about getting a Bitcoinwallet I referred him to coinbase I knew I could get this refer I didn't reallypush for it locked it in the group the dude didn't sign up for it it wasactually Zen I don't even know who Zen is but think he's in for signing up butthat's one of the easiest ways to probably earn free Bitcoin with coinbasekeep in mind guys I didn't push for no I didn't push for no commissions referralsI just think it lets me link there so if you actually push for commissions forreferrals or whatever I'm pretty sure you can get a decent amount okay so thisone's my ultimate ultimate ultimate favorites platform I think I'm in lovewith this platform I'm always on it every single day so this is bid connectso it's big connect so you're able to earn 1 to 2 percent interest daily on adaily basis yes daily I'm going to show you how muchI've been making I started seven days ago yes seven days ago its beginnerfriendly meaning you really don't need to know too much about cryptocurrencyall you need to know about this website it has a volatility software and youdon't even know what you don't even need to know what that means you can justgoogle it research it on the side but basically this system works your moneyfor you and you get paid out every single dayso yes it's daily passive income and honestly its financial freedom one ofthe reasons why I did join bit connect is because I saw a lot of broke peoplepeople that didn't really have much money people that only had like twohundred dollars in their bank account they went from being broke to going onvacation so even in villages like even quitting their jobs guys you need toYouTube big connect reviews look at different people look at their resultslook at the success it is very real let's go ahead and dive into big connectokay this is the bit connect platform as you can see over here this is my lendingwallet what this is this is the wallet that I have to receive all my dailyinterest that I do make off of big connect so so far in the past seven daysI've made $6.
63 and if you haven't watched my first video day one but theyconnected go ahead go back to videos watch it and you'll kind of understandwhat bit connect is I'm not gonna go too in depth because this is not a bitconnect to review this is just a different ways to make a free Bitcoin solet's go ahead and dive in so it big connect basically it's a it's a platformthat works your money for you what you do you put Bitcoin you put Bitcoin inthe Bitcoin wallet for be connect and did what I like to do I like to transferthat Bitcoin for my coinbase wallet transfer it to my bit connect wallet andthen you want to go ahead and purchase or exchange bit connect bit Connect isjust a different type of currency so there's Bitcoin there's like coinsaetherium ripple there there's just so many different types of currency butwith big connects and this is my favorite one my second favorite currencyso you'll go ahead and exchange your Bitcoin to be connect and then once youexchange a bit connect it turns into value so what I'm gonna do I basicallyland the connect money the minimum would be $100 and off of this investment thatyou're giving them you're actually getting one back one to two percentI've actually been receiving more than one percent on on a daily basis and sofar I've lent two hundred dollars and I just wanted to go ahead and show you howmuch I've been making every single day so just imagine what you'll end getslends out for about two hundred and ninety nine days depending on how muchyou're lending let me just go back really quick I'm gonna click on lens abit connect so right here tells you a few runs between 100 to 1000 dollarsthis will be released after two hundred ninety nine days keep in mind you'reyou're getting paid every single day but your capital will be released by thisway this way this day so you're making basically like a dollar or a little overa dollar every single day for $299 I mean two hundred ninety nine days butI'm keep in mind that um you do have the option to reinvest so when you reinvestwhat happens you're your balance keeps growing it keeps growing it keepsgrowing and a lot of people think this is some sort of a Ponzi scheme this is apyramid or whatever it's really not I want you to do your research don'tjust take my word for it but um a lot of people they're starting to get a lot offinancial freedom off a big connect and once again if cryptocurrency if it is abubble it's not gonna burst for many many many many years to comewhy because there's just so much available people have in mind all theavailable bitcoins that's available and you're probably thinking what the hellare you talking about I'm not gonna go to it this is a free Bitcoin videos solet's go ahead and see how much I've been making so I go to transactions andthen after are this loads I'm gonna go to London wallet and as you can see myfirst initial investment was a hundred dollars and after that day - I made 91cents 10 cents 82 cents a dollar twenty seven forty cents that's all 51 and thenI'm like okay this is this is making me some good money so let me go ahead andinvest another hundred dollars so I did that and it looks like I'm getting paidtwice now since there's two active loans I'm eating paid twice a day now so todayI made 81 cents and well I made to 81 sons and oh my goodness I'm horriblewith math so times two so today I made a dollar sixty-two so keep in mind themore you you invest the more you're gonna make and you really don't have toreinvest your whole money you can just reinvest your profits so if you justwant to start with the hundred dollars let it there let us sit thereonce you get $10 go ahead and reinvest it and that's my bill I'll be right backand you're probably wondering how is all of this how is all of that all of thishow is that earning free Bitcoin well what you're gonna do once you get yourlending wallet let's say you have like one thousand dollars you want to just goahead just cash out you're gonna transfer it it's gonna transfer as bigconnect and then what you're gonna do you're going to exchange your bitconnects your Bitcoin so technically you're getting your free Bitcoin fromwhatever you've earned and then from there on you can just go ahead andtransfer it over to coinbase or your or any other platform and withdraw it as UScurrency so you think that what you're able to spend your money and another wayis to give referrals so there's a referral program with big Canucks and Ibelieve with every person that you do refer you get a 7% let's see itokay and thanks to the magic of the internet I did find this on Google sothe structure tab it connects referral program is spaced on levels in order foryou to participate in big connects referral program you must have activeloans as a user each level has a particular Commission payout issued bybid connect to users who have referred people to the platform there's a totalof seven levels of the connects referral program so meaning if someone were tosign up under you if they were to put a loan out you're gonna get seven percentoff of that loan let's say someone signs up under them so let's say that personlends $100 you're gonna get three percent off of that loan so as you cansee you can this this can accumulate really really really fast so that is bigconnect that is a referral program and there you have it those are three waysto earn free Bitcoin what do you need to do next you need to take action I haveall the links provided in the description below thank god that freeBitcoin platform is completely free go take advantage of it get your freeBitcoin every 60 minutes if you have any questions go ahead put them in thecomments below but yes take action make mistakes getmessy I sound like Miss Frizzle and I really don't give up hey guys what's upthank you for checking out this video if you like what you see and if you want tosee more videos like this go ahead and subscribe and like this video.
Should you invest in cryptocurrency or Bitcoin
With the 21st century demand for quick and big profits, one of the most controversial new investment vehicles has been Bitcoins, the virtual currency. It's gained controversy partly because of its volatility, partly through the instability of Bitcoin exchanges and partly because their in-traceability meant they were a favored payment method for criminals.
Things are changing and after a particularly volatile spell in which one of the main exchanges, MtGox, filed for bankruptcy, the currency seems to have settled into a more stable pattern allowing investors to be able to take a measured view of whether to risk their money in a currency that technically doesn't exist.
Although Bitcoins are becoming increasingly popular, the market is still quite small, meaning that good and bad news can have a disproportionate effect on the price. The long term outlook for Bitcoins is potentially good, meaning that the upside on price is stronger than the potential for a decline over the long term. Most brokers recommend that you consider Bitcoin a medium to long term investment because of its volatility. Think of it in terms of real estate. No one buys and sells houses many times a day and there can be significant drops in property prices but the long term trend for property prices is usually up. The same can be said for Bitcoins. Whilst there is a significant daily trade in the currency, many Bitcoins are held as investments as analysts believe that it's likely the price of Bitcoins will rise long term because they are becoming more widely accepted.
Just like with any investment, the value can fall, and events like the collapse of MtGox and the closing down of Silk Road, negatively affected Bitcoins; not just because demand was reduced but also because Bitcoins were falsely linked with the companies by urban myth. The market seems to be becoming more regular, but not necessarily regulated, as more exchanges come online. Some of the exchanges will go the same way as MtGox but others will consolidate and become stronger and more reliable. No doubt official regulation will be applied to Bitcoins in due course at which time the volatility is likely to reduce.
Bitcoins represent an exciting and potentially lucrative medium to long term investment vehicle. Exciting because it hasn't yet been accepted into the mainstream of currencies or investment vehicles. One thing investors like about Bitcoins is their conviction to prospects as was in gold
Is Bitcoin A Good Investment?
The best way to learn about bitcoin, is to jump in and get a few in your "pocket" to get a feel for how they work.
Despite the hype about how difficult and dangerous it can be, getting bitcoins is a lot easier and safer than you might think. In a lot of ways, it is probably easier than opening an account at a traditional 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 a person or an exchange.
Before getting started, you will need to get yourself a wallet. You can do this easily enough by registering with one of the exchanges which will host wallet for you. And, although I think you are going to want to have one or more exchange wallets eventually, you should start with one on your own computer both to get a better feel for bitcoin and because the exchanges are still experimental themselves. When we get to that stage of the discussion, I will be advising that you get in the habit of moving your money and coins off the exchanges or diversifying across exchanges to keep your money safe.
What is a wallet?
It is a way to store your bitcoins. Specifically, it is software that has been designed to store bitcoin. It can be run on your desktop computer, laptop, mobile device (except, as yet, Apple) and can also be made to store bitcoins on things like thumb drives. If you are concerned about being hacked, then that is a good option. Even the Winklevoss* twins, who have millions invested in bitcoin, put their investment on hard drives which they then put into a safety deposit box.
*The Winklevoss twins are the ones who originally had the idea for a social networking site that became Facebook. They hired Mark Zuckerberg who took their idea as his own and became immensely rich.
What do you need to know about having a bitcoin wallet on your computer?
Below you can download the original bitcoin wallet, or client, in Windows or Mac format. These are not just wallets, but are in fact part of the bitcoin network. They will receive, store, and send your bitcoins. You can create one or more addresses with a click (an address is a number that looks like this: 1LyFcQatbg4BvT9gGTz6VdqqHKpPn5QBuk). You will see a field where you can copy and paste a number like this from a person you want to send money to and off it will go directly into that person's wallet. You can even create a QR code which will let someone take a picture with an app on their phone and send you some bitcoin. It 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 and as part of the bitcoin system. The reason 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 part of that system, checking and supporting the network. This wallet serves as your personal wallet and also as a support for that system. Therefore, be aware that it will take up 8-9 gigabytes of your 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 computer, and makes the system as a whole more secure, so it's a good idea.
- The original wallet.
- This 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, this is a very easy to use option.
- Search for Bitcoin Qt wallet download to find their site.
- Runs on top of Bitcoi Qt, so it has all of the same syncing requirements.
- Armory allows you to back up, encrypt, and the ability to store your bitcoins off line.
- Search for Bitcoin Armory Wallet to find their site.
* There is software to make printing your paper wallets easier. bitcoinpaperwallet.com is one of the best and includes a good tutorial about how to use them.
* The bitcoins are not actually in the wallet, they are still on the web. In fact, the outside of the wallet will have a QR code that will allow you ship coins to the wallet any time you like.
* The sealed part of the wallet will have the private key without which you cannot access the coins. Therefore, only put as many coins on the wallet as you want to be inaccessible. You will not be able to whip this thing out and take out a few coins to buy a cup of coffee. Rather, think of it as a piggy bank. To get the money, you have to smash it. It is possible to take out smaller amounts, but at this point the security of the wallet is compromised and it would be easier for someone to steal the coins. Better to have them all in or out.
* People who use paper wallets are usually security conscious, and there are a number of ways for the nefarious in the world to hack your computer. Bitcoinpaperwallet.com gives a lot of good advice about how to print your wallets securely.
Some people have also asked about buying bitcoins on eBay. Yes, it is possible, but they will be far overpriced. So, selling on eBay might seem to be a better option given the extreme markup over market value you might see. But, as with anything that is too good to be true, this is too good to be true. As I will explain in the next section, selling bitcoin this way is just way too risky.
How Not to Buy Bitcoin
In the next section, I am going to explain a couple of key points about buying from Bitcoin Exchanges. Before I do, let me give you a warning.
A short history lesson: When people first started setting up actual business based on bitcoin, they used all of the tools available to any merchant. They sold by credit card and PayPal. The problem with this business model was quickly spotted: bitcoin transactions are not reversible by anyone except the recipient of the money. Credit cards and PayPal have strong buyer protection policies that make it relatively easy for people to request a chargeback. So, nefarious individuals realized this and began making purchases of bitcoin and then sooner or later requesting a chargeback. And, since bitcoin is a non-physical product, sent by new and poorly understood technological means, the sellers were not able to contest this. Because of this, sellers stopped accepting credit cards and PayPal.
This was a big problem for the currency: How to move money between buyers and seller? Some business emerged that would credit you with bitcoin if you wired them money. Very often these businesses would give addresses in Albania, Poland, or Russia. The fact is that many of these did work and there are a lot of stories on the forums of people who bought bitcoins this way. But it took a lot of time and in the meantime the buyer just had to bite his or her fingernails wondering if they would get their bitcoins or kiss their investment goodbye.
I expect that as bitcoin becomes more acceptable and valuable, we are going to see a version of the Nigerian Prince scam. So the warning is this: we now have exchanges and other businesses that allow for moving money easily onto and off of exchanges. Never wire money for bitcoin. It was a short-lived, and well-forgotten, moment in the history of bitcoin.
Next, I will be talking about how to buy from a bitcoin exchange and give a review of the some of the best known exchanges.