Money Money is a tool that allows us to trade with each other and save for our future. There have been many different kinds of money over the years, some better for frequent spending, and others better for long-term saving. Dollars, for example, are great for spending, but rising prices caused by inflation make it a poor choice for savings. Gold works well for savings, but its weight makes it difficult to spend, especially over great distances. There has never been a money that was good for both spending and saving, until Bitcoin. Bitcoin was invented in 2008 by an unknown individual or group going by the name Satoshi Nakamoto . However, Bitcoin is not run by Satoshi or any central group, but by its users. This means that you don’t have to trust any middleman to keep your money safe, and no one can stop your transactions if they don’t like how you spend your money. Instead, computers run by users around the world audit Bitcoin’s entire system and enforce its rules approximately every 10 minutes. These rules include bitcoin’s maximum supply, which will never exceed 21 million. This permanent scarcity makes Bitcoin great for long-term savings, and its digital, secure, and easily divisible nature make it great for spending anywhere in the world. How to Acquire Bitcoin It’s easy to trade dollars for even the tiniest pieces of bitcoin (called satoshis , or sats , which are each a 100 millionth of a bitcoin). Scan one of the QR codes below to find a local Azteco vendor you can trade with in-person, or start stacking sats automatically through Swan Bitcoin. Azteco Vendors azte.co/find_a_vendor Swan Bitcoin SwanBitcoin.com/jsellers Securing Your Bitcoin Download a free Bitcoin wallet, such as Blue Wallet or Muun, to your phone or desktop. Wallets are apps that hold an encrypted code, known as your private key , which enables you to access and interact with your bitcoin. Most wallets display your private key as 12 or 24 words, so it can be easily read, written down, and even memorized. You should never share your private key with anyone, or store it on a computer or cloud service! It’s your backup, so write it on a piece of paper while creating your wallet, and store that paper somewhere safe from theft, fire or flood. Remember: For all intents and purposes, your private key is your bitcoin! Blue Wallet bluewallet.io Great for holding large amounts for long-term storage Muun Wallet muun.com Great for holding small amounts for frequent spending Using Your Bitcoin To send or receive bitcoin, use the corresponding buttons in your wallet. When receiving bitcoin, your wallet will create a unique QR code that you can share with the sender. When sending bitcoin, scan the receiver’s QR code, or copy-paste their QR code data into the address line. Bitcoin keeps a permanent record of all transactions, and stores them on a shared ledger, called the Timechain. Every ~10 minutes, a new link is added to Bitcoin’s Timechain, which adds more security to all previous transactions. The Lightning Network is built on top of Bitcoin, and uses Bitcoin’s security, while adding speed and privacy. The Lightning Network can only be used by Lightning-compatible wallets. Bitcoin sent to on-chain addresses will need to be confirmed and secured by the network, so a small fee will need to be paid to those who are working to confirm your transactions. The fee amount will depend on the space your transaction will take up in the next “page” (or block) of the ledger, how quickly you want your transaction to be confirmed, and the number of pending transactions that are also waiting to be confirmed. Bitcoin sent over the Lightning Network arrives in the recipient’s wallet instantly, and at little-to-no cost to the sender. But, it must be sent between wallets that are compatible with Lightning, such as Muun Wallet. Most businesses don’t accept bitcoin yet, but that will change soon. Scan the first QR code below to find local merchants that accept bitcoin, and the second one to buy gift cards with bitcoin, and earn sats back! BTC Map btcmap.org/map Find local businesses that accept bitcoin The Bitcoin Company links.thebitcoincompany.com/Kpfw Buy gift cards, and earn sats back! Frequently Asked Questions What about other cryptocurrencies? - Bitcoin is the only leaderless and incorruptible money in the world. Thousands of cryptocurrencies have been created to capitalize on Bitcoin’s success, but they’re managed like businesses with profit motives. Does Bitcoin waste energy? - No. Bitcoin uses energy that would have been wasted, and naturally incentivizes the development of reliable sources of clean energy. All financial institutions use energy, but Bitcoin’s energy usage secures its record of transactions, and keeps your money safe. What if the power grid or internet go down? - Copies of Bitcoin’s data exist all around the world, and can be accessed over any communications medium, such as radio, satellites, and USB drives. So, as long as you keep your private key safe, your bitcoin will be waiting for you when connections are restored. Can the government ban Bitcoin? - Any ban on Bitcoin would be difficult –– or even impossible –– to enforce. Since Bitcoin is information secured by energy and math over a decentralized network, government regulations can’t affect its use. Bitcoin is here to stay, so anyone who tries to ban it will only ban themselves from Bitcoin. Keep Learning: Bitcoin.org The unofficial official Bitcoin website 21 Days of Bitcoin Get paid to learn about Bitcoin! Bitcoin Rocks! A website dedicated to explaining why Bitcoin rocks! Connect With Other Bitcoiners: Local Meetups bitcoin-only.com/meetups Bitcoiner Events BitcoinerEvernts.com itcoin Art by @LinaSeiche Our key to a better future.