Learn
What is this, and how does it work?
- Explainers at three depths
- A glossary with a short definition for every term
- Learning paths by entry question
An independent reference for crypto and money
Every “what the …?” has an answer.
Understand crypto. See the bigger picture. Decide for yourself. From the first wallet to the forces that move markets, explained without being told what to buy.
No account. No ads. No price signals. Methodology and conflicts of interest are public.
Photo: Annie Spratt (Unsplash License)
Four pillars, one path
Learn the concept, do it safely, compare the products, see the context.
Every page is one click from the concept behind it and one click from the action in front of it.
Do
How do I do this safely and correctly?
- Setting up a first wallet
- Writing and checking a backup
- Crypto and tax in Germany
Choose
Which product serves my purpose?
- Wallets, ranked by your weighting
- Exchanges and the MiCA register
- How a rating is produced
Context
What moves this market, and what is the bigger picture?
- Macro Lens: rates, liquidity, money supply
- Regulation and CBDC Watch
- Thesis and counter-thesis
Open WhatTheChain. Understand the concept. Compare the products. See the bigger picture. Decide for yourself.
Context · Macro Lens
What did 100 buy in the year you were born?
The price index has no published values yet.
Context · Money in everyday life
Money in everyday life
Forms of money on the same questions. We show properties, not opinions.
| Cash | Bank deposit | Retail CBDC in an account (as specified) | Stablecoin under your own key | Bitcoin under your own key | Bitcoin on Lightning, your own wallet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who can freeze a balance | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced |
| Offline use | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced |
| Who can see transaction data | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced |
| Counterparty risk | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced |
No cell of this excerpt is sourced yet.
How we stay independent
You don’t have to believe us. You can check.
The reader should be able to see why WhatTheChain arrives at a result, and who paid WhatTheChain for what.
No pay-to-rank
No paid placement, verification, prioritisation or visibility of any kind. The ranking code has no access to commercial data.
Every partner link labelled
In plain text beside the link, in every language, saying that WhatTheChain may receive a commission.
Non-partners rated the same
A product is rated whether or not its maker is a partner, with the same detail, in the same list, by the same sort.
No preview
No provider, partner or payer sees a rating or a change before it is published, including in a dispute.
WhatTheChain Academy
The whole picture, in order, at your own pace.
A self-paced programme built on the free library: from how money works to markets, risk and policy. Every course will be open to read; an exam and a certificate will be optional.
In preparation: the Academy opens later.
Newsletter
One term a week
One glossary term, one chart, three sentences. No market commentary, no forecast.