https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn From your very first wallet through to tax and security. en https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-crypto https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-crypto A crypto asset is a digital asset recorded on a blockchain — a public ledger that tracks balances and transfers without a central operator such as a bank. Prices are set by supply and demand and move a great deal. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-bitcoin https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-bitcoin Bitcoin is the first crypto asset, live since 2009, with a protocol-level cap of 21 million coins. It was the first system to settle transfers without an operator. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-ethereum https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-ethereum Ethereum is a blockchain that runs programs — smart contracts — as well as payments. Most DeFi and NFT activity happens on it. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-blockchain https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-blockchain A blockchain groups transactions into blocks and chains them together. Altering an old record breaks every block after it, so tampering is detectable. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/how-to-choose-exchange https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/how-to-choose-exchange In Japan, first confirm the operator is registered with the FSA. Then compare on three things: whether it lists what you want, whether you trade on a brokerage or an order book, and the fees. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-wallet https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-wallet A wallet does not hold coins — it manages keys. Your assets live on the blockchain, and whoever holds the key can move them. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-gas https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-gas Gas is the fee you pay to have a blockchain execute work. It depends on how heavy the work is and how busy the network is. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-defi https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-defi DeFi is finance — swapping, lending, yield — delivered by smart contracts. No account is needed, but there is also nobody to call when something goes wrong. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-nft https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-nft An NFT is a token that records something as a unique, non-interchangeable item. It records ownership — it does not necessarily transfer copyright. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-staking https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-staking Staking means committing coins to help run a Proof of Stake network in return for rewards. Rewards are not guaranteed and the coin's price risk remains. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/crypto-tax-basics https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/crypto-tax-basics In Japan, gains on crypto assets are in principle treated as miscellaneous income and taxed on an aggregate basis. Confirm your own situation with the tax office or a tax professional. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/security-basics https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/security-basics Most losses come from tricking the user, not from breaking the cryptography. Never enter a seed phrase, and never leave approvals lying around — those two habits prevent most of it. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-web3 https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-web3 Web3 is the idea of putting data and rights on a blockchain rather than a provider's servers, so users can carry their account between services. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-dao https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/what-is-dao A DAO runs decisions and treasury execution through smart contracts and token voting. It is transparent, but voting power concentrates and its legal status is unsettled. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/private-key https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/private-key A private key is the number that grants the power to move assets on a blockchain. Whoever holds it is treated as the owner, so the moment someone else learns it, the funds are theirs to take. Nearly all of crypto security comes down to protecting this one value. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/seed-phrase https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/seed-phrase A seed phrase is a list of 12 to 24 words that can regenerate every private key in a wallet. If your device breaks, the words rebuild the wallet. The flip side is that anyone who reads them owns your funds. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/public-key-address https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/public-key-address A public key is computed from your private key and lets anyone verify your signatures. An address is a shorter encoding of that public key, and it is safe to share. Private key, public key and address are derived in that order, one way only. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hash-function https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hash-function A hash function turns input of any length into a fixed-length output. Change one character of the input and the output is completely different, which makes it a reliable way to detect tampering. That property is the foundation of a blockchain's integrity. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/mining https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/mining Mining is the work of bundling transactions into a block and appending it to the ledger, rewarded with newly issued coins plus fees. Because participants spend real resources competing, rewriting the ledger becomes prohibitively expensive — which is what keeps the network secure. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/proof-of-work https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/proof-of-work Proof of Work grants the right to produce a block to whoever can prove they performed a large amount of computation. Rewriting the ledger would mean redoing all that work, which makes tampering economically irrational. It is the mechanism Bitcoin introduced. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/proof-of-stake https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/proof-of-stake Proof of Stake assigns the right to produce blocks to participants who lock up the chain's own token. Misbehaviour costs them that stake, so honest behaviour is the rational choice. Ethereum switched to this model in 2022. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/node https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/node A node is a computer running blockchain software and taking part in the network. It receives transactions and blocks, checks them against the rules itself, and passes them on. Having nodes spread worldwide is what removes the need for a central operator. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/smart-contract https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/smart-contract A smart contract is a program deployed on a blockchain that runs automatically when its conditions are met. It enforces terms without an intermediary — but its code is public, and a bug in it can drain funds directly. DeFi and NFTs are both built on this. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/dex https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/dex A DEX lets you swap directly from your own wallet without depositing funds with an operator. There is no account to open and listings are permissionless — but there is also no support desk when you mis-click or buy a scam token. Smart contracts execute everything. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/cex https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/cex A CEX is an operator-run exchange that holds customer assets and matches their trades. It gives you fiat deposits and human support — but while funds sit there, the operator holds the keys. In Japan, running one requires registration with the Financial Services Agency. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/amm https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/amm An AMM replaces the order book with a formula: the price comes from the ratio of two assets sitting in a pool. A trade can always execute without a matching counterparty, but a trade that is large relative to the pool moves the price sharply against you. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/liquidity-pool https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/liquidity-pool A liquidity pool is a smart contract holding the assets that a DEX trades against. Depositors earn a share of swap fees, but as prices move the pool rebalances their holdings, and the outcome can end up worse than simply holding. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/yield-farming https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/yield-farming Yield farming is the general term for depositing assets into DeFi protocols to collect fees and distributed tokens. Headline yields are projections that assume the distributed token holds its price — and when it does not, the realised outcome differs sharply. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/crypto-lending https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/crypto-lending Crypto lending means lending out assets you hold in exchange for interest. It comes in two forms — intermediated by an exchange, or handled entirely by a DeFi contract — and each carries a different risk. While lent, the assets are generally not yours to sell. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/token-vs-coin https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/token-vs-coin A coin has its own blockchain; a token is issued by a smart contract on someone else's chain. The distinction matters in practice because it determines which asset pays the fee and which network you must send to. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/erc-20 https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/erc-20 ERC-20 is the standard interface for fungible tokens on Ethereum. Because balance and transfer functions share the same names, wallets and exchanges can support any such token without custom work. Most Ethereum tokens follow it. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/erc-721 https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/erc-721 ERC-721 is the Ethereum standard for tokens that are individually distinct — NFTs. Each carries a unique ID whose owner is tracked on-chain. What the standard guarantees is the ownership record, not any copyright in the underlying work. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/stablecoin https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/stablecoin A stablecoin is a crypto asset designed to track the value of a fiat currency such as the US dollar. People use it to step out of volatile assets and to move value. Whether the peg actually holds depends on the issuer's reserves and the mechanism behind it. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/bridge https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/bridge A bridge lets an asset on one blockchain be used on another, usually by locking it on the source chain and minting an equivalent token on the destination. It is also the part of the ecosystem where the largest exploits have concentrated. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/layer-2 https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/layer-2 A Layer 2 executes transactions off the main chain and posts only the results back to it, easing fees and congestion. What separates it from an independent chain is that it derives its security from Layer 1. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/rollup https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/rollup A rollup is a Layer 2 design that executes many transactions off-chain and posts a compressed record of the results to the main chain. How it proves those results are correct splits rollups into optimistic and zero-knowledge types. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/zk-rollup https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/zk-rollup A ZK rollup attaches a cryptographic validity proof showing that a batch of transactions was executed correctly. The main chain only has to verify the proof, so results finalise without waiting out a challenge window. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/optimistic-rollup https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/optimistic-rollup An optimistic rollup accepts posted results as valid by default and lets anyone challenge them with a fraud proof. Skipping per-batch proofs keeps it cheap, but exits to the main chain must wait out the challenge window. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/consensus-algorithm https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/consensus-algorithm A consensus algorithm is the rule by which a network without an administrator agrees on which record is authoritative. Proof of Work and Proof of Stake are the best-known examples, and the choice shapes fees, finality speed and the security assumptions involved. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hard-fork https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hard-fork A hard fork changes a blockchain's rules in a way that older software cannot accept. If participants disagree, the chain can split in two and become separate assets. It is also the ordinary mechanism for shipping protocol upgrades. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/halving https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/halving A halving is the point at which the amount of new currency issued to miners is cut in half. On Bitcoin it happens roughly every four years — precisely, every 210,000 blocks. Issuance slows, but what price does afterwards is not knowable in advance. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/whitepaper https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/whitepaper A whitepaper is a project's own document describing how its technology works, what it is for, and how its token is distributed. No third party vets it and it goes through no approval process, so reading one means separating verifiable claims from aspiration. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/airdrop https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/airdrop An airdrop is a project distributing tokens free of charge to users who meet some criterion, usually to seed adoption or widen early distribution. It is also a heavily abused term: the act of 'claiming' one can itself be the attack. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/cold-wallet https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/cold-wallet A cold wallet keeps private keys entirely offline. That makes it far harder to attack over the internet, at the cost of extra steps every time you send. It is where long-term holdings are usually kept. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hot-wallet https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hot-wallet A hot wallet holds private keys on an internet-connected device. It sends instantly and connects easily to DeFi and NFT services, but a compromised device means lost funds. The usual rule is to keep only what you actually use day to day. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hardware-wallet https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/hardware-wallet A hardware wallet locks the private key inside a dedicated device and performs signing there. Even a compromised computer never sees the key. That advantage only holds, though, if you check the transaction on the device's own screen. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/multisig https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/multisig Multisig requires more than one signature to move funds, so a single leaked key is not enough to lose them. It is more resilient than single-key custody and is the standard approach for company and DAO treasuries. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/on-chain-off-chain https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/on-chain-off-chain On-chain means recorded on the blockchain; off-chain means handled outside it. Trades inside an exchange are off-chain, while a withdrawal is on-chain. Which side an action happens on determines what record exists and whether it can be undone. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/governance-token https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/governance-token A governance token grants a vote on protocol changes and treasury decisions, usually weighted by how much you hold. The analogy to shareholder voting is useful but imprecise: it confers no legal shareholder rights. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/mev https://crypto-port.pages.dev/en/learn/mev MEV is the value extractable by whoever decides the order of transactions in a block. From a user's side it shows up as being front-run and filled at a worse price — an invisible cost of trading on a DEX. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT