Reference shelf10 guides
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These guides explain the numbers in the daily log: why Bitcoin fees are priced per byte, how to speed up a stuck transaction, what the Ethereum base fee is, and how to keep coins and records safe. Each one lists its official sources and review date.
- AddressesDo SegWit and Taproot addresses lower Bitcoin fees?Native SegWit and Taproot inputs use far fewer virtual bytes than legacy inputs, so the same fee rate costs less. Sizes, worked examples and address prefixes.
- CustodyHow do you hold your own bitcoin safely?Self-custody means you hold the keys. How seed phrases work, how to back them up, hardware vs software wallets, test transactions and mistakes that lose coins.
- DifficultyHow does the Bitcoin difficulty adjustment work?Every 2,016 blocks Bitcoin resets mining difficulty so blocks average ten minutes. The formula, the 4x clamp, how estimates are made and what it means for fees.
- EthereumHow are Ethereum gas fees calculated?Ethereum fees are gas used times the base fee plus a priority tip. How EIP-1559 moves the base fee by up to 12.5% a block, with worked examples in ETH and USD.
- FeesHow are Bitcoin transaction fees calculated?Bitcoin fees are a transaction’s size in virtual bytes times a fee rate in sat/vB, not a share of the amount sent. Examples, fee tiers and how to pay less.
- HalvingWhen is the next Bitcoin halving and what changes?Every 210,000 blocks the Bitcoin block subsidy halves. Past halving dates, the next one at block 1,050,000, how its date is estimated and what it does to fees.
- MempoolWhat is the Bitcoin mempool and why does it fill up?The mempool is each node’s waiting room for unconfirmed Bitcoin transactions. How backlog is measured in blocks, why it spikes and when low-fee payments drop.
- SafetyHow can you spot a cryptocurrency scam?Crypto scams share patterns: guaranteed returns, pressure, seed phrase requests, fake support and withdrawal fees. FTC and FBI red flags and where to report.
- Stuck txHow do you speed up a stuck Bitcoin transaction?Two ways to speed up an unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction: Replace-By-Fee if you sent it, Child-Pays-For-Parent if you received it. Math, steps and limits.
- TaxWhen do you owe tax on cryptocurrency?In the US and UK most crypto disposals are taxable: selling, swapping and spending. Official IRS and HMRC rules, Form 1099-DA, record-keeping and network fees.
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