In addition to the online version, there is also the option of a hardware wallet. This form of digital wallet is reminiscent of a USB stick. Since the wallet is stored on an external device, it may be a very secure option. The only problem is that you can lose the wallet.
When no wallet is required
Anyone who only speculates with the course development does not need a wallet. In this case, no coins are bought, only money is bet on the development of the market. If you are interested in this type of crypto trading, you should get an overview of which providers make this option available in advance. Since there are always reports of black sheep, it is important to clarify in advance whether providers are News Spy Fake or not. Test and experience reports are particularly helpful here. So you should never register with the first provider you come across, but always take a look behind the scenes.
The installation
So-called hot wallets, i.e. the hardware variants, are advertised as simple and trustworthy. Above all, the installation does not pose a great challenge. Just follow the instructions – you will find the corresponding icon on the computer after the installation is complete. If you then click on the wallet symbol, two functions are available. You can create a new wallet or import an existing wallet. It is also possible to choose from different versions. There is often a “safety phrase” – this should be written down and kept in a safe place.
The purpose of the safety record is to allow the wallet to be recovered after the computer crashes.
If you click on the “Receive” tab, you will find your Bitcoin receiving address. If you want to buy cryptocurrency coins, you always have to enter this address, which is the “account number” of the wallet, so to speak.
What are the different ways to get bitcoins?
1. The preferred solution: marketplaces
A large number of exchange platforms offer you to convert your euros into bitcoins (and vice versa). Fees vary by service. Be careful though, there are many bitcoin-related scams and fake sales sites . Do not hesitate to consult our black list (not exhaustive). See also our tips for buying bitcoins without getting scammed .
trading platforms (including Binance *, Kraken *, Bitstamp , Paymium * or Zebitex ) that work by SEPA transfer allow you to make purchases at market price with modest commissions. Payment by credit card is often possible but the costs are then much higher. These platforms, which hold accounts in euros, must be backed by a credit, payment or electronic money institution approved by the ACPR [2]. The registration formalities are generally quite restrictive. We will also distinguish the platforms that manage payments passing through the Lightning Network and allow micro-transactions to be made at the lowest cost, Bitfinex * for example;
– Services such as Stackinsat * or Paymium * which automatically buy bitcoin at regular time intervals to smooth the average purchase price;
– escrow platforms connect buyers and sellers and do not hold euro accounts. The selling prices are often higher than those of the market but the means of payment are varied: cash, postal account mandate , bank transfer;
– one-way points of sale (you cannot sell bitcoins there) sometimes accept, for an additional fee, payments by credit card or Neosurf prepaid cards ;
– physical exchanges (such as the Comptoir des Cybermoines in Bordeaux for example) also charge a generally quite substantial commission but advise and initiate new users;
– Bitcoin distributors (very rare in France), generally linked to a trade;
– sales services by telephone code which generally take very high commissions.
To choose the best platform, you can use this ranking . Whichever exchange you choose, remember that bitcoin is very volatile, it’s a speculative investment and you should only invest in it what you can afford to lose.
Warning: There are many bitcoin-related scams and fake sales sites. Do not hesitate to consult our blacklist and help us to complete it.
2.Sites allowing to obtain free fractions of bitcoin.
Free but very unprofitable, these sites promise you a few tiny fractions of bitcoin in exchange for “human brain time” available for advertising, or to attract visitors to their gambling platform. These sites are at best the means for the die-hards to test Bitcoin without spending any money. But it will take you a long time to manage to get the sufficient amount to be able to make a withdrawal. Be careful though : most of these sites do not keep their promises, worse, some may hide malware or display advertisements for Ponzi schemes or other scams. Only recommendable site (only for its old and proven “faucet” )
3. Affiliate programs
Solution reserved for website publishers paid by advertising. The best performers: Ledger Wallet *, and Coinbase *
4. Bitcoin mining
Mining is the process that allows transactions to be recorded in the marble of the Bitcoin timechain . Minors carry out mathematical calculations with their computer equipment. As a reward for their services, they collect the newly minted bitcoins along with the fees from the transactions they confirm. Miners (or miners’ cooperatives) are in competition and their income is proportional to the computing power deployed. Complex and expensive, bitcoin mining is not at all a profitable activity for an individual. In general, the mining of “crypto-currencies” is only recommended in Europe for people who have, for domestic purposes, their own green electricity generator (solar, wind, geothermal, hydraulic) without having the possibility of reselling production surpluses on the public network. Let’s add that a certain number of companies offer “on cloud” rental of mining equipment. These proposals are rarely profitable, when it is not simply a question of pure scams. Other companies offer to host your equipment on sites located abroad in regions where electricity is produced at low cost.
5. The sale of goods through classified advertisements.
Selling goods for bitcoins is not easy, few buyers own bitcoins and are willing to spend them. Sites specializing in this type of transaction are therefore rare. Let us quote the dedicated page of the bitcoin talk forum .
6. The sale of goods or services.
Adding Bitcoin to the list of payment methods accepted by your business will not cost you anything. For this option we recommend that you register on coinmap.org and in the bitcoin.fr directory . For small amounts it is recommended to use the Lightning Network, preferably installing its own lightning node. The uninitiated can use the services of a payment processor .
7. Earn interest on your bitcoins.
Some platforms offer to pay interest on deposited bitcoins. freebitco.in * for example offers 4.08% per annum, or more on you buying a certain number of “fun” tokens (see EARN BTC ). Other platforms like nexo.io * or, in France, coinhouse.com * also offers yield on cryptocurrencies. Be careful though, even if the formula works, it is never without risk, whatever the platform. Remember the adage: “Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins” .
8. On bitcoin.fr
Bitcoin.fr also offers 100 satoshis [3] for each spelling error found in its new articles. Satoshis will be sent exclusively by Lightning to tippin.me users.
Rules of the game:
Satoshis are paid for each error reported. Once you have spotted one (or more) error(s), send us a message indicating your payment address (generated with tippin.me ) and for each error:
– the address of the page (Ex: https://bitcoin.fr/une-application-de-bitcoin-la-comptabilite-a-triple-entree2/ )
– the passage containing the error (Ex: “…everyone can accessofto the blockchain…” )
– the corrected passage (Ex: “…everyone can access the blockchain…” ).
Please note:
– only passages in French of recent articles (the last seven days) of bitcoin.fr are concerned ;
– only indisputable spelling and grammatical errors are taken into consideration;
– the comments are not part of the hunting territory (too much game);
– the same error is only taken into account once, on behalf of the first person to report it.
How to buy bitcoins without getting scammed
With the rise in the price, a large number of new users arrive on bitcoin.fr . Some ask us for our opinion on such and such a platform, others report new scams to us. It therefore seemed appropriate to refresh and put back on the front page the advice we usually give:
1. Know the scams
Aggressive advertising, cold calling, questionable spelling, promises of winnings, testimonials from a celebrity, deposit requests under false pretenses when you want to make a withdrawal… these are the signs that should put you on your alert:
– Beware of aggressive advertisements for cryptocurrencies. Before making a transfer to a platform, do a search on our list of scams . Warning: this list is not exhaustive ;
– Never respond favorably to a telephone solicitation (see here the story of a typical scam ). If you are contacted for cryptocurrencies, you can file a report on Epargne info service on 01 53 45 62 00;
– Beware of sites that promise you a return (especially a daily return), these are almost always scams. In general, beware of unrealistic promises from trading or mining sites guaranteeing quick gains;
– Be aware that one does not become an expert trader in a few hours of online training. Be wary therefore of subscription offers and other trading training “packs” which very often conceal a pyramid selling strategy for the benefit of a handful of crooks;
– In general, avoid cryptocurrency trading if it is not your job or if you do not have any competitive advantage that allows you to access certain information before others. It is very difficult to outperform Bitcoin other than by being very lucky. On the other hand, with the fees charged by the platforms for each transaction, losing money is within everyone’s reach;
– Beware of advertisements that rely on the testimony of a celebrity, it is almost always fake news whose sole purpose is to lure investors into a scam;
– In general, avoid unknown platforms, or advice from strangers who contact you on social networks (for example on Telegram ). To check the reputation of a company, take advice from the community, for example, and/or “google” the address of the site by adding the word “scam” to find possible testimonials.
2. Don’t confuse Bitcoin with another project
Do not confuse Bitcoin, whose unit of account is bitcoin (BTC) with an alternative project that reuses the same name such as: Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Bitcoin SV (BSV), Bitcoin BEP2 (BTCB), Bitcoin Gold (BTG), Bitcoin Diamond (BCD), Bitcoin Cash ABC (BCHA), BitcoinPoS (BPS) , etc.
3. Choose your platform, don’t let platforms choose you
Since December 19, 2020, French companies that sell bitcoins or foreign companies that campaign to the French public or have premises in France, must be registered with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). The list of registered actors is still quite poor, but we can obviously rely on it. All of these companies have strong guarantees. If you want to buy bitcoins but consider it more prudent to entrust the safekeeping of them to a private company, Coin house seems a good compromise. If you want to invest gradually and keep your keys yourself, StackinSat is another. We hope this list will expand quickly – other proven companies are apparently on the right track.
Slightly more experienced users who want to get the best price (provided they pay by SEPA transfer) will prefer trading platforms. They should favor the more established and liquid ones, including Kraken, Binance, and Bitstamp .
Finally, the most expert may be able to venture into DEXs , software or decentralized platforms that allow exchanges between individuals.
4. Be extremely careful and careful in generating and storing your private keys or recovery words
Complete beginners who prefer to delegate the security of their bitcoins to a third party will have to be vigilant in their choice. The AMF’s list seems to make sense here (some players are registered there for the custody of crypto-assets), but we may have to wait for a major hack to find out if these companies actually guarantee 100% of the funds of the investors.
For slightly more advanced users, apps like Block stream Green or Electrum , combined with a hardware wallet , will allow you to securely generate your recovery words. However, be careful how you keep these secret words, plan for all possible scenarios: hacking, theft, fire, memory lapse, death…
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