No guide yet · Wallets
Wallets
Who holds the keys, choosing a custody model, setting up a first wallet, writing and checking a backup.
Guides in this area are written per country. Choose a country above.
Do · Guides for wallets, exchanges, security and tax
Do
Practical guides, step by step. Where the law or the tax rules matter, a guide is written for one country and reviewed for it, and it shows when it was last reviewed and when the next review is due.
Or start where you are
No account needed. Dated and reviewed. Never a personal tax calculation.
There are no guides for Switzerland yet. The countries below have guides.
Choose a country
No country has guides of its own yet.
Families of guides
Start with questions, not with product names.
Who holds the keys? Can anyone block the balance? What happens if the provider disappears, or the phone is lost? Each family answers in order, one guide at a time.
Choose a country to see its guides.
No guide yet · Exchanges and on-ramps
Exchanges and on-ramps
Opening an account with a licensed provider, what KYC involves, reading a fee schedule, withdrawing to self-custody.
Guides in this area are written per country. Choose a country above.
No guide yet · Security
Security
Recognising phishing and impersonation, verifying addresses, SIM swap protection, what to do after a compromise.
Guides in this area are written per country. Choose a country above.
No guide yet · Taxes
Taxes
Which events are taxable in a country, which records to keep, holding periods and allowances. Reviewed by tax counsel and dated to the tax year.
Guides in this area are written per country. Choose a country above.
First steps
Eight things to do before a first purchase.
Tick them off as you go. Each step links to the page that explains it. Nothing here asks what you own or what you plan to buy.
0 of 8 done
Your ticks are stored in this browser only. Nothing is sent to WhatTheChain.
No one legitimate will ever ask for your seed phrase. Not a support desk, not an exchange, not a tax office, not WhatTheChain.
Security guides · the first rule
Countries
The rules where you live, in one place.
Each country hub brings together the guides, the tax guide, the licensing register, the cash rules and a short Country Money Story. Guides are localised by someone who knows the country, not translated.
How we know
