Topic
GeneralBeginnerProof of reserves shows an exchange held enough assets to match customer balances at one moment, but it can't prove solvency. Learn how Merkle trees and zk proofs work, what they miss, what FTX and Mazars revealed, and how to check a report yourself.
#cryptography#security
BitcoinIntermediateA large quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could forge Bitcoin signatures, but no such machine exists yet. Learn which addresses expose public keys, how many coins are at risk, how estimates have fallen and where BIP-360 stands.
#cryptography#security#upgrades
GeneralBeginnerA memecoin is a token built on a joke or trend, with little behind it except attention. Learn how launchpads like pump.fun work, how hard rugs, soft rugs and honeypots differ, and how to check mint authority, LP status and holder concentration.
#markets#security#tokens
ChainlinkIntermediateA blockchain oracle brings outside data such as prices onto a chain so smart contracts can use it. Learn how push and pull feeds, Chainlink, Pyth and TWAPs work, how the Mango Markets attack exploited a thin market, and how protocols defend against bad prices.
#defi#oracles#security
GeneralBeginnerWallet drainers steal crypto through permissions you sign, not your seed phrase. Learn how token approvals, permit signatures, setApprovalForAll and EIP-7702 delegation phishing work, what to check before signing, and how to revoke approvals.
#security#transactions#wallets
GeneralBeginnerA centralized exchange holds your crypto and matches trades on its own systems, while a decentralized exchange lets you swap from your own wallet. Compare order books and AMMs, custody, KYC, fees and real failures such as FTX, with a decision guide.
#basics#defi#security
GeneralBeginnerA seed phrase is 12 or 24 words that act as the master key to your whole wallet — import them anywhere and you regain the same accounts. Lose it and funds are gone; expose it and they're stolen. Store it offline, and never give it to anyone.
#cryptography#security#wallets
GeneralIntermediateA bridge moves value between blockchains by locking an asset on one chain and minting a representation on another. They get hacked because they concentrate value and depend on flawless keys, contracts and proofs — as Ronin (~$600M) and Wormhole (~$320M) showed.
#bridges#scaling#security
GeneralBeginnerA wallet stores the keys that control your coins, not the coins themselves. Custodial means a company holds those keys for you; self-custody means you hold them, with full control and full responsibility — captured by the phrase 'not your keys, not your coins'.
#basics#security#wallets
EthereumAdvancedRestaking reuses staked ETH to secure extra services. In EigenLayer, restakers delegate to operators who run software for AVSs and earn more rewards, but each AVS can slash the stake allocated to it, stacking new risks on top.
#defi#security#staking
EthereumIntermediateLiquid staking gives you a token for staked ETH, like stETH or rETH, that keeps earning rewards while usable in DeFi. The main risks are contract bugs, slashing, the token trading below its ETH value, and stake centralization.
#consensus#defi#security
