Binance freezing the funds of Nigerian customers may also worth mentioning.


While you are completely right, I feel that properly securing the wallet (and usage) is another topic. A very important one, still, a different topic.

I think that your information is greatly outdated. Nowadays one can use a Linux Mint, for example, getting the look and feel pretty close to what's on Windows.


I won't answer to the direct question, but I'll tell something else: no matter how safe an OS is, if you are not used with it you have good chance to make bigger mistakes than on an OS you're used with. So if you are doing great on Windows, my advises are:
* stay on Windows for now (I really hope - for your security - that you have a proper key for it or no key at all and you didn't install a crack for it)
* if you have the time and patience, start taking a look how this and that Linux works for you
* get a hardware wallet (but never forget to pay attention on what software wallet you install and to pay attention against clipboard malware too)
* don't click onto any and every page, link, ad, image, e-mail and so on; don't install everything from any source; don't install cracks

There are many cases the CC issuer and the merchant strike a deal to give you those rewards.
There are many cases the CC issuer has CC branded under the merchant's name - again, part of a deal that should end up with some benefits for you if you use that CC, compared to the rest of the buyers.

While hardware wallet is not a bad advice, one has to carefully double check the addresses whether he's using it or not.
What I also mean is that HW may give a false sense of security, while it doesn't actually help (directly) against clipboard malware.

Woah 
Get well soon, man. Beat that little bugger!

* Read a lot. (One possible starting point could be this.)
* Don't spam. Don't plagiarize. Actually obey the rules.
* Be helpful.


...Did I miss anything?

You seem to have missed the spot-on resource for this: How to lose your Bitcoins with CTRL-C CTRL-V
All in all, as usual, the best protection is you: check thoroughly if the copied address and the pasted address are indeed identical. As simple as that.

Wasn't the propaganda belonging to P&S? Why at WO?!

I've tried very shortly some months ago use my Ledger with Bitcoin Core. I pretty quick gave up and instead I've installed locally an Electrum server (well, also a block explorer, but that may not be important here) and since then I use Electrum connecting to my local Electrum server connecting to my local Bitcoin Core. And it's a setup just fine for my Ledger.

In case it interests you, here's what I've done (under Windows + WSL). If you have a Linux it should be even easier.

I would not hold my breath for this.

Russia's traditional customers - Germany and Italy - have blocked the decision of getting Russia out of SWIFT. So they'll keep pumping fiat there in exchange for gas.
Russia's new laws may be on halt for now while the focus is on the war.

So again, I would not be so sure this will happen too soon. And really, I'm not sure I am looking for Bitcoin get the blessing of the terrorist of the year.

No matter it's Apple Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store. They do check the applications - some more often than the others, as we know - and if they find anything they don't like in that application, they take it down.
It's the same as in any moderation: some rules are 100% clear, some others may be somewhat fuzzy. The company I've been working at some years ago had an application removed from Apple store and it took quite some time (after removing the culprit feature) until it was re-accepted.
I guess that Coinbase will be super careful to avoid any virtual issues, since most probably each day of not being on Apple store would cost them big bucks.

Of course, most users are not aware of this and of course, it's also easier to blame others for this and that
I also think that bitcoin users and especially the Americans do overrate Coinbase.


PS: "Cryptocurrency has relied on points of centralization since the days of Mt. Gox." <-- you don't see anything wrong with this statement?! (I do.)

Hardware wallets are imho not perfect, however the best combination between safety and convenience.
I have a Ledger Nano S and I will compare to that, but there are nowadays better/safer hardware wallets too.

1. In order to have your hardware work properly it may need flashed to newest version, it needs the correct applications installed for the coins you want it to support. At least in theory, malicious actors can impersonate the official application (ledger live in my case) and make you install parts that won't work as you'd expect, making you lose money. Nowadays there's safety checksum available, although I find it incorrect/incomplete measure.

2. In order to actually make and sign transaction you need a companion software wallet (in my case that's Electrum). If you get the wrong software (a malicious copy) you may be tricked (at least in theory, maybe together with you not checking everything properly) into sending your coins to unwanted address (hacker's).

3. Hardware wallets were sometimes sent out tampered, or initialized with others' seed. That's again a possibly big problem, especially for inexperienced user.

4. If other actors can get your hardware wallet into their hand, it doesn't matter you have complicated PIN, it can be hacked into.

5. Users may recover their hot wallet seed into the HW thinking that they're safe.

6. Users may save their backup seed online and no matter they did all the rest correct, one can still steal their money.

7. Users may be careless about their backup seed and the HW can malfunction.

8. [later edit] I forgot to add clipboard malware. But it was already said previously. If one has the computer infected with a clipboard malware (that will change the address you think you're sending money to) and doesn't verify thoroughly the address on HW whether it's the intended one, he will get his money stolen.

So there are plenty of point of failure, but I still recommend hardware wallets because the chances for these bad things happen are fairly low if the user pays a bit of attention. And again, there may exist safer HWs too than mine.
However, I also think that no matter what, life changing amounts should stay completely offline (paper wallet or cold storage), because offline is the safest.

But if one knows a bit more about computers and not afraid to check and install a Live Linux onto an USB stick and boot from there now and then making sure that booting always happens offline, and also that one doesn't care about the small inconvenience of rebooting, and that one can follow the tutorial for installing a companion watch only wallet (maybe to the phone), and that one can look out how to use all that system correctly, then cold storage is a much safer option imho, simply because the user has full control over all the steps.

My take is that both markets have their whales and manipulators.
When the war has started gold was rising like crazy because old big wealthy entities tend to still use gold as reserve asset. On the same time Bitcoin and stocks were plunging.
After Biden's announcement, suddenly, both have reversed. Bitcoin is like the war didn't start, gold is even lower, hence those believing in gold did a bad business by buying/FOMO-ing when the war started.

As usual, there's no really good and bad, there's diversification and calm decisions vs FOMO/rushing everything.
I hope that OP didn't buy gold  


Bitcoin was never a good reserve of value for short term. Even Saylor wrote it: investing into Bitcoin is for at least 4 years. Then you can take a look whether it's a store of value or good investment. For now it is.

Seb was the first mover in relation with the new war:

Vettel will boycott Russian GP: “It’s wrong to race in that country”



Some of the other drivers were asked too, but they didn't really point out a clear stance of their own.

Yes and no. If you live in a big city you'll probably either buy online, either go to supermarket, where's not that crowded. And China has shown that face recognition AI doesn't get scared off by big crowds.
The crowd may hide your face 10 times, or 100 times, but one day it simply won't.


I completely get your point, just my point was out of town, i.e. off-grid. They may know where you are in general, but won't be able to track your life details.
And excepting the owner of one grocery store, the rest of the world won't know what you are buying.

Well, take a quick look: https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/imports
From machinery, equipment, trucks and cars to clothing, medicines, raw materials (metals) and food.

The only thing is that they can probably still import most of those from China...


I can't tell, the periodic table seems to have widened since I've been learning about it.
Rare metals - do Russia has those? Lithium for batteries - do they have those? I see that even ferous metals are imported big.


They don't have the factories nor the technology to produce absolutely everything they need. And even if they build that up, it may end up worse quality (or look) then the western similar products and also much more expensive.


It's not feasible. The population's consumption cannot match all they can sell abroad for the industries. They would have to build factories producing stuff off that gas. The fact that they didn't do that in the past many years, it means that it's probably not a good business for them.
Probably it will be more feasible to reduce the production and sell as expensive as they can.

Developers are not necessarily enthusiasts or people/companies with strong beliefs. Some of those devs may be just people with skills working for money.
Just saying that's (too) easy to jump to conclusions or throw stones...

They claim they have some reserves and also alternative sources - LNG from US, new deals with Qatar (I don't know how it'll be transported), and I also have this rather complicated map: https://mondediplo.com/maps/gas-pipelines
Some European countries do produce gas too.

But is that enough? I also don't think so, hence my point about the future strange politics on the energy side.

What I don't agree with is that if gas from Russia is no longer accepted, then the Russians would win. Win what? Will they be eating that cheaper gas? Clearly no. So I don't think so.

Most big international companies won't accept Bitcoin for their goods.
The financial institutions who have lent money to Russia may not accept Bitcoin.
All this should make the Ruble fall greatly, hence each and every Russian will suffer.
Russia still needs money and goods from international markets and that money will become expensive.

What I don't know is whether Europe will still buy Russian resources (especially gas), especially at the current prices, or will afford to hit Russia where it hurts them the most, especially as European industries also won't be happy without the Russian gas.

The politics will be strange on the energy side, and I guess that this is also what Putin is counting on.
I fear that the European green deal was the best help/ammo Putin has gotten for this war...

There was the saying "buy when there's blood in the streets". Well.. sadly... there we go....