Mt.Gox is an exchange, not a wallet service, but the point is the same. Any platform or service that doesn't provide you with your private keys is vulnerable and may be subject to loss of capital. I've never used an exchange that has shut down in the past, but I had an account on a wallet service that got reformed and then refused to restore my account, which had my old phone number for authentication. It took me weeks to finally recover my account after requesting a ton of KYC and then proceeding to immediately block my account with my first login. I even had the address associated with the account showing a balance of almost 0.01 BTC, if I remember correctly, which was lost for good. The only online service that provided you with the private keys was BitGo.

To summarize, use a noncustodial wallet, save your seed phrase and private keys somewhere safe, and avoid online services whenever possible.

Thank you for sharing. I had no idea that Ledger wasn't as safe as it was thought to be. I'm also planning to purchase a hardware wallet soon and was considering one of the two major brands. I would have bought one, but I'm currently away from home. Trezor is currently running a promotion for 15% off; the basic version starts at €58, which is nothing compared to the safety of your funds. Desktop wallets are generally safe, but the environment is usually the issue because of possible threats such as malware or keyloggers; thus, a hardware wallet is an ideal way to protect your funds without too much hassle.

I think your statement regarding trading is a little too bold. Indeed, trading can lead to capital loss, which is expected with any kind of investment or trading strategy. However, trading also provides great opportunities that can yield unrealistic results, depending on your trading style, in a few days, or you can go the safer route of choosing more trusted and established coins. As you've also briefly mentioned, it's certainly not suited for everyone. Personally, I'm way too anxious and can't stand the whole scenario; thus, I decided to stop after a while. Truth be told, I made a decent sum of money in a relatively short period of time.

From my point of view, I believe that it's an experience that everyone should try at least once or twice and judge for themselves if it's worth it.

Okay, I'll take it from scratch. What are your goals regarding cryptocurrencies? Are you aiming to acquire Bitcoin and/or other altcoins as well, or do you already own crypto? I can't fully comprehend what you mean. If it's simply for Bitcoin, why don't you get started with Electrum, and you can move to a hardware wallet such as Ledger or Trezor, both of which are quite affordable too, in the future, when you're more familiar with cryptocurrencies too? I don't believe that it's absolutely necessary to start with a hardware wallet unless you're holding an amount worth over $1,000 or $2,000 and desktop wallets don't seem safe enough for you, which they are, depending on how you use your PC. If you're downloading torrents 24/7, don't expect to be malware-free.

The issue is actually a little broader. From my understanding, the OP is a little uncomfortable discussing cryptocurrencies and his income through trading, which is understandable because I also prefer not to mention this matter so much. This generally depends on the person, but cryptocurrencies are usually presumed to be something exotic that only a few know about, and such conversations are often goofy and pretty much pointless because explaining the whole concept of cryptocurrencies and making money off them can't be that simple.

More often, the discussion is always steered towards how they can make money through them, expecting a direct answer like it's a simple step-by-step process, which is something I hate, because usually they're being pushy and keep asking you, but we all know that it's not that simple.

Certainly a scam or phishing attempt. The scammers will lure you into installing their fake Binance app, which will steal your passwords and personal details if you do not deposit coins at their addresses. I'd love to see what they're up to this time. On top of that, one should never install any application that isn't downloaded through the Google Play Store, especially if it is related to financial services. Binance would never send such an email; I'd report it to their customer support if I were you.

On the one hand, if Bitcoin were to reach $100,000, I'd want to sell everything to collect my profits, but on the other hand, I don't think that I'd have the courage to sell all my holdings at once. I'd be in a huge dilemma about what would be the best option. This, of course, is a personal matter and depends solely on what you're aiming for. Personally, I'm hoping to continue accumulating Bitcoin despite what happens regarding its price, although a lower price would assist in further accumulation, making it more affordable to achieve your goals. I'm hoping to acquire 0.25 BTC until the end of the year, an amount that will certainly make a huge difference in a few years, especially after the upcoming halving.

I understand your point of view; I was also skeptical at first because BNB is extremely dependent on a centralized exchange. However, I don't think it will collapse either; it's the largest and most important exchange there. However, I also find it hard to believe that it'll lose its reputation and validation anytime soon; something extremely unfortunate needs to happen in order to ruin its validity. Don't forget that it's the exchange with the largest transaction volume, responsible for more than 1/3 of the total transactions. With that being said, I find it unlikely for Binance (BNB) to perform poorly; it wouldn't make sense, not only because it stems from a huge exchange but also because it is being featured in one of the most important blockchains.

Correct, I was afraid of something completely unknown to me and preferred to stay in my current job, which I was adept at. I didn't want to go through the stage of being a complete newbie in the workplace. It was way easier for me to stay where I am, even though that job opportunity could potentially lead to the start of a new career based on my field. Unfortunately, I knew that I had the potential for something better and, most importantly, for what I spent 5 years studying, but I couldn't take the risk, something I regretted, and I'm hoping to at least avoid it in the future.

Exactly. Your seed phrase or private key is supposed to stay offline and out of devices such as your phone. It's a common mistake that I've also made myself; your phone's storage isn't as vulnerable as uploading it online, but it can still be subject to theft or a possible malware attack that steals your data. There's a decent chance that it won't happen to you; Google services are generally secure and also require two-factor authentication (2FA), but there are a handful of security breaches on other services that can expose your information.

I don't understand what kind of maintenance a wallet needs, like the OP is suggesting. Just store your private key on a piece of paper in several spots around your house, and you should be fine.

Money can make you happy up to a specific point; it's not supposed to be our main goal in life, but a tool to achieve a more comfortable lifestyle. Certainly, someone who's struggling financially will face way more difficulties and worse living conditions compared to someone who's well-off. Having a balance between how much you spend and how much you earn is vital to achieving financial stability. Personally, I've stopped bothering about material things; they don't bring happiness, but a small temporary joy that doesn't last more than a few days, or weeks in the best-case scenario, such as a car purchase. I currently have enough money to purchase a better and newer can than the one I currently own, but I find it pointless. I'd rather keep my savings and use some of them for traveling. I'd rather create experiences than acquire lifeless items.

It's actually neither of those. It's presented by a few as a get-rich-quick scheme because there were a good number of people who were holding or had Bitcoin in forgotten wallets since its early days. Nowadays, while there's still decent earning potential, it's far from making someone rich unless you're already wealthy enough. The average person now can't afford to purchase a single Bitcoin, and even if you do, with it now costing an approximate $28,000, it'll be worth $100,000 or $200,000 in the best-case scenario in the next few years, which is far from being rich, especially in the U.S.A. Thus, it's almost impossible for most of us to acquire a single Bitcoin now, and even if we do, it doesn't even get us close to being wealthy or guarantee us that the price will reach the said predictions; it's probable but definitely not certain.

As for the OP, Bitcoin has been around since 2009; that's a little more than a decade, let alone several decades like you mentioned.

The market is way more complicated than demand and supply. Corrections do happen occasionally, but sometimes they might be triggered by an event; in this case, it's possible that the sale of the confiscated bitcoin triggered the fall. Certainly, I'm not expecting the market to always have an upward movement; that would be unrealistic. Personally, as I mentioned earlier, I don't mind such corrections since I'll be receiving a higher amount of BTC, while this time I decided to take advantage of the lower prices and purchase some BNB. It does rely heavily on Binance, but it's the largest exchange in the world. I don't see much of a reason to worry; if something unfortunate happens to Binance, the cryptocurrency world will rapidly change for the worse. On the other hand, compared to yesterday, the situation has slightly improved, but personally

I can relate to what you're mentioning because I've done it myself in the past and possibly still do. Unfortunately, it's a combination of comfort and routine after working at one place for a long time. Routine is usually to blame, and getting out of your comfort zone seems almost impossible. It's a vicious cycle that consumes you. I also turned down decent job opportunities that were relevant to my field of study because I couldn't break the cycle. I can't explain exactly why; I just kept finding excuses. I suspect that it's a combination of being afraid to go after a new career and being used to the comfort of the job you're familiar with.

I've been keeping track of the market for the past few days. At first, I wasn't bothered by the fall; it's normal to experience such fluctuations. However, there's a massive difference between a small correction and a $4,000 fall in just a few days. Something has to justify it; it doesn't happen without a specific reason. The combination of the excessive number of transactions, which resulted in extravagant fees, and what you mentioned—almost $300 million worth of BTC was sold, provided that it was accurate information—has led to this market crash.

Personally, I don't really mind since I'm not actively trading or planning to sell Bitcoin anytime soon; on the contrary, I'm going to receive more BTC now. I was just a little frustrated. Moreover, I've been wanting to acquire some BNB for quite a while, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to do so.

They allowed all users to withdraw their funds until they don't, the next time it fails. Just because they didn't block withdrawals doesn't mean that people didn't lose money due to the exchange. Would you lend money to a broke person? Probably not; then why would I risk my money on an exchange that has already failed once? What's stopping it from failing again in the future, and what kind of guarantee do I have for my funds? None; why should I bother then when it's simpler and safer to just move on and use another service? Thankfully, there are plenty of exchanges, centralized or not, that can do the job without issues; there's absolutely no reason to take such a risk.

Personally, I wouldn't bother ever again; trust is like broken glass; it can't be glued back together. No matter what they do, they will always be stigmatized and will never fully recover their reputation.

I have mixed feelings regarding XRP. It has been more than 4 or even more years since the SEC event for XRP, and while it currently faces many difficulties, it is intriguing that it is still in the top 10 in CMC (6th in terms of market capitalization). Imagine if the issue were resolved; its price would skyrocket, but I find it unlikely after so many years. BNB is a solid choice. With a huge exchange on its back and the Binance network (BSC), which makes up for a huge amount of daily transactions, BNB looks like a wise investment that can be used for staking in combination with other coins or stablecoins. I have no opinion about Ethereum, especially after it switched to Proof of Stake. I haven't kept up with the latest updates, but it's Ethereum, the coin with the second-largest capitalization after Bitcoin.

The subject shouldn't be limited to cryptocurrency; the victim in this case happened to be a crypto investor, it was a simple coincidence, anyone wealthy or well-off could have been the victim. Unless you are intimately linked to someone, there is typically no reason to disclose your financial situation, and even then, it is best to keep your distance. Never assume someone or anybody else who may be listening is completely trustworthy. You shouldn't brag too much about how well you're doing, just as you wouldn't count money in a public setting, you'd get mugged. You can't comprehend the lengths people will go to in order to ruin something because they are envious beings.

Certainly, I've got quite a few acquaintances that returned, some within a year or two, while others stayed for longer, but the majority of them returned for a variety of reasons, but you get my point. Finding a job abroad certainly isn't easy; however, compared to some countries, it might be easier to gain the required recognition for your degrees and qualifications.
You'll find opportunities even in the country of your residence, but depending on where you live, you may not have too many choices. Dubai has become a popular immigrant destination, with people moving there for work. They are so many that locals in Dubai are pretty much nonexistent.
I'm from Greece, and military enlistment is mandatory for 9 to 12 months, depending on the location. It's basically a year of unpaid work that abruptly halts your life. I'm not sure what niche I'd work in, but I'm interested in data analysis and statistics.
That's actually true. We often bash how other countries have better conditions than ours until we see for ourselves that it's not necessarily true. I'm not against moving abroad if you can't use your full potential here; however, the living conditions abroad might be completely different from what you're used to. For instance, living with one, two, or even more housemates is a common practice abroad in order to share rent and expenses; here, not so much, which is also something that I wouldn't prefer, to be honest.

You didn't grab the opportunity when it first appeared in 2010, and that's okay; the majority would have also thought that it was another scam or Ponzi; it was something completely new to the public. I admire that you actually acknowledged a few years later that Bitcoin is worth checking out, and you turned a simple idea in the heat of the moment into a job opportunity that will likely last in your entire lifetime, if not for the next few decades at least. Your work is truly admirable and ordinary; a large number of early Bitcoin stories start by mentioning the lost opportunity during the first few years, but yours is sincerely different.

Great job once again, keep up the good work and assist Bitcoin broaden its horizons.