If you're looking to buy Alephium (ALPH), you've come to the right place. Alephium is a unique proof-of-work blockchain that combines Bitcoin's security model with Ethereum-style smart contracts and...
Buy Alephium (ALPH) — A simple guide
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Layer 1
A Layer 1 is a base blockchain with its own rules for recording transactions and deciding which version of the ledger is valid. Bitcoin and Ethereum are familiar examples, but base networks can make very different choices about consensus, programmability and who can run a validator.
Browse the buying guides
All buying guidesBuy Nimiq (NIM) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Nimiq (NIM), you've come to the right place. Nimiq is a blockchain project built around one core idea: making crypto payments so simple that anyone can use them, no...
Buy Oraichain (ORAI) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Oraichain (ORAI), you're in the right place. Oraichain is one of the more technically ambitious projects in the AI and blockchain space, sitting at the crossroads of...
Buy Klever (KLV) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Klever (KLV), you've come to the right place. KLV is the native token powering the Klever Blockchain, a Layer 1 smart contract platform built for real-world usability...
Buy Splendor (SPLD) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Splendor (SPLD), you've come to the right place. Splendor is a next-generation Layer-1 blockchain built to support AI-native applications at massive scale, and it's...
Buy Saga (SAGA) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Saga (SAGA), you've landed in the right place. Saga is a modular Layer 1 blockchain designed to make launching dedicated app-specific chains as simple as possible — a...
Buy BounceBit (BB) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy BounceBit (BB), you've come to the right place. BounceBit is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain bridging institutional-grade real-world assets with onchain DeFi...
Buy Supra (SUPRA) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Supra (SUPRA), you've come to the right place. Supra is a Layer-1 blockchain built around a concept called Automatic DeFi — a self-operating financial system with built-in...
Buy Vanar Chain (VANRY) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Vanar Chain (VANRY), you've come to the right place. VANRY is the native token of a Layer 1 blockchain built specifically for gaming, entertainment, and brand-driven Web3...
Buy Redbelly Network (RBNT) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Redbelly Network (RBNT), you've come to the right place. Redbelly is a genuinely unique Layer 1 blockchain with roots in academic research and real-world asset tokenization...
Buy Optio (OPT) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Optio (OPT), you've come to the right place. Optio is a Layer 1 blockchain project built around a simple but powerful idea: users should own and profit from their own data...
Buy Wanchain (WAN) — A simple guide
If you're looking to buy Wanchain (WAN), you've come to the right place. WAN is the native token of Wanchain, a blockchain platform designed to connect different blockchain networks and enable...
What are Layer 1 cryptocurrencies?
Browse the buying guidesTheir native coins belong to the network itself; application tokens issued on top of a chain are a different kind of asset.
How it works
Native coins may pay transaction fees, reward miners or validators, and secure proof-of-stake networks through staking. A busy blockchain does not automatically make every associated token valuable: issuance, fee design and token ownership also matter. Compare actual network use with token supply, validator concentration and the costs of running the network. Layer 2 networks build on a base chain, while bridges introduce a separate mechanism for moving assets between networks.
Explore the foundations
Blockchain Explained: Follow a Transaction from Wallet to Confirmation↗
Bitcoin Explained: Send, Verify and Understand a BTC Transaction↗
Blockchain explorers: trace a transfer step by step↗
Sources and further reading
A little groundwork goes a long way
Before your next purchase or transfer, understand who controls access, where your crypto is going and what the trade will actually cost.
Protect access to your crypto
An exchange account and a self-custody wallet need different safeguards. Protect exchange logins with a unique password and strong two-factor authentication. For self-custody, your recovery backup is what lets you restore access.
Keep recovery words offline and private. A support agent or website asking for them is a reason to stop.
See a recovery example
Your phone breaks. An exchange may help you recover your account after identity checks. A self-custody wallet cannot reset your recovery phrase. Check your wallet’s official backup instructions before relying on it.
Choose the right transfer network
The asset, token version and network must be supported at the destination. A familiar ticker or a matching address format is not enough. Read the receiving platform’s deposit instructions before selecting a withdrawal network.
Check the address, any required memo or tag, fees and minimums. Consider a small test transfer first.
See a network example
Your destination accepts USDC on Ethereum. Selecting a cheaper network at the sending exchange does not make it an Ethereum transfer. Use a network both ends support; an ordinary withdrawal does not bridge tokens.
Understand the price you pay
Trading fees are only part of the cost. The spread, available liquidity and withdrawal charges also matter. A market order prioritizes execution; a limit order controls the price but may remain unfilled or fill only partly.
Check the order preview and the amount you will receive, then compare the full cost of your intended purchase and withdrawal.
Work through a cost example
Hypothetical example: a $200 trade with a 0.1% trading fee costs $0.20 in trading fees. A separate $5 withdrawal fee brings those charges to $5.20. Spread or slippage may add more; these are not quoted exchange rates.
