When I first entered the cryptocurrency space, I was completely lost. I didn't understand what others meant by "long and short positions," "L2 airdrops," or "on-chain interactions." As a result, I lost 30% of my capital in the first week—it was painful, but it forced me to start learning. Based on my own experiences over the past few years, I've summarized a roadmap of essential knowledge for beginners, which I want to share with you who are newly entering the space. 1. Understand what the "crypto space is all about" Many people start by buying coins directly on exchanges without even knowing the difference between "blockchain" and "tokens." I first clarified three basic concepts: Blockchain: like a publicly shared ledger Bitcoin / Ethereum: the main currencies or platforms on the ledger Exchange: a place to buy and sell digital assets I recommend beginners read a few introductory articles or watch YouTube videos to get a clear understanding of these concepts before investing. 2. Learn to store coins securely The first lesson in the crypto space isn't about making money, but about not losing it. I've seen too many people lose everything due to private key leaks or phishing websites. What you need to learn: How to use hot wallets (MetaMask, OKX wallet) The significance of cold wallets (Ledger, Trezor) Never share your seed phrases or private keys with others 3. Understand the trading interface Exchanges (like Binance, OKX, Bybit, etc.) may seem to have many buttons, but only a few are commonly used: Spot trading (buy and wait for the price to rise) Futures trading (a leveraged tool, but beginners should avoid it) Deposit/Withdraw (make sure to select the correct chain and address) I opened a demo account at the time, so I could familiarize myself with the trading process without using real money. 4. Track market trends The crypto space changes rapidly, and trends are the key to making profits. 2020 was DeFi, 2021 was GameFi and NFTs, and 2023 is AI + Crypto, L2. Beginners can learn to use: CoinMarketCap / CoinGecko: to check coin rankings DeFiLlama: to see funding inflows in the sector Twitter, TG groups: to get immediate updates on new projects 5. Learn some on-chain operations On-chain interactions are a core skill for airdrops. Even if you don't want to speculate, I recommend learning: How to connect your wallet to DApps How to swap coins on decentralized exchanges (like Uniswap) How to authorize and revoke contract permissions These operations can be practiced with small amounts, as many future major projects will reward early on-chain users with airdrops. 6. Mindset management Don’t laugh, this is really important. In the crypto space, some people become rich overnight, while others lose everything in an instant. My experience is: Set profit and loss points Don’t go all in, always keep some liquidity Be greedy in bull markets and learn in bear markets