Hey guys! I'm crypto Casey and I'm a
crypto currency expert. Today I'm going to show you how to get started in
investing in digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin safely and
securely step-by-step. I'm going to make this as easy as possible for you guys,
but before we get started I want to share with you two important things you
need to know before transforming some of your wealth into digital assets. Number
one: these types of investments are not like anything else you may be familiar
with. Unlike banks, credit unions, and
traditional stock exchanges there are virtually no fail safes in place to
protect you if you make a mistake or if you don't understand what you're doing.
There's no hotline you can call when you get stuck; there's no corporate
headquarters you can reach out to if you lose your funds; there are no FDIC
insured banks behind these investments; and this all means at any time you could
lose all of your investments from hackers or user error
with no recourse at all. Cryptocurrency is cutting edge technology; it's the
modern-day Wild Wild West. So it requires some time and focused energy to wrap your head around. Luckily for you, I've done a lot of the legwork to compile this
step-by-step guide to ensure you receive the knowledge and understanding you need to be successful in cryptocurrency investments. The second thing you need to
know before going any further is the golden rule of investing: NEVER invest
more than you can afford to lose. High risk can lead to high reward, and we
humans have a natural tendency to want to overreach, but you need to figure out
an amount you're comfortable with investing and, more importantly, an amount
you can truly afford to invest. Then you need to stick with that amount and be
patient in the process. Cryptocurrency is a lot more volatile and unpredictable
than the stock market. Unlike the nine-to-five in New York
Stock Exchange, cryptocurrency is traded around the world 24/7. So if you want to
get a good night's sleep as a crypto investor, you need to budget the amount
of money you're going to invest and stick to it. I've broken down this
process into 10 easy steps. So let's get started. Step 1: this may come as a surprise to you because crypto stuff is pretty
high-tech, but the first thing you need to do is get yourself some paper
notebooks. Yes, I realize some of you have never used such ancient
recording techniques like a pen and paper before, but seriously buy a couple
notebooks from Amazon. I personally love to use these moleskin notebooks from
Amazon with grid paper. I'm a huge fan of grid paper because it helps organize
information in a way that's easy to read. You need at least two notebooks, but I
suggest three. Step number 2: use your paper notebooks to store all of your
passwords, login credentials, and any other sensitive information regarding
your crypto wallets, exchanges, and other accounts I'm going to walk you through
setting up later on in this video. Never store your passwords or login data
online with a password manager, on your phone, or any device connected to the
Internet. You need to go old fashioned and store all of your essentials on the
paper notebook with paper notebook backups. This is why I recommend buying
at least two paper notebooks. You should store all these notebooks in separate
locations to be safe. You never know if fire may break out or with all of these
crazy hurricanes and flooding, your house or your office could be affected and
your paper notebook could be destroyed. Consider storing your notebook in a safe
place at your house and storing the other one in a safety deposit box at a
bank. Remember there are no pre-built fail safes in this technology and there
are hackers everywhere trying to steal your funds. It's up to you to take the
necessary steps to protect your investments. Also, if you decided to buy
the moleskin notebook I suggested, take a moment to fill in the "in case of loss
please return to" section and more importantly, the "as a reward" line. Think
carefully and consider how much would you pay to incentivize somebody who
found your notebook to return it safely where it belongs. Step number 3, let's
talk about passwords. Passwords related to everything crypto need to be very
strong. I'm going to share with you some tips that will help you create strong
passwords throughout the account setup process.
Hackers are not just sitting on computers trying to guess your password.
They use programs that automatically run through massive databases of common
passwords and random combinations of characters. So to combat this you need to
make very long passwords containing random words and letters, capitalization
and special characters. Don't use common phrases, famous movie lines, or a Bible
verse. And NEVER use the same password for more than one account. We will be
setting up a lot of different accounts later on in this video, so be
prepared to create several long, strong passwords throughout the process. I don't
recommend ever storing passwords for crypto accounts on a password manager.
Cloud-based password managers like LastPass and OnePassword are vulnerable
to remote attacks. Even though those accounts are encrypted, if your master
password is hacked then you're completely exposed. So do not rely on one
single password to protect your investments. Also never store passwords
in your browser because those are vulnerable as well. That's why I
recommend only storing passwords in your paper notebooks. Next, if any accounts
require security questions, treat the answers like your passwords: create fake,
long complex answers. People can easily find out what your mother's maiden name
was and where you went to high school on things like Facebook. So keep that in
mind. Also, just like your passwords, store the fake answers to security questions
in your paper notebook. Step number 4: you need to ensure that your computer is
secure and free of any malware before you start setting up any of the accounts
and wallets I will walk you through later in this video. There are ton of
free tools and services available to scan and secure your computer. In this
video I'm going to walk you through the scanning, cleaning, and securing process
using Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes is a high-quality cybersecurity solution that
will help you protect your computer from hackers. First, if you don't already
require a strong password to access your computer. So go ahead and make your first
entry into your paper notebook: your brand-new super strong computer password. Next, let's do a full and complete malware scan of your computer using
Malwarebytes. Open your internet browser and go to Malwarebytes.com. Scroll down
to all products and under the "For Home" section, choose Malwarebytes for Mac or
PC. In this video demonstration, we will install for Mac. Click "Learn More" and
then click "Free Download." Retrieve the downloaded file and open it
to start the installation process. Click through the installation wizard until
the installation is complete and then click "Close."
Next, open Malwarebytes on your computer and click "Scan Now." If you are clean,
congratulations! If you have some threat files, Malwarebytes will quarantine them.
Go to the quarantine section and click "Show Quarantine" to view the files that
were quarantined. Then click the "Clear Quarantine" button to permanently delete
all the threat files. Finally, you need to secure your freshly-cleaned computer. I
personally recommend using the paid version of Malwarebytes but there are
other computer security providers like Trend Micro or similar that are just as
great. Make sure you choose a reputable security solution to protect your
computer. If you have a PC instead of a Mac and you want to go one step further
to take your security to the max, I recommend downloading and installing a
key scrambler. Key scramblers are a great tool that prevent hidden keystroke
logging malware from recording your passwords to hack into your accounts by
encrypting everything you type in real-time. I recommend trying KeyScrambler by QFX, but again, there are other key scrambling
tools out there you can check out as well. Or if you have an onscreen keyboard
on your computer, you can elect to only type in your passwords using the
on-screen keyboard. This also prevents keystroke loggers from recording your
passwords. Step number 5: you will not be accessing crypto related accounts on
your computer alone. Smartphones play a huge role in security and access as well.
So you need to take steps to secure your phone. First, if you don't have one
already, require a password to unlock your phone. That way if it's ever lost or
stolen, there is a barrier between a potential hacker and your investments.
Make sure you log the password in your notebook for safekeeping. Next, you need
to remove your phone number from any public website in social media and try
to never publish your cell phone or cell phone provider publicly or to people you
don't know or trust. I know this is very difficult to do in our
social media-driven world, but this is an imperative step you need to take to
ensure the security of your investments. Cellphone numbers are used to access a
myriad of sensitive data including banking crypto and two-factor
authentication applications we will be setting up later on in this video. Using
your cell phone provider and cell phone number, there are hackers out there who
conduct something called "sim theft." This is where hackers steal your phone's
identity by calling your cell phone provider and requesting a new SIM card.
If they steal your cell phone SIM card, they can easily hack into your
investment accounts and drain your funds. So the next thing you need to do to
prevent this from happening is set up a passphrase with your cell phone provider
that must be disclosed before activating a new SIM card. So get on the phone with
T-mobile, Verizon, or whoever your cell phone provider is and set up a strong
passphrase that must be disclosed before activating a new SIM card on your
account. Step number 6: it's time to create a brand new unique email address
using a handle you've never used before anywhere else. This includes your name,
nicknames, or user names you've used for accounts anywhere else online or offline
in the past. This new email address should be used exclusively for crypto
investments only. Do not use an email address you use already and that people
know about to open up crypto accounts. You need something completely random to
use for the handle for your new email account, and do not use the new email
address for shopping or signing up for newsletters. Only use your new email just
for crypto and don't tell anyone you don't know or trust about it. I recommend
setting up your new email account using ProtonMail or another similar email provider that prioritizes security and privacy. I'm
going to show you how to set up a brand new email account using ProtonMail.
Go to ProtonMail.com and click "Sign Up." Select the free plan and click, "Select
Free Plan." Next, choose your unique username you've never used anywhere else
before. Next, generate a very strong password. Register a recovery email. Make
sure the email address you use as a recovery has a strong password then click "Create Account." Verify that you are human,
then click, "Complete Setup" and select, "Finish." Step number 7:
using your newly secured cell phone, we are now going to download some
two-factor authentication apps. Two-factor authentication is an extra
layer of security that is absolutely crucial to setup before investing in
crypto. This is how it works: when accessing an account, after entering your
super secure password, you'll be required to input a code that is generated on
your two-factor authentication phone app. These codes constantly change every
twenty to thirty seconds, so no one will be able to access your accounts unless
they have your cell phone at that particular moment in time. There are two
different authentication apps we will be downloading: Google Authenticator and
Authy. Some people prefer one over the other and some people use both. In this
video, I will walk you through downloading and setting up both so you
can get a feel for them. First, let's download Authy. Go to the App Store on your phone and type in "Authy" and download the Authy app. When it's finished downloading,
enter your cell phone number and click "OK." Next, enter your e-mail address you
created using ProtonMail and click "Next." A window will pop up that
says "Get Account Verification via Phone Call or SMS." Make a selection and then
enter the registration code in the space provided. Tap the add (+) icon on the
accounts menu. You will be prompted to create a backups password. Create a
strong password, log it into your paper notebook, and enter it into the space
provided. Click "enable backups" and confirm your password by entering it
again. It's important to set up a backup to ensure you can restore your accounts
if you upgrade or lose your phone. The next screen provides instructions on how
to set up Authenticator accounts. Once we start setting up accounts later on in
this video, I will walk you through this process. On the main screen, tap on
"Settings" and then choose "Protection Pin." Tap the "Protection Pin" button and enter
a pin. This will require a pin to be entered
before opening the application. Next, tap the "Protect Entire App" button and enter
your PIN again. Your screen should now look like this. Next, tap "Cancel" and then
tap "Devices." Turn the "Allow Multi-Device" setting to "Off." Now no one else can
access your Authy account on any other device except your specific cell phone.
Now you're Authy app is secure. Next, let's download Google Authenticator. You
will need a gmail account to complete this setup so if you don't already have
one, create one with a unique handle you've
never used before and a strong password. Go to the app store on your phone, type
in "Google Authenticator," and download the Google Authenticator app. Once it's
finished downloading, open the app and choose "Begin Setup." You will see two
options: "Scan Barcode" and "Manual Entry." Go to your internet browser and open your
Google account security page. Next, scroll down to the 2-step verification section
and click "Get Started." Enter your gmail account password and then enter your
cell phone number. Choose to receive a text or phone call to receive a
verification code. Enter the code you receive in the space provided and click
"Next." Once the code is accepted, choose "Turn On," then on the next page, scroll down and choose "Setup Google Authenticator." Choose the type of phone you have and click "Next." Now go back to your cell phone and
select "Scan Barcode." Lift your phone to face the computer screen like this to
scan the code. Once it's successful, your phone will show a six digit code that
changes every twenty seconds or so, along with your gmail address. Now go back to
your computer and click "Next." Enter the code currently displayed on your phone
before the time expires and the code changes, and click "Verify." Once the code
is verified, click "Done." If you've been using your gmail account for a long time
you're not sure if it's automatically logging into old devices you don't use
anymore, scroll down to the "Devices you trust
section" and choose "Revoke all." That way, no matter what device you are using to
log into your Gmail, 2-step verification will be required. Now you have two
different Authenticator apps. Most accounts work with the Authy app, however, some accounts only work with Google Authenticator. When setting up two-factor
authentication with accounts, you must choose one Authenticator over the other.
You cannot set up two-factor authentication for the same account
using both Google and Authy. Choose the one you would like to use to set up
two-factor authentication for the ProtonMail address you created in the
previous step. Log back into your ProtonMail account.
Next, click on "Settings" and choose the "Security" tab and then click "Enable
Two-Factor Authentication." You can read their 2FA guide, and then
click "Next." Scan the QR code with your two-factor authentication device to set
up your account. Then, click "Next." Enter your password, and then enter the
two-factor passcode that is displayed on your phone in authy or Google
Authenticator. ProtonMail will also provide you with several one-time use
recovery codes. Save these codes in your paper notebooks. If you ever lose your
phone and are unable to access your Authenticator app, these codes will be
the only way you can log back into your account. You can enter these codes
instead of the six digit authentication code. Note that each code can only be
used once and they must be used in the listed order. So be sure to save all of
the codes. Now, two-factor authentication should be required when logging into
your ProtonMail account. Step number 8. Now for the moment you've all been
waiting for, how to set up a wallet. There are several different types of wallets
out there and some wallets only support specific crypto currencies. Wallets
are a big topic in crypto and warrent its own video altogether. So in this
video I'm going to walk you through setting up a safe, easy-to-use, and
insured wallet using Coinbase. Coinbase has wallets that support Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ethereum, and Litecoin. All digital currency that
Coinbase holds online is fully insured. This means that if Coinbase were ever to
suffer a breach of its online storage, the insurance policy would pay out to
cover any customer funds lost as a result. The insurance policy covers any
losses resulting from a breach of Coinbase's physical security, cyber security,
or by employee theft. Coinbase holds less than 2% of customer funds online. The
rest is held offline in storage. However, this insurance policy does not cover any
losses resulting from the compromise of your individual Coinbase account or
individual error. So it's your responsibility to use a strong password
and maintain control of all login credentials you use to access Coinbase.
So let's get started. A quick note once you start accessing wallets and
exchanges online: it's important to double and TRIPLE check the URL you're
accessing to make sure it's the real one. Always ensure there is an HTTPS protocol
in the URL, not just HTTP. HTTPS means that the site
has an SSL or a Secure Sockets Layer protecting the information passing through
the website by a user. Always ensure that the actual URL is correct as well.
There are a ton of phishing sites that pretend to be the real site in order to
steal your user name and password to gain access to your account on the real
web site. Once you're a 100% sure that you're accessing the right URL,
bookmark the page and only access the site going forward using this bookmark.
That way you never become a victim of a phishing site. Once you're at HTTPS://Coinbase.com, bookmark the page and then click "Sign up" in the top
right hand corner. You will have the option to set up an individual account
or a business account. Type in your first and last name, followed by your
ProtonMail email address and an extremely strong
password. Verify you are not a robot, click the check box to certify you are
over 18 years old and agreeing to the user agreement and privacy policy, then
click "Create Account," and remember: NEVER save any passwords on your browser or a
password manager. Log the information in your paper notebooks. An email will be
sent to the email address you entered. Log into your ProtonMail account and
open the email from Coinbase, then click "Verify Email Address." Next, you will be
brought to a login screen to log in. An updated user agreement may display. Read
over it and then click "Accept Terms." Once logged in, you will be brought to a
dashboard that shows some information about Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ethereum, and Litecoin.
Scroll down to the "Complete Your Account" section and click "Add your Phone Number."
Choose your country, enter your cell phone number, and click "Send Code." You'll
receive a code via a text message to your cell phone. Enter it into the field
provided online and click "Submit." Next, scroll up to the top of the page and
click on "Settings." Choose the security tab and scroll down, and choose "Enable
Authenticator." Another code will be texted to your cell phone. Enter it into
the space provided and click "Verify." Using Authy or Google Authenticator, add
the account by scanning the QR code with the Authenticator. As the instructions
read on step 3 on the screen, write down the 16 digit secret code in your paper
notebooks. If your phone gets lost or stolen or erased,
you will need this code to link Coinbase to a new Authenticator app once it's
installed again. Do not ever share this code with
anyone. Keep it in your paper notebook and only use it to link Coinbase to a
new Authenticator if your phone is lost, stolen, or erased.
Once the QR code has been scanned, enter the six digit code provided by your
authentication app, then click "Enable." Now your two-factor authentication is set up
for Coinbase. In this next section, I recommend keeping
the settings to require a verification code to send ANY amount of digital
currency for an extra layer of protection. Next, click on "Accounts" and
scroll down and click on "Vault." A vault is a more secure type of wallet Coinbase
offers. It's ideal for large balances, but it also delays any withdrawals and
requires multiple approvals before transferring money out of it. If you are
planning to buy and hold Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ether, or Litecoin for a long period of time
and don't mind waiting a few days for withdrawal approvals, this is a great
type of wallet to set up. Even if you're looking to be more of an active trader,
let's go ahead and create a vault for you as it is a safe wallet to store
Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ether, and Litecoin for long- term investing. So click "Create Vault" and
choose the currency you wish the wallet to support. In this video, I'm going to
choose Bitcoin. Choose a name for your Bitcoin vault and click "Next." You'll be
brought back to a screen that allows you to choose whether you will approve your
own withdrawals or if you would like to invite other people you trust to co-sign
on the withdrawals. In this video, I'm going to select individual and click
"Next." Withdrawals from your Coinbase bitcoin vault wallet need to be approved
using two email addresses. I suggest using the Gmail account you created or
freshly cleansed during this video, because if you followed the steps, a strong
password protects it, as well as two-factor authentication. Next, enter the
email address and click "Next." Open the email, click "Use this email to approve
withdrawals" and then you should be all set. On the screen,
you will see the two email addresses you will need to access to approve
withdrawals, as well as the email addresses and a phone number that will
be notified when withdrawals are requested, and you'll see a 48-hour time
delay is required before withdrawals will occur. Now click "Continue to vault."
Under the accounts menu, you will see your Bitcoin wallet your Bitcoin vault, an Ether wallet, and a Litecoin wallet. If you plan on investing in Ether, (Bitcoin Cash), and
Litecoin, I urge you to repeat the process and
create vaults for those currencies as well. For long term investments, hold the
Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ether, or Litecoin in the corresponding vaults. For short-term and
trading purposes, hold Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ether, and Litecoin in the regular Coinbase
wallets. Great! So now you have a Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ether, and Litecoin wallet set up. In
another video, I will show you how to set up other types of wallets like cold
storage for increased security, as well as wallets that support other
cryptocurrencies like Iota, Stratis, and EOS. Step number 9: now it's time to
create accounts for cryptocurrency exchanges. Coinbase is the simplest and
most user-friendly exchange and since we set up your first wallets on Coinbase,
let's go ahead and finish setting up your account so you can use the exchange.
A quick note about using Coinbase as an exchange: its ease and convenience comes
at a price. Buying and selling Bitcoin, (Bitcoin Cash), Ether, and Litecoin on Coinbase is a
little pricier than other exchanges. In another video, I will show you how to set
up an account with GDax, which is an exchange owned by Coinbase that allows
you to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ether, and Litecoin with lower fees. I will also
show you how to set up accounts with other exchanges that allow you to buy
and sell other cryptocurrencies in addition to Bitcoin, Ether, and Litecoin.
So let's finish setting up your Coinbase account. Going back to Coinbase, go
back to the dashboard and click "Add a payment method." You can choose to add a
bank account, credit card, debit card, or set up a wire transfer to fund your
account. Bank account transactions can take several days to hit your account,
however, the moment you buy using a bank account, the price will be locked in at
whatever it was in that moment. However, the trades can take up to four to five
days to process and hit your Coinbase account. To add a bank account, select
your bank and link your account by providing the login credentials to your
bank, account number, routing number, and by confirming a small deposit and
withdrawal by Coinbase. Credit and debit cards are good to make
small investments. You simply need to enter your credit or debit card details,
however, only MasterCard and Visa are accepted at this time. After entering
your credit card information, you will need to confirm the withdrawal amounts
from Coinbase on your credit card statement to verify the card for use.
Setting up a wire transfer requires verifying your identity. Click "Verify ID."
You will need to enter your legal name, date of birth, physical address, the last
four digits of your social security number, select from a multi-select list
what you use Coinbase for - whether it be investing, trading, or trading on some
other exchanges - disclose the source of your funds - whether it be from an
occupation or other investments - and then choose your current occupation. And once
your identity has been verified, click "Continue" and you will be brought back to
the dashboard. When selecting wire transfer, now you will see a reference
number you can use to set up a wire transfer with your bank account. Once
your payment methods have been verified, Congratulations! you're ready to start
investing in cryptocurrency... almost. Step number 10: now that all of your accounts
have been set up and you're ready to invest, there's one more step you need to
take. Most of the things covered in this video are not easy to figure out on your
own. A lot of people investing in crypto are young, single Millennials, and if
something were to happen to you, I'm sure there's someone out there you would want
to benefit from your investments. However, you know that your mom, grandma, boyfriend,
or whoever you would want to benefit from your investments in the event of
your death would probably have a hard time figuring it all out by themselves.
Using your paper notebooks, record detailed instructions from this video on how to safely access, transfer, and cash in
your funds if they ever needed to do so. Try to keep it simple, but also detailed
enough so even your grandma could do it. I also recommend that you go the extra
mile and create a will, trust, or other documents that could be legally executed
in the event of your death to carry out your wishes. So on that happy note, thank
you for watching my video I hope you found this video helpful and
easy to follow. Be safe out there!
