Crypto, Wallets, Testing, Oh My!

N Sharp

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Hey everyone,

I've scoured the forum & STG, but I feel like an old dog trying to learn new tricks and am trying to get my bearings.

If anyone could help me make sense of all this:
  • Crypto:
    • Kraken vs Bitcoin vs Hyperliquid? Does it really matter, or can I just pick one?
    • Is DEX vs CEX really important to consider?
    • Should I try to stick with only using my iphone or mac desktop, or does it not really matter?
  • Wallets:
    • Trust Wallet vs Exodus vs Rabby? Will it be fine if I just pick one?
      • I've seen concerns using Exodus with Windows, but I don't really understand it yet and am an apple user anyway - should it still concern me?
    • Does a hot wallet vs cold wallet really matter?
    • Iphone vs desktop?
  • Should I be using a VPN, or is private browser enough (I use Brave)?
  • When communicating with vendors, should I try to stick with email, or is Telegram/Discord/Whatsapp fine?
  • Should I get a P.O. box for deliveries?
  • Are there any labs cheaper than Jano, but just as reliable?
Thank you to whomever can come to my rescue - I can figure out the big stuff (vendor selection, dosing, etc), it's just these little details trigger my analysis-paralysis.

Bonus question: is going gray worth all the gray hairs I'm getting? 👵
 
Hey everyone,

I've scoured the forum & STG, but I feel like an old dog trying to learn new tricks and am trying to get my bearings.

If anyone could help me make sense of all this:
  • Crypto:
    • Kraken vs Bitcoin vs Hyperliquid? Does it really matter, or can I just pick one?
    • Is DEX vs CEX really important to consider?
    • Should I try to stick with only using my iphone or mac desktop, or does it not really matter?
  • Wallets:
    • Trust Wallet vs Exodus vs Rabby? Will it be fine if I just pick one?
      • I've seen concerns using Exodus with Windows, but I don't really understand it yet and am an apple user anyway - should it still concern me?
    • Does a hot wallet vs cold wallet really matter?
    • Iphone vs desktop?
  • Should I be using a VPN, or is private browser enough (I use Brave)?
  • When communicating with vendors, should I try to stick with email, or is Telegram/Discord/Whatsapp fine?
  • Should I get a P.O. box for deliveries?
  • Are there any labs cheaper than Jano, but just as reliable?
Thank you to whomever can come to my rescue - I can figure out the big stuff (vendor selection, dosing, etc), it's just these little details trigger my analysis-paralysis.

Bonus question: is going gray worth all the gray hairs I'm getting? 👵
All these questions and more are easy to find answers to here on the Forum using the Search function.
 
I did my payment all from the comfort of my iphone. Bought btc on cash app, entered the wallet that my vendor provided and badabing-badaboom i was on my way to getting my peps. Doesn't need to be rocket science 🙂

Vendor communication as long as you can verify it's an official channel use whatever works best for you.

Labs I'm unsure of, i just looked at the most recent tests ran by the vendor according to their website, then cross checked Jano.
 
  • Crypto:
    • Find a place to buy from. Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, etc
    • Just pick a place to buy from
    • Both are fine choices
  • Wallets:
    • There are so many good ones, just pick one
      • If you're an apple user why do you give a shit about Windows issues?
    • Hot vs cold doesn't really matter based on how most people use it for this purpose.
  • Should I be using a VPN, or is private browser enough? Doesn't matter
  • When communicating with vendors, should I try to stick with email, or is Telegram/Discord/Whatsapp fine? They all work but email is the most durable and least likely to get you scammed.
  • Should I get a P.O. box for deliveries? No
 
I use Coinbase to buy my crypto. the funds come out of my PayPal account. some vendors do not accept transfers directly from Coinbase ( I guess because the government suspects shady dealings with people in China). If you run across this, I transfer from Coinbase to Exodus ( you can merge exodus to use on your I phone and MacBook). then straight from Exodus to the vendor.

I would use a VPN and communicate via email. Too many other communication apps get hacked. Unless you plan on keeping a bit of crypto all the time, a cold wallet might not be worth the trouble having.

After you get through your first purchase, it should all come together.
 
Trust wallet is fast, easy and safe. But they use Banksa a third party money app to buy your coin. And I paid 7% on the dollar to banksa. They are the cheapest third party moonpay being second. But I don’t care. Doing it cheaper is a huge pain in the ass. It’s worth every penny on the ease of it. If you need help let me know. Happy to help. The Chinese love them some TRC-20. That is Tron coin. It’s super stable so you don’t have to panic the entire trade you will lose half your money. I’ve actually made a few bucks each time I held it for 10 minutes.

Bill
 
Trust wallet is fast, easy and safe. But they use Banksa a third party money app to buy your coin. And I paid 7% on the dollar to banksa. They are the cheapest third party moonpay being second. But I don’t care. Doing it cheaper is a huge pain in the ass. It’s worth every penny on the ease of it. If you need help let me know. Happy to help. The Chinese love them some TRC-20. That is Tron coin. It’s super stable so you don’t have to panic the entire trade you will lose half your money. I’ve actually made a few bucks each time I held it for 10 minutes.

Bill
I second that. first purchase I used BTC and thought I bought enough to cover all the fees. 15 minutes later and ready to send.... the value dropped over 20 bucks and almost had to buy more just to cover the transaction
 
Hey everyone,

I've scoured the forum & STG, but I feel like an old dog trying to learn new tricks and am trying to get my bearings.

If anyone could help me make sense of all this:
  • Crypto:
    • Kraken vs Bitcoin vs Hyperliquid? Does it really matter, or can I just pick one?
    • Is DEX vs CEX really important to consider?
    • Should I try to stick with only using my iphone or mac desktop, or does it not really matter?
  • Wallets:
    • Trust Wallet vs Exodus vs Rabby? Will it be fine if I just pick one?
      • I've seen concerns using Exodus with Windows, but I don't really understand it yet and am an apple user anyway - should it still concern me?
    • Does a hot wallet vs cold wallet really matter?
    • Iphone vs desktop?
  • Should I be using a VPN, or is private browser enough (I use Brave)?
  • When communicating with vendors, should I try to stick with email, or is Telegram/Discord/Whatsapp fine?
  • Should I get a P.O. box for deliveries?
  • Are there any labs cheaper than Jano, but just as reliable?
Thank you to whomever can come to my rescue - I can figure out the big stuff (vendor selection, dosing, etc), it's just these little details trigger my analysis-paralysis.

Bonus question: is going gray worth all the gray hairs I'm getting? 👵
I wish I had solid answers for all your questions, but whatever route you choose buy only enough crypto to get what you need when you need it and a little extra for the fees for transfers. Don't leave large amounts of crypto in a wallet. I use coinbase to buy crypto, then move to exodus when it's time to buy the goods.
 
This OP concerns me because you said, "Kraken vs Bitcoin" and that's like asking "Mobil vs Diesel".

Kraken SELLS Bitcoin. This shows such a misunderstanding that I think you really should take this slowly and do some more research. But I'll try to answer the rest of this anyway.

Yes I think you should use Kraken, they are my favorite exchange. But that's just my opinion, and I guarantee there is someone out there who could make a case against them.

And yes I think Bitcoin is the best option for you, so long as you learn to use a self-custody wallet and pay the vendor from it.

DEX vs CEX isn't a competition, they do different things. A CEX is a USD onramp, allows you to buy Bitcoin with your money. The money in your wallet isn't worth anything on a DEX. The DEX is useful for converting one crypto to another.

The device you use probably doesn't matter. There are paranoid people who will tell you to use a linux bootable USB with TAILS. No one cares about peptides.

Asking what wallet to use is like asking someone's religious beliefs. You'll get different answers and it opens a can of worms. If you ask me, Cake wallet is the best.

You do not need to run a cold wallet. God help you if you ever have enough crypto to need it.

VPN and incognito mode are not necessary, but I would use them anyway. I think the choice of email provider is more important. I personally shill for Proton and ProtonVPN. Use them for email, use them for VPN service. They are not snitches.

"Iphone vs desktop" ??? Wtf? ANDROID.

Using Whatsapp vs Telegram vs email doesn't really matter so long as youre talking to the right person. I prefer email.

I personally recommend a PO Box. Many reasons: puts distance between your home and the package. Also if your address is burned you can change it. Also porch pirates, this stuff is expensive. PO box is cheap. Use your real name. Use the box for other stuff like Amazon or whatever to generate traffic while it ages.

Yes there are cheaper labs than Jano but he kinda has a wierd monopoly in this space because vendors only give refunds based on his labs.

Good luck bro
 
If
This OP concerns me because you said, "Kraken vs Bitcoin" and that's like asking "Mobil vs Diesel".

Kraken SELLS Bitcoin. This shows such a misunderstanding that I think you really should take this slowly and do some more research. But I'll try to answer the rest of this anyway.

Yes I think you should use Kraken, they are my favorite exchange. But that's just my opinion, and I guarantee there is someone out there who could make a case against them.

And yes I think Bitcoin is the best option for you, so long as you learn to use a self-custody wallet and pay the vendor from it.

DEX vs CEX isn't a competition, they do different things. A CEX is a USD onramp, allows you to buy Bitcoin with your money. The money in your wallet isn't worth anything on a DEX. The DEX is useful for converting one crypto to another.

The device you use probably doesn't matter. There are paranoid people who will tell you to use a linux bootable USB with TAILS. No one cares about peptides.

Asking what wallet to use is like asking someone's religious beliefs. You'll get different answers and it opens a can of worms. If you ask me, Cake wallet is the best.

You do not need to run a cold wallet. God help you if you ever have enough crypto to need it.

VPN and incognito mode are not necessary, but I would use them anyway. I think the choice of email provider is more important. I personally shill for Proton and ProtonVPN. Use them for email, use them for VPN service. They are not snitches.

"Iphone vs desktop" ??? Wtf? ANDROID.

Using Whatsapp vs Telegram vs email doesn't really matter so long as youre talking to the right person. I prefer email.

I personally recommend a PO Box. Many reasons: puts distance between your home and the package. Also if your address is burned you can change it. Also porch pirates, this stuff is expensive. PO box is cheap. Use your real name. Use the box for other stuff like Amazon or whatever to generate traffic while it ages.

Yes there are cheaper labs than Jano but he kinda has a wierd monopoly in this space because vendors only give refunds based on his labs.

Good luck bro
If by PO Box, you mean a 3rd party mail drop location with a street and suite address, then yes, absolutely. If you mean a USPS PO Box, I respectfully disagree. Still the government.
 
I know it seems counterintuitive, but the USPS is better because they need a warrant to open packages. Private companies can do whatever. The 4th Amendment only protects us from the government.
 
I pinky promise I did my best, I just couldn't find any specific answers that gave me peace of mind - however, thank you for the feedback. I'll keep on keeping on
I feel your pain. We've all been through it. It is pretty overwhelming at first but it gets easier, I promise. There are lots of good answers in the replies but if you are still stuck, DM me, I can try to help.
 
To keep it simple:

What you need to pay: A crypto wallet, easiest to just get a mobile app. Use this to pay vendor. I recommend Phantom (really good for Solana network), Rabby, Base, Metamask, if push comes to shove just get Exodus.

What "currency" you need: Check with your vendor, but try and use a vendor that accepts stablecoins like USDC, USDT, or PYUSD. These three coins exists on multiple networks, I suggest you go with a vendor that accepts them on Solana since it's cheap and fast.

How you get the "currency": sign up at an exchange, these are the big dogs like Coinbase, Kraken, Binance. There's typically a 7 day window sometimes longer before you can get your money out from here so account for that. Buy one of the three stablecoins plus around $10 of the networks main coin (e.g. you owe a vendor $500 and they accept USDT on Solana, buy $500 USDT and buy $10 of SOL (Solana). When that transactions finalizes send both the USDT and the SOL to your wallet you have set up, make sure when you're sending to your wallet that the network is always the same (if you set up your wallet for Solana, send on Solana). Small test transactions to make sure everything is correct is a good idea.

Once everything is in your wallet let your vendor know you're sending a test transaction, have them confirm it's been received, then send the final transaction.
 

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