If you own Bitcoin, Ethereum or any other token, you already know the market can swing fast. What many forget is that the biggest loss isn’t always from price drops – it’s from weak security. Below are the everyday habits that stop thieves before they even get a chance.
1. Use a hardware wallet for the bulk of your holdings. Storing large amounts on an exchange is like leaving cash on a kitchen counter. A hardware device keeps your private keys offline, so hackers can’t reach them through the internet.
2. Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) everywhere. Turn on 2FA on your exchange, wallet apps and email accounts. Prefer an authenticator app over SMS – text codes can be intercepted.
3. Keep software up to date. Whether it’s your phone’s OS, the wallet app, or the browser you use for trading, updates often patch security holes. A missed patch is an open door for malware.
4. Separate “spending” and “saving” funds. Keep a small amount in a hot wallet for daily trades, and lock the rest in cold storage. If one wallet gets compromised, the majority of your assets stay safe.
5. Back up your seed phrase correctly. Write the 12‑ or 24‑word recovery phrase on paper, store it in a fire‑proof safe, and never save it digitally. A digital copy can be copied by ransomware.
Scams have gotten smarter, but the tactics are still easy to recognize once you know what to look for.
Phishing emails. They often pretend to be from a reputable exchange, ask you to click a link, and ask for login details. Hover over links to see the real URL and never enter credentials on a popped‑up page.
Fake giveaways. Promises of free tokens for retweeting or liking a post are a classic bait. Real projects never give away high‑value coins without a clear, verifiable process.
Impersonated influencers. Scammers copy Twitter handles, add a few extra characters, and post a “limited time” investment link. Always double‑check the account’s verification badge.
Rug pulls on new tokens. Before you buy a brand‑new altcoin, look for a audited smart contract, a transparent team, and liquidity locked for at least six months. If the project’s code is hidden, walk away.
Our tag page gathers articles that dive deeper into these topics – like the "Risks of Buying Bitcoin" piece that explains volatility and security, or the "Which Crypto Will Reach $1?" guide that flags hype‑driven projects. Use those reads as a supplement to the basics listed here.
Staying safe isn’t about being paranoid; it’s about building habits that protect your money while you chase the next opportunity. Follow the steps above, keep learning, and your crypto portfolio will be far less likely to end up in a hacker’s wallet.
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