How to Buy Bitcoin in 2026 for Beginners

Many people who do not have much knowledge about crypto and have listened to crypto, bitcoin, ethereum word via a news, relative or from a friend and knows just a simple meaning that it is the digital currency of the new world.

Thinks that they will need thousands of dollars or some special technical knowledge to buy Bitcoin, or any other cryptocurrency. In fact in 2026, you can start with as little as $20.

But you need some details to verify yourself first before getting started with it. Here is everything you need to get ready right now:

1. Valid Government-Issued ID

You'll need one of these:

• Driver's license

• US passport

• State-issued ID card

Why this matters: US and many other countries' laws require all cryptocurrency platforms to verify your identity. In technical terms this is also called KYC (Know Your Customer). It's the same process as opening a bank account. KYC is done to protect yourself from fraud and keep the system safe.

2. US Bank Account or Debit Card

Any major US bank works:

• Bank account for lowest fees (best option)

• Debit card for instant purchases

• Credit card (not recommended—high fees)

Pro tip: Bank transfers save you 2-4% compared to card purchases, but they take 1-3 days. Whereas cards are instant but more costly.

3. Email Address and Phone Number

You'll use these for:

• Account verification

• Security alerts

• Two-factor authentication (an extra security code sent to your phone)

4. A Secure Wallet to Store Your Bitcoin

This is the most important item on this list. Think of a crypto wallet like a digital safe. You have two choices:

This is the most important item on this list. You can think of Crypto Wallet like a digital safe. You have two choices:

Option 1: Keep your Bitcoin or Crypto on the exchange from where you buy it (Risky option because exchanges are favorite target of hackers because of high liquidity and massive volume of assets)

Option 2: Move your Bitcoin to a self-custody wallet like Oppi Wallet, Trust Wallet, Exodus where you fully control the keys (Safer, because you truly own your crypto and your keys, not any exchange, but you have to be aware on clicking phishing links and downloading malicious softwares.)

Now many of you might have heard the word “self-custody” for the first time or you have heard but do not know the real meaning of it. So the actual meaning of “self-custody” is that you and only you control your bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency.

Even if the wallet company gets hacked or goes bankrupt then also your funds will be with you, no company or government can freeze your account. You will truly own your crypto in the way you should.

5. Basic Understanding That Bitcoin Prices Go Up and Down

Here's the reality: Bitcoin is not a savings account. The price can:

• Jump 20% in a week

• Drop 30% in a month

• Double in a year

Important Rule of Bitcoin investing: Only invest the money which you can afford to lose completely. Never invest your rent money, emergency savings or the money which you will have in the upcoming days.

You’re almost ready. Once you have all these above mentioned things, then buying your first Bitcoin will be done within less than 10 minutes.

In the next section we will discuss how you can buy your first bitcoin in 2026, we will also see which option will save you the most money because many platforms charge hidden fees nowadays.

If you are still confused about Self-Custody. You can read our full guide on What is Self-Custody Wallets? The guide is written in beginner friendly language so anyone can understand it and know how they can securely store their crypto.

Now that you know what you will need before buying your first bitcoin, let’s see where you can actually buy your Bitcoin from. Mainly if you are from the USA, Canada, Australia, Poland, Italy and some other EU countries then you have three ways to purchase a Bitcoin.

But the rest of the world only has 2 main ways to buy Bitcoin. We will see you can actually buy your first bitcoin from all three ways.

Option 1: Crypto Exchanges

Crypto Exchanges are platforms where you can easily buy, sell, and trade your cryptocurrencies. Now I have say easily because in this you have the benefit of instant transaction of anything whether you want to buy, sell, trade because there are many users available at a time.

But this becomes a disadvantage as well sometimes because of many users sometimes system outages and experiencing technical problems. Slippage happens which means that you get a much worse price than you expected during a trade.

Some examples of Crypto Exchanges are CoinBase, Binance US, Kraken, BitGet.

Now the working of crypto exchanges is simple. You have to create an account, verify your identity (also known as complete your KYC), add payment method and you are ready to buy your very first bitcoin. Once you buy it will stay on their platform unless you move it.

Pros:

• Very easy to use, beginner-friendly interface.

• Accept bank transfers and credit/debit cards.

• Customer support available

• Password Reset available

• High liquidity so you can buy and sell your bitcoin quickly at fair market prices

• Access to advanced trading tools like charts, various order types, margin trading and other.

• Access to a wide range of cryptocurrencies for trading.

Cons:

• Exchange controls your Bitcoin and not you. 

• Favourite target of hackers because of high amount

• Charges various type of fees where your profit is killed

• If platform faces any any regulatory action

• If exchange gets hacked or goes bankrupt your bitcoin could be gone forever. Exchanges can even freeze your account if requested by the government or due to some technical problems too.

• People lost billions of dollars every year in exchange hacks.

Fees: 1% to 5% depend on what action you performed.

Think of it like this: Using an exchange is like keeping your cash in the bank. Obviously it is convenient but it can be hacked just like banks are looted. Will you trust them to keep your crypto safe?

Option 2: Self-Custody Wallets but with built-in Buy feature

These are self-custody wallets only but with built-in Buy feature. Do remember that not all self-custody wallets offer this feature yet.

Some wallets like Oppi Wallet, Trust Wallet, Exodus offer this feature. In short these are the apps where you can Buy your Bitcoin and secure it too in the same wallet, you don't have to move it from here to there.

Now working of this type of wallet is like this. For example we are taking Oppi Wallet. First you have to download the Oppi Wallet app from Apple App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android. After downloading, create a new wallet or import your existing wallet if you already have a self-custody wallet account using your seed phrase.

Here the seed phrase acts as a master password through which your wallet can be opened anywhere. And if your seed phrase gets compromised means leak then your crypto is gone forever. So you have to secure your seed phrase at any cost.

After creating or importing your wallet. You will see a buy button on the homepage. Click on the Buy button, select your crypto in this case Bitcoin, enter your payment details and amount of how much you want to buy Bitcoin. It will take seconds to process and in a few minutes your account shows your bitcoin.

You don't have to move it anywhere like you do in exchange because your bitcoin is directly added to your self-custody wallet.

If you are new to self-custody, then we recommend you to read this guide on how to set up your crypto wallet in under 10 minutes. Because creating a self-custody wallet is simple but you need to stay aware at the time of creating, a small mistake can cost you cryptos.

Pros:

• You control your Bitcoin completely

• Buy, Sell, Store, Send, Receive all in one single app

• Lower fees than exchanges. Mostly you only pay network fees. Check if you are trying the other wallet as some wallets charge hidden fees including their fees in markup fees.

• Some wallets offer spending crypto offers so you can spend your bitcoin in daily life. For example Oppi Wallet.

• Privacy. Like exchanges you don't have to complete your KYC at first. You need to complete KYC for performing some specific tasks like buying. You need to verify KYC because you have to add a payment method. This is done for your safety only.

• No one can freeze your account as you fully own your crypto.

• Self-custody wallets are set up within 10 minutes.

• No company risk. Even if the wallet companies shutdown

• Access of DeFi and Web3

Cons

• No Button for Forgot password. If you ever lost your seedphrase and then you lose your phone too. You no longer have access to your wallet.

• Hackers try to create clone apps of wallets so they can steal your data and hack into your real account. Also hackers create viruses or malwares which is shared with you by spam links or photos.

• Unlike banks, there is no government insurance to pay you back if your crypto is stolen.

• If you send money to the wrong address or wrong blockchain your crypto is gone forever.

• It takes time to properly adapt a self-custody wallet.

• You are 100% responsible for your crypto.

Option 3: Bitcoin ATMs (convenient but expensive. Not available everywhere)

These are physical machines like Cash ATMs, they are convenient but expensive. These Bitcoin ATMs also known as BTMs are found in gas stations, convenience stores, and shopping centres where you can easily buy bitcoin with cash.

Mostly every BTM allows only to Buy crypto. As of now some of them are bidirectional machines also which lets you buy and sell your crypto for cash.

Some of you might be thinking that why Bitcoin ATMs started when exchanges were already available.

The first BTM or Bitcoin ATM was installed in 2013 with the objective of accessibility and ease of use.

Because in 2013, buying bitcoin was a complex task because people were not much aware about crypto exchanges, especially non-technical people.

Whereas the ATM concept was familiar, physical and less intimidating to buy bitcoin. Also it provided access to Bitcoin or we can say at that time the emerging digital economy to those people also who were not having access to traditional banking services.

The very first Bitcoin ATM (BTM) was installed in Vancouver, Canada. From that single machine, the industry has grown significantly.

The number of BTMs grew rapidly, reaching around 200 globally in 2014 to nearly 40000 today. And with the growing number of machines the technology was also growing.

We can say that the first machine was very basic but today's BTMs offer better user interfaces, support multiple cryptos and include enhanced security features like biometric scanning and QR code integration.

Pros:

• Bitcoin ATMs (BTMs) are easy to use just like regular ATMs which makes them beginner friendly

• You can use your cash directly, no need to use only a bank account or card

• Machines are found in convenient public places. So it is easy to find if you want to buy Bitcoin with cash

• You buy bitcoin directly to your self-custody wallet, reducing third party risks.

• BTMs are the only way to move your physical cash directly in to the digital world in minutes

Cons:

• The biggest drawback is cost. Fees usually range from 7% to 20% or more per transaction, which is much than exchanges

• Most BTMs have daily limits on how much you can buy and sell.

• Most BTMs only offer fewer options of crypto like bitcoin, ethereum, or maybe litecoin. You can not use for wide variety of other cryptos

• Just like ATMs, BTMs can also experience downtime, if offering sell feature than run out of cash, have bill jamming errors

• On top of high network fees, you still have to pay standard blockchain network (miner) fees

• Not available globally

• Scammers frequently trick people into depositing cash into BTMs by pretending to be from government or tech support. Mainly they target elderly people. This is major risk

• You have to use wallet scanner which is compatible with the specific machine’s QR reader

Use BTMs only if you want to do transactions in cash, or you don’t have a bank account. Possibly try to not use BTMs because the fees are so high that you get more amount of Bitcoin at that price if you buy from an online exchange or self custody wallet with built-in buy feature.

Now as we already said, countries like America, Canada, Poland, Australia, Italy and some more EU countries have three ways to buy Bitcoin.

Whereas the rest of the world has only two ways. Which are Crypto Exchanges and Self-Custody Wallets with built-in Buy feature.

Which Option Should You Choose?

Now many of you have a question in your mind “which option should I choose to buy Bitcoin.”

So at top we would recommend you to completely ignore BTMs until you want to do the transaction in cash or you don't have a traditional bank account to transfer money online and buy from exchanges. As we already said above, the fees are so high.

Now if you are a crypto trader or want to become a crypto trader and do frequent trades like buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum or any other crypto then we would suggest you to go with a crypto exchange + crypto wallet.

In short a hybrid strategy. Where you have to keep an X number of amounts which you need for trading on exchanges. And move your profits and rest of the money to your wallet to securely store them.

And if you are the person who wants to hold on Bitcoin, Ethereum or any other crypto for long term, or invest in crypto with large amounts then again we would recommend a hybrid strategy.

But this is different from the previous one. In this instead of exchange you have to buy Bitcoin from a self-custody wallet with built-in buy feature plus another self-custody wallet but they are basically known as hardware wallets.

Now you will be thinking about what these hardware wallets are. So hardware wallets are also self-custody wallets only, but they are not connected to the internet, instead to transfer your funds you need to connect it with your exchange or wallet which is basically a software wallet. And then transfer your fund from software to hardware wallet.

So basically in this strategy you have maximum protection. Because you are using only self-custody wallets which are already secured. And above that one wallet is a hardware wallet which is known for their maximum security.

In this, what you have to do is find a wallet which lets you buy bitcoin, ethereum or other crypto. Once you buy your bitcoin, shift 70-80% of that in hardware wallet and rest in software wallet only.

As of 2026 we would suggest you look at one more feature with this. SPENDING. If a wallet lets you spend your crypto and also buy crypto also then it is an extra feature for you.

Examples of wallets with built-in buy features are Trust Wallet, Exodus. An example of a wallet with built-in buy feature and crypto spending feature is Oppi Wallet. Examples of hardware wallets are Ledger and Trezor.

If you want to know more about self-custody wallets, then read our guide to get more insights on self-custody wallets.

If you have made your mind to go with Oppi Wallet.

Download now from Playstore for Android.

Download now from Appstore for iOS.

Let’s see the exact process of buying your first Bitcoin using Oppi Wallet. This is one of the safest and cost-effective for crypto users to buy Bitcoin in 2026

Step 1: Download Official Oppi Wallet App

We have seen many times that if a new user is entering into crypto space they think that crypto apps are not available on Play Store or App Store because crypto is not properly regulated.

But they are totally wrong, mostly each and every crypto wallet app is available on App Store for iOS users and Play Store for Android users.

For iPhone users (iOS):

1. Open the App Store

2. Search for “Oppi Wallet”

3. Look for the developer name “Encoin Limited” (confirms if app is real or not)

4. Tap “get” to download app (it’s completely free)

For Android users (Android):

1. Open the Google Play Store

2. Search for “Oppi Wallet”

3. Look for the developer name “Encoin Limited” (confirms if app is real or not)

4. Tap “install” to download app (it’s completely free)

Note: Do not download Oppi Wallet or any other financial related product from unknown sources, websites or apps because hackers create a lookalike app with the same name. To identify the real app, check the developer name. Because fake wallet app exists and if you mistakenly download it. Then it will steal your money.

Step 2: Setup Oppi Wallet

Once you have downloaded the app, and verified that the app is official and not any lookalike app by a hacker. Here is what you have to do:

1. Open your app and tap “Create New Wallet”

2. Enter your email address and create a strong password which you have not used anywhere

• • Use at least 12 characters

  • Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols

3. Write down your 12-word seed phrase on paper

Here you will see 12-random keywords like “apple, mountain, river, cloud….” displayed on your screen

These 12 words are your master key to your wallet. Anyone who has access to that key can easily control your Bitcoin and other crypto

What to do:

• Get a pen and paper

• Note down all 12-word in exact order

• Double check each and every spelling and order properly

• Make 3-4 copies of this and store at different places (your private home safe which only you can access, trusted family member, bank safety deposit box)

What not to do:

• Don't take a screenshot

• Never email it to yourself

• Don’t store in any password manager

• Never store on your computer or laptop

• Never share it with anyone, not even Oppi Wallet support team.

4. Enable extra security features

• Set 6-digit PIN code. Don’t keep same as phone unlock code

• Turn on fingerprint or face ID

• Enable 2FA. You will have to enter the code on your phone whenever you log in

Why this matters: In 2025, many people either lose access to their funds forever or their funds were stolen because they were not able to protect their seed phrase.

People who lose access to their crypto, first lose access to their seed phrase. And the people whose funds were stolen, first their seed phrase was compromised.

Step 3: Complete Identity Verification

US federal law and many other countries law requires all cryptocurrency platforms to verify their users identity. To prevent money laundering and protect you from frauds.

1. Tap the “Buy” button in your Oppi Wallet dashboard

2. The app will prompt to complete your KYC (Know Your Customer)

3. Upload photo of your ID

• • Driver’s License (front or back) OR

  • Passport (photo page) OR

  • State-issued ID card

4. Take quick selfie

• • The app will use your selfie to confirm that you are the correct person on the ID

  • Make sure you are in good lightning

  • Remove sunglasses and hats

5. Wait 5-10 minutes for approval

• • Usually it is done within 5-10 minutes, but it can take up to 24 hours

  • You will get email when approved

What if it gets rejected? Some common reasons for rejection are blurry photos, expired ID, name that doesn't match email. Just resubmit by checking all these things and resubmitting them

Step 4: Add your payment method

Once your KYC is successful, it’s time to connect your payment method. There are multiple options which you can select according to your preference

Option 1: Bank Account (Recommended—Lowest Fees)

• Tap "Add Payment Method" → "Bank Account"

• Enter your routing number and account number (find these on a check or in your banking app)

• Oppi will send two small deposits (like $0.12 and $0.27) to verify your account

• Enter those amounts to confirm

• Fees: Free or $0.50 per transaction

• Processing time: 1-3 business days for purchases to complete

Option 2: Debit Card (Instant but Higher Fees)

1. Tap "Add Payment Method" → "Debit Card"

2. Enter your card number, expiration, CVV

3. Fees: 2-3% extra (on $100 purchase, that's $2-3 more)

4. Processing time: Instant—Bitcoin appears in minutes

Option 3: Credit Card (NOT Recommended)

• Same process as debit card

• Fees: 3-5% transaction fee PLUS your credit card company may charge a "cash advance fee" of 5-10%

• On a $100 purchase, you could pay $8-15 in total fees

• Also charges interest if you don't pay off immediately

• Only use if you have no other option

Pro tip: Start with your bank account even though it takes longer. You'll save $2-5 on every $100 you buy. That adds up fast.

Step 5: Buy your first Bitcoin

Now you are ready to buy your first Bitcoin and securely store in Oppi Wallet:

1. Tap “Buy Crypto” on your Oppi Wallet homescreen

2. Select “Bitcoin (BTC)” from the cryptocurrency list

3. Enter the amount you want to buy

• • You can buy in dollars (like $50) or in Bitcoin (like 0.0005 BTC)

  • Start with small amounts: $20-100 is perfect for your first purchase

  • Remember: Only invest money which you can afford to lose

4. Review the fee breakdown carefully

• • You'll see: Amount you're buying + Network fee + Total cost

  • Network fee is usually $0.50-$1.50 (this goes to Bitcoin miners who process the transaction, not to Oppi)

  • With Oppi, what you see is what you pay there are no hidden markup charges

5. Tap confirm purchase

6. Wait for few minutes

• • Bank Account: Bitcoin appears in 1-3 business days

  • Debit/credit card: Bitcoin appears within 10-30 minutes

Congratulations! You now own Bitcoin. You will see your balance on your home screen. The Bitcoin which you just bought is stored securely on your device, protected by your seed phrase.

What Happens Next

Your Bitcoin is sitting securely in your Oppi Wallet. Now you can:

• Hold it for long-term and watch its value grow (hopefully)

• Get a free virtual crypto card backed by Mastercard to spend it anywhere online

• Book flights or hotels using your Bitcoin

• Send it to friends or family anywhere in the world

• Swap it for other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or stablecoins

Important: Your Bitcoin’s dollar value will go up and down. Sometimes by 10%-20% in a single day and this is normal. So don't panic-sell if the price drops. Because most Bitcoin investors think of Holding Long-Term.

Need Help?

If anything goes wrong or you have some questions:

Email: [email protected]

Check help section inside the app

Visit oppiwallet.com/en/faq for FAQs

Note: Do remember that Oppi support team will never ask for your 12-word seed phrase. If someone claims to be from the support team and asks for your seed phrase then it is definitely a scam. Block and report immediately. And do let us know so we can inform other users about this.

Here is one of the important topics which many articles don’t write about or even if they write they are not writing it with full transparency. The Bitcoin price which is shown to you is not actually what you pay.

There are many hidden fees which eat up 3%-8% of your money before you even own a single dollar of Bitcoin. Let’s break this down so you know what exactly you are paying.

Three types of fees you need to know

1. Platform Fees

This is ignored by many people. Because it is advertised as a “free platform”.

But here is where the platform plays with your mind. Here the free platform is written because it is free to download. But they have not mentioned anything related to the fees.

Some of the apps are truly free because they are earning from other services, some of the apps are only free to download. They charge some hidden fees with which they are surviving. And one part of this hidden fee is Platform Fees.

Wallets with high or hidden fees (These are taken from genuine user reviews)

• Coinbase: Coinbase charges a fee which is often hidden in the “spread.” For a $100 purchase, you are paying $4.99 in fees which is nearly 5% plus spread markup.

• MetaMask: Charges a 0.875% service fee on every swap. This sounds small but on a $1,000 swap, that is $8.75 just for using the swap. And on top of that you have to pay network fees also.

• Exodus Wallet: Charges a “spread fee” on swaps that range from 2% to 5% depending on market conditions. They don’t call this fee, but eventually you are getting 2-5% less crypto than the real market price.

• Trust Wallet: Though Trust Wallet charges no fees. But through third-party providers fees reach 1-5%. Due to which users receive 1-5% of less crypto.

• Atomic Wallet: Charges a flat 0.5% fee plus a commission from their partner exchange, often totaling 2-5% in lost value per trade.

Whereas Oppi Wallet

• Charges Zero platform fee

• You only pay the actual network fee

• Example: You buy Bitcoin worth of $100, You will get Bitcoin worth of $99.0 or $99.5% after paying network fee

• Why the difference? Oppi Wallet doesn’t charge any hidden fees like platform fee, we earn from different ways so our users do not pay extra.

2. Payment Method

The payment method you choose to pay also plays an important role on how much you will be charged.

Bank Transfer

Cost: Free to $1. Or even in percentage 0% to 1%.

Processing Time: 1-3 Business Days

Best For: Those people who can wait for few days

Debit Card

Cost: 1% to 3% extra on top of platform fees.

Processing Time: Instant (10-30 minutes)

On $100 purchase, that’s $1 to $3 (calculated only debit card fee)

Best for: When you need Bitcoin immediately

Credit Card

Cost: 3% to 5% transaction fee plus your credit card issuer charges a “cash advance fee” of around 5% to 10%

Total Fees on $100 purchase: $8 to $15

Also starts charging interest immediately

Only use if: You don't have any other option available otherwise ignore.

3. Network Fee

This is fee which is paid to miners for Bitcoin it is paid to Bitcoin miners. These are those people or companies who run powerful computers that process and secure all Bitcoin transactions worldwide. You can think of them like postal workers who deliver your mail. They do the work, so they get paid.

Usually between $0.5 to $3 per transaction (sometimes even less and rarely more than $5)

Why it changes:

So when there are lots of people buying Bitcoin at once, the network gets busy. More transactions means higher competition and that is why miners prioritize transactions with higher fees. In simple terms, it’s like surge pricing on Uber, more demand means  higher cost.

When fees are lowest.

• Weekends

• Late Night

• Early Mornings

Important: You have to pay a network fee regardless of which platform you use like Coinbase, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Oppi Wallet, Zengo. This fee is not optional and this fee goes to bitcoin miners and not to wallet companies.

Real Comparison

There is the clear difference which you can see that nearly you are saving more than $5 when compared to Coinbase, and around $1 compared to Exodus and $0.38 compared to MetaMask.

MetaMask only lets you swap, so to add your Bitcoin to MetaMask you need to send your Bitcoin from exchange or another wallet to MetaMask where you will need to pay fees, then swap in MetaMask where again you will pay fees.

Whereas in Oppi Wallet, you can buy, store, and spend all in one simple secure wallet.

Some Tips That Actually Works

Tip#1: Always use Bank Transfer (ACH) if possible

Yes you have to wait 1 to 3 days, but you also save 2 to 5% in fees. That means on a $500 purchase, you save $10-$25 instead of giving away in fees.

Tip #2: Buy during low traffic times

Network fees are very high during high traffic times due to which you have to pay more network fees. So buy during low traffic times like on weekends (saturday and sunday) or at midnight

Tip #3: Use wallet which dont have high fees

Exchanges and many wallets hide 1-5% in spread (the difference between buy and sell price). Whereas, Oppi shows you the exact market price with zero markup.

Tip #4: Buy larger amounts less frequently

Don’t buy $10 daily for 30 Days. Instead buy $300 at once. Because if you buy daily that means 30 times a month. Each time you pay a network fee which is almost between $1-$2 and at lowest around $0.5.

That means you are just paying around $15 to $45 just in fees. Whereas you can buy Bitcoin at once and pay only $1 to $2.

Tip#5: Avoid Credit Cards at all cost

If you have a cash printing machine then use credit cards. Because with credit card you have to pay 3-5% transaction fee + 5-10% cash advance fee + immediate interest = 8-15% total loss

That’s money gone forever that could have bought more Bitcoin.

Now, that you own your first Bitcoin and you also know the pricing so you can buy more crypto in your budget without paying any hidden fees. But what after buying Bitcoin. Where will you store it?

This question is also important just like where to buy Bitcoin. Because if you are not storing it properly then you can lose your very first Bitcoin easily.

Because in 2025 alone, $3.4 billion worth of crypto was stolen worldwide. That's a billion with B. And the worst part? Most of those were stolen because of small mistakes which were easily preventable.

And this is the single most important decision you will make after buying Bitcoin: is that where you will store it? Because this choice determines whether you will own your crypto or some other company will hold it.

So for storing crypto we have two options: Exchanges and Wallets

Exchange

What it means: Your Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency stays on the platform from where you bought it like Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Gemini etc.

Do remember that these platforms also provide their own wallets which are different entities then exchange.

How it works: The exchange controls your Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency on your behalf. Now why this. Because in exchanges you don't own your private keys with which you can prove your ownership and if you can not prove your ownership then that particular thing does not belong to you.

You can perform actions like Buy crypto, Sell crypto, Swap crypto, View your balance, Send and Receive crypto. But still you are not the owner of the crypto you bought. You just own a claim to Bitcoin held by the company.

The risks are real and scary.

Risk #1: Exchanges Get Hacked

Exchanges are the favorite target of hackers. And to prove this the numbers are clear. From $3.5 Billion, around $2.7 Billion was stolen from exchanges only. And numbers don’t lie. To verify you can check out Chainalysis Crypto Hacking Funds Report 2026.

And from this $2.7 Billion around $1.4 Billion is from ByBit exchange hack which is also the largest crypto theft in history till now.

Other Major 2025 Crypto Exchange hacks:

• Cetus exchange: $223 million stolen

• Balancer protocol: $128 million stolen

• Phemex exchange: $73 million stolen

Now what this “Exchange Hack” means. So basically in simple terms we can say that thieves enter a bank, break the bank vault, and steal everything and go without catching. Here, hackers break into exchange’s systems and steal Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptos all at once. It is not your fault, but eventually you lose your money.

Risk #2: Companies can freeze your account

Exchanges can freeze your account for many reasons:

• If they suspect something wrong. Even though you have done nothing

• Government orders them

• If you are from restricted country or state

• Automated system flags your account by mistake

• If company is updating their systems

This happened in 2025, when Coinbase accounts were frozen for weeks during verification reviews. Users were unable to perform any activity.

Risk #3: Exchanges can go bankrupt

Remember FTX. Which was one of the biggest exchanges, in 2022 they filed bankruptcy. Customers lost around $8 billion. And most of the users never got their money back.

Here bankruptcy means that either the bank ran out of money, either it shut down or your crypto is stuck in a legal battle for years. At the end you just become a creditor hoping to get some pennies on the dollar.

Risk #4: Your Bitcoin isn’t really yours

When your Bitcoin stays on an exchange, it is not fully yours as you don’t control it. The exchange does it. In the crypto world there is a famous saying.

“Not your keys, Not your coins”

Now the meaning of this is that if you don't own your private keys (the secret password which unlocks your Bitcoin or other crypto), then you don't actually own your crypto. You just have permission to use the exchange's bitcoin.

Data that you need to see

• $3.4 billion stolen from crypto platforms in 2025

• Only $334.9 million recovered (just 9.8% of stolen funds)

• 24% increase in crypto hacks compared to 2024

• February 2025 was the worst month: $1.77 billion stolen in just 28 days

Bottom Line: Leaving your bitcoin on an exchange is pure gamble. Because you are trusting that

• Exchange will not get hacked

• Exchange will not freeze your account

• Exchange will not go bankrupt

• Exchange will let you withdraw when you want

Do you still want to take the risk?

Self-Custody Wallets

What it means: Self-Custody Wallet is a secured storage in which your Bitcoin actually stays as you can control your crypto. In this your private keys stay on your local device fully in your control.

This means that nobody, not even the wallet company can access, freeze or steal your bitcoin.

How this works: Self-Custody Wallets will give you a 12-word seed phrase when you set up your account. This seed phrase is your master key which means that anyone who accesses your seed phrase can access your Bitcoin. The wallet company can never see your seed phrase, never stores it and never access it.

In simple terms, you can understand self-custody wallets like your personal fully secured storage at home. Only you can access it but if someone knows your storage password then they can also access it.

The benefits of self-custody wallets are great:

Benefit #1: You actually own your bitcoin

With self-custody, you truly own your Bitcoin. This means:

• Nobody can freeze your account

• Nobody can stop you from sending your Bitcoin

• Nobody can seize your Bitcoins even governments or the wallet company

• Even if the wallet company shuts down due to any reason, your Bitcoin is still yours, you just have to import your wallet to another wallet app.

Benefit #2: Immune to Exchange Hacks

Your Bitcoin is not stored on a company’s server. Instead it lives on blockchain and only your private key and seed phrase can access it. So when exchanges or even the wallet company gets hacked then also your Bitcoin is safe because it is on the blockchain and not on the company’s server.

In December, 2025. Trust Wallet browser extension was compromised and nearly $8.5 million was stolen from 2,520 wallets. After this incident the confidence of Trust Wallets users was broken. Users which were already existing and the new users all were scared that top crypto wallets can also get hacked.

But in this most of the users missed one thing. The Trust Wallet browser extension was hacked and it recorded seed phrases of users and shared it with users. It was not a hack like exchanges.

And the most important thing that everyone said was that Trust Wallet got hacked to create a false campaign against Trust Wallet. But actually the Trust Wallet Browser Extension was hacked. Nothing happened to Trust Wallet Mobile Wallet users. Even nothing happened to those trust wallet browser extension users who did not login at that time.

By this we can clearly say that hacking an exchange and having a self-custody wallet is both different. From exchanges hackers get a bulk amount at once.

Self-custody can protect you, but only if you protect your seed phrase properly.

Benefit #3: You Control When and Where You Spend

With self-custody wallets:

• Send crypto to anyone, anywhere, anytime

• Receive crypto from anyone, anytime, anywhere

• Swap to other cryptocurrencies instantly

• No permission needed for anything as you control your crypto

• No withdrawal limits

• Wallet like Oppi, let you spend your Bitcoin with a free virtual crypto card backed by Mastercard

• Also let you book flights and hotels with crypto

The only problem with Self-Custody Wallet is that you have to fully protect your seed phrase from being compromised. Because if anyone gets access to your seed phrase, then your wallet can easily be accessed by them.

Also you have to stay aware from clicking spam links, downloading harmful apps and downloading images and files from unknown sources. In simple with self-custody wallet you become your own bank. You own your crypto and you protect your crypto also.

You can think of seed phrase like this:

• It is the only key to a safe containing all your money

• If you lose the key, the safe is closed forever

• If someone finds your key, then can empty your wallet

• There is no backup key, no customer support to help you with lost seed phrase

And this is why you must follow these best practices to secure your Seed Phrase:

Write it down on your paper

Make multiple copies of the paper

Store in different places. For ex: 2 in your room at place which no one can access instead of you, 1 with your trusted family member like your mom or dad or grandparents. 1 in bank deposit box

Never store it digitally. For ex: Never take a screenshot or photo in another device, never write it down in notes app, never store in password managers, Never share it on messages apps understanding them as end-to-end encrypted. In short, never store seed phrases anywhere digitally.

Some examples of Self-Custody Wallets:

Oppi Wallet:

Oppi Wallet is a multi-chain self-custody crypto wallet app that supports over 40+ crypto and 5 major blockchains. It easily lets you send, receive, buy, sell, swap, store, fully manage and spend your crypto. 

Oppi Wallet not only lets you store your crypto, it also lets you spend your crypto in daily life.

With Virtual Crypto Card backed by Mastercard and Physical Crypto Card backed by VISA, users can spend their crypto anywhere around the world without worrying about high currency exchange fees.

Users can also use Oppi Wallets built-in travel with crypto feature to book flights and hotels with their crypto. If you really want to securely store your crypto and also spend it then Oppi Wallet is best for you.

Trust Wallet:

One of most downloaded Crypto Wallet in the world, though due to recent hack trust of users from Trust Wallet have been affected. But still they are undoubtedly one of the top crypto wallets which lets you buy, sell, store, swap, send, receive and fully manage your crypto.

Trust Wallet is purely storage based crypto where you can store your crypto securely like other wallets. It supports many crypto so if you want to invest in smaller cryptos then Trust Wallet is best for you.

Zengo:

Zengo is a new gen crypto wallet. It is also self custody but its framework is known as keyless self-custody wallet. In this wallet your seed phrase is split between user and zengo’s server, which removes risk of losing or exposing seed phrase.

It is newer technology than seed phrase where seed phrase technology has been used for the past 15 Years securing crypto worth of billions. Zengo also offers more features in its pro plan. If you are not confident of securing your seed phrase than Zengo Wallet is best option for you

Think of it this way

Exchange:

Giving your cash to store to someone who promises that they will secure your crypto. The same concept is with exchanges. Let’s see:

You have to ask permission to get your money

Your account can be freezed anytime which means locked anytime with any reason

Hackers' favorite targets are exchanges. So anytime your exchange can be hacked just like ByBit was hacked in Feb, 2025 which is a well-known and globally used crypto exchange.

If the company declares themself as bankrupt, your amount is gone.

Still this feels safe to you?

Self Custody Wallet:

Having your personal and secured safe at your home under your surveillance. The same concept is with self custody wallets. Let’s see:

You hold your key truly. No one else has access to it. Not even the wallet company

You can decide what you want to do: Buy, Sell, Send, Receive, Hold for long term, or Spend. As you fully control your crypto.

Hackers can not hack it until you lower your security settings like turning off 6 digit code, biometric authentication, and 2FA.

You can access your crypto anywhere, anytime, anyplace.

If the company declares as bankrupt or the company gets hacked, then also your crypto will be secured and accessible and only yours.

Now, which feels safer. The answer is obvious, isn’t it.

What we would choose

Now if you ask us which self-custody wallet we should go with.

Then, today there are hundreds of self-custody wallets available in the market. Choosing one is very difficult from that. But it is not as difficult as it looks.

First of all, we will remove all the wallets which are having downloads less than 5000. Now many consider this number up to 10000 but we are suggesting thousand because nowadays new wallets are coming with features which are not available in already existing wallets.

After this, remove those wallets from the list which have no reviews or reviews less than 20. And if the downloads are more than 50000 then the reviews should be at least 100-150. Also check reviews on other websites too if possible.

Mainly in reviews check what problems users are facing, are they facing any issue related to hidden fees, or are they facing problems related to using and difficulty in navigating.

After checking reviews, we will not download, because nowadays many apps purchase fake reviews, for that we will check their reputation on other platforms too. We will see reddit, quora and youtube.

There we will see what people are talking about them, and if we don’t find anything then we will raise the questions by asking and ask them from users on reddit and quora having crypto knowledge.

After all this only a few of the wallets will be available on the list. Now we will check their website and social media to see what features they are offering. Compare each and every wallet with the features we want like if our main aims are to mainly buy ethereum and tokens based on ethereum. Then we will go with a wallet which is best for this.

But if I want beginner friendly wallets, then I will go with that type of wallet.

All it depends on what you need. If your need is beginner friendly and the list which you made does not contain any beginner friendly wallet then you have to redo all the things again.

After all these steps we will mark out 2-3 wallets according to our needs. Then install all three. Create a wallet on one app and import the same wallet in the other two.

After this we will check out each and everything practically and at the end there will be one wallet. But then also if I like two apps from three of them then I can keep both as I can use my same wallet in multiple wallet apps simultaneously.

Now let’s see one of our clients who performed this same trick and founded us.

He said that he first created a list of 500 self custody wallets with the help of AI.

Then he listed what he wants and removed other wallets which do not offer that feature. Almost 250 wallets were still there.

Then he improved his prompt with number of downloads up to 10k and review more than 60+

Now he has a list of 50 Wallets. From that he somehow picked 5 wallets

1. Trust Wallet

2. MetaMask

3. Oppi Wallet

4. RedotPay

5. Zengo

He used the same wallet on all four platforms at the same time as Zengo was a keyless self custody wallet he created another wallet for that.

He tested each wallet for a week 1 day sending crypto from Oppi Wallet to Zengo, then receiving crypto from exchange to Oppi Wallet. Then send using Trust Wallet to exchange and more.

Further he also tried a spending feature where he was facing some difficulties in MetaMask to get a card. But he got his first virtual card easily in Oppi Wallet and RedotPay.

He used both having almost similar experience but the Oppi Wallet Virtual Card was accepted at more places because it's powered by Mastercard. Whereas he faced problems in Spotify where RedotPay was not accepted and Oppi Wallet was easily accepted.

He said to us in the mail that currently he uses Trust Wallet, Oppi Wallet and Ledger.

Trust Wallet if he wants to explore smaller cryptocurrencies or explore Web3. It is also beginner friendly which makes it easy to use.

Oppi Wallet because he can simply spend crypto in daily life and also has other features which Trust Wallet also has. The only missing thing is that it does not support many blockchains or cryptocurrencies otherwise it is beginner friendly too.

And ledger for larger amounts of crypto.

Now, you might have a question: if there are wallets like Trust Wallet, MetaMask, Zengo, RedotPay available in the market then why should I use Oppi Wallet.

Why Oppi Wallet is the smart choice for Self-Custody

Here is your answer to the previous question. See all the crypto wallets are not created equal and not all the crypto wallets are perfect.

Here are some points where Oppi Wallet stands out in front of its competitors strongly and why it deserves a chance to be installed and used as your wallet for securing your crypto and even spending it too.

Security features:

1. 12-word seed phrase

• Used by Bitcoin and other self-custody wallets

• In used since past 15 years

• Secured crypto worth of billion dollars

• Mathematically impossible to guess (1 in 2^128 combinations)

• Also known as the gold standard for crypto security

2. Multi-layer security system

• 6-digit pin code: first layer of protection to open the app

• Biometric lock: Fingerprint or face ID for extra security

• 2FA Authentication: Google authenticator code required at the time of transaction

So even if someone steals your phone, then also they can not access your Bitcoin without these.

3. VASP Certified

• Oppi Wallet is a registered Virtual Asset Service Provider

• Meets international regulatory standards

• Complies with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations

4. Independently Audited by CyberScope

• Professional security firm reviews each and every line of code to find any vulnerabilities just like hackers do

• Passed security comprehensive audit

• No critical vulnerabilities found

If you don't know about auditing. Then it means that our platform is independently checked by experts with years of experience. They make sure there are no security holes which hackers can exploit.

You can understand them as health inspectors checking restaurants for healthy food.

User-Friendly Features:

Most self-custody wallets only give you convenience or security, but not both in the same app. And due to which you have to select between security OR convenience. But Oppi Wallet gives you both.

Buy Bitcoin directly from the app:

This is our latest feature which we have launched. With this now you don't have to open an exchange every time to buy and sell your crypto.

You can do it directly from the Oppi Wallet app and that too without any hidden fees.

Sell your Bitcoin for traditional money:

Now you want to sell some of your Bitcoin or any other crypto to get traditional cash. Before now you have to send it back to the exchange, wait for 1-5 days for the amount to receive in your bank and also pay 1% to 5% fees on that.

But with the buy feature we have also launched the sell feature. Our users can easily sell their crypto at real time market rates. And get a traditional amount in a short time.

Free Virtual Crypto Card:

You can easily spend your Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, USDC or any other crypto anywhere. Whether a coffee shop, for dinner, for your netflix subscription or any other tools or entertainment subscription. They should be accepting online payments.

You can add this card easily to Apple Pay and Google Pay also for easy contactless payments.

You can get your free virtual crypto card instantly when you set up your Oppi Wallet.

Also this card is backed by Mastercard which is accepted by over 120 million plus merchants and accepted over 210+ countries

Physical Crypto Card

Oppi Wallet also provides physical crypto cards backed by VISA which is accepted by over 150 million plus merchants and 220+ countries.

Rest of all features are the same like the virtual card. An extra feature is that you can swipe this card in-stores. But Physical Crypto Cards are not free like virtual cards, instead you have to pay a minimal one time fee then you can use it freely.

Travel Booking:

This feature is what makes Oppi Wallet different from others. We have integrated a built-in travel with crypto feature which lets our users book their flight and hotels with crypto directly from the app.

Our users don’t have to add their crypto to any card or exchange it with traditional cash first. They can simply book their flights and hotels with the crypto they have.

The users will receive confirmation on mail which they have used. They will receive a ticket each and everything just like they book a flight or hotel using traditional money.

Also, if any users finds good deals on another website or app, then they can use virtual cards for the same.

Multi-Chain Support:

Nowadays, people invest in different crypto and not only Bitcoin. Many people invest in crypto which is created on Ethereum blockchain, some of them invest in stablecoins only, whereas some of them invest in multiple crypto.

And not all wallets support every other crypto. Some will be supporting only ethereum based cryptocurrencies, while some will be for Solana, some will be specifically for Bitcoin.

But Oppi Wallet supports 5 major blockchains and more than 40+ cryptocurrencies. And if a cryptocurrency is not visible on Oppi Wallet but is on the blockchain which is supported on Oppi, if this is the case then you can manually add that particular crypto.

This type of wallets are also known as Multi-Chain Crypto Wallets in which you can store multiple cryptocurrencies from multiple blockchains.

Beginner Friendly:

When we were designing Oppi Wallet we thought of the users which are new to the crypto world. And that is why we designed the Oppi Wallet in beginner friendly language so it is easy to use and easy to navigate by anyone, whether it is a beginner or an expert.

Do this right now

If your Bitcoin is sitting on an exchange:

Step 1: Download Oppi Wallet from Apple App Store for iOS and from Google Play Store for Android

Step 2: Set up your wallet and write down your seed phrase on paper

Step 3: Transfer your Bitcoin from the exchange to your Oppi Wallet

Step 4: Store your seed phrase in 2-3 safe locations

This takes less than 10 minutes and could save you thousands or millions of dollars. Here is a guide for you to set up your Oppi Wallet account easily without any mistakes.

Remember: In 2025, $3.4 billion was stolen because people trusted companies instead of trusting themselves. Don't become a statistic in 2026.

Most beginners think that Bitcoin is only for holding and hoping that the price will go up and this is the same condition with other cryptocurrency too. But in 2026, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency will become far more practical. Here are four real ways many people around the world are using their Bitcoin right now:

Option 1: HODL or Hold Long Term

This is the classic approach. The most popular one: People buy Bitcoin and wait for the price to increase over years.

The track record speaks itself:

2011: In April, 2011. Bitcoin was worth around $1

2017: Dec, 2017. Bitcoin hit that time highest which was around $17,000

2021: Nov, 2021. Bitcoin again hit that highest which was around $65,000

2025: Oct, 2025. Bitcoin hit its current ATH which is around $124,000

2026: Jan 2026. Currently Bitcoin is playing around $80,000 to $95,000

Do you know how much return this is for an early holder? Around 100,000x. Even if you bought it in 2021. Then also you are in profit. And almost all those who are holding long term are minimum holding it for 5 years.

This option is best for those investors who believe in being patient. Definitely, Bitcoin will grow in the next 5-10 years like the growth it has seen in the last decade.

You can think of Bitcoin like a Digital Gold. Buy it, store it safely and check back in a few years.

Option 2: Spend it in real life

Last decade was purely known for holding but now the technology has evolved and users can actually use their bitcoins easily for daily spending just like regular money and not just investing or holding on for dear life.

With free Virtual Crypto Card backed by Mastercard from Oppi Wallet and others wallets, here is what a user can do:

Pay for Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime and other entertainment and business tool subscriptions

Buy groceries easily at Target, Whole foods easily by adding your virtual card to apple pay or google pay and use contactless payment options.

Easily shop online at millions of websites. Buy clothing, accessories, home items, jewellery, anything from your crypto and that too quickly.

Order food online via Uber Eats, Door Dash and pay via contactless option

Book flights on emirates as they have started accepting Bitcoin. Or use Oppi Wallet’s integrated travel with crypto feature to book any flight or hotel using crypto.

If you are wondering how this works, here is an overview. You have to top up your card with your bitcoin or any other crypto, your crypto gets converted to dollars (or your local currency) automatically at the real time market price, and those dollars or your local currency are loaded onto your card.

Now you are able to spend your crypto anywhere. Whether paying for an entertainment pack or business tool to booking your vacation and ordering food online. Anywhere means literally anywhere as Mastercard is accepted at 150 million merchants worldwide in 210+ countries.

This is best for those who want to use their bitcoin or other crypto like ethereum, USDT, USDC or any other for daily expenses without going through the hassle of selling crypto on an exchange and transferring money to your bank account.

It's like having a prepaid debit card that you load using your crypto instead of your bank account.

Option 3: Trade for other cryptocurrencies

Once people take a deep dive into the crypto world. They just don't want themself to be limited to investing only in Bitcoin. They look for opportunities and want to diversify their portfolio.

And crypto offers a great feature for this which is swap means trade between 2 cryptocurrencies, and this feature is included in Oppi Wallet which you can take benefit of:

With Oppi Wallet you can instantly swap or trade Bitcoin for:

Ethereum (ETH): This is the second largest crypto, used for smart contracts. It is also known as digital oil.

Solana (SOL): Solana is best known for its high speed blockchain network. It has the ability to process thousands of transactions per second for minimal cost.

Stablecoins (USDT, USDC, etc): These are cryptocurrencies designed to hold a stable value instead of fluctuating like Bitcoin. Most are pegged to $1 USD and backed by dollar reserves (like USDT, USDC), while others use cryptocurrency collateral (like DAI) or even physical assets like gold. They are best known for combining crypto benefits with stable pricing, perfect for daily spending and payments.

TRON: TRON is a blockchain network designed to make crypto transactions fast and affordable. It is best known for being one of the cheapest ways to send stablecoins like USDT, with fees typically under a dollar.

Now swapping one crypto with another charges a network fee, here many small wallets and some well known wallets also charge hidden fees in the name of spread fees or markup fees. We don't know about others but Oppi Wallet doesn’t charge any hidden fees. You just have to pay what you see.

Why people swap their Bitcoin:

To lock in their profits by converting bitcoin to stable coins when price is high

Diversify their portfolio into different crypto expecting a return from there.

It is best to use stablecoins pegged to $1 for spending and that is why many people swap their Bitcoin, or Ethereum, or SOL or any other crypto to USDT or USDC or other stablecoins pegged to $1 or even to the stablecoins pegged to their local currency if available.

If you are still confused about what swap means. Then in simple swap means exchanging one cryptocurrency to another cryptocurrency, for example trading quarters for dimes. You will get the same value of dimes, just coins are different.

Option 4: Send money internationally

This is the original purpose of cryptocurrency, and that too specifically Bitcoin. Create a decentralized, P2P electronic cash system, allowing you for secure, anonymous and direct online transactions without intermediaries like banks or governments.

In short, sending money across borders quickly and affordably.

Traditional Way:

Fees: Around $15-$45 per transfer

Time: 3-5 business days

Limits: Often limited to $10,000 or a specific amount

Hidden costs: Poor exchange rates

Bitcoin Way:

Fees: $0.5 dollar to $2.5 dollars (no matter the amount)

Time: 10-60 minutes

Limits: None. Send $100 or $1,000

Exchange Rate: Real-time market rate

Example: You are sending $1,000 to your family in another country

Traditional Way: Pay around $20-$35 in fees + bad exchange rate = receiver gets around $965-$950

Sending Bitcoin via Oppi Wallet: $0.5-$2.5 network fee = receiver gets $999.5-$997.5

If the main purpose for creating Bitcoin is sending money across borders quickly and cheaply. Then it is obvious that it will charge less fees than the traditional way.

You can choose how to use it

The beauty of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other crypto is that it is not like regular money sitting inside your bank account, instead bitcoin gives you options:

HODL: Hold on for dear life. Hold your bitcoin like an investment for the next 5 to 10 or whatever years you want. You will see the growth in the long term.

Currency: You can spend it daily with crypto card

Easily Trade: You can trade it easily with different crypto

Global payments: You can send it easily to anyone globally without high fees and in less time.

Are you ready to buy your very first Bitcoin?

Don't just buy and sit. Download and Shift it to Oppi Wallet for secured storage and unlock all four use cases.

Download Oppi Wallet now from Apple App Store for iOS and from Google Play Store for Android and experience what real ownership of Bitcoin looks like.

Q1: How much Bitcoin should I buy as a beginner?

A: Start with an amount which you can afford to lose completely. Typically you should start with the minimum amount like $20 to $100 for your first purchase.

This will let you learn how Bitcoin works without risking any money that you need for paying your rent or bills or emergency fund. Because bitcoin’s price can drop 20-50% in weeks, never invest money which you need in the next 1-2 years.

Once you are comfortable and understand how this works, then you can gradually invest more. Many experienced investors follow this rule: don’t invest more than 5-10% of your total savings in Bitcoin.

Remember: This is a high-risk investment, not a savings account.

Q2: Can I buy a fraction of Bitcoin, or do I need to buy a whole coin?

A: Yes obviously you can buy a fraction of Bitcoin. You don't need to buy the whole coin by investing $80,000 to $90,000 as of current price fluctuations.

Here's how it works:

Bitcoin can be divided into 100 million smaller units called “satoshis” (named after Bitcoin’s creator)

You can buy as little as $10 or $20 worth of Bitcoin

For example: $20 will buy you about 0.0002 BTC at current price

You can think of this like buying gold: you don’t need to buy a whole gold bar, you can buy a tiny gram. It is the same with Bitcoin.

You can buy Bitcoin worth $20 directly from Oppi Wallet and securely store it so you don't have to pay network fees and exchange fees.

Q3: Is my Bitcoin safe in Oppi Wallet?

A: Yes, your Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency is safe in Oppi Wallet until you protect your 12-word seed phrase properly.

Why using Oppi Wallet is safe:

• We uses the same 12-word seed phrase which is proven as it has already secured billions of dollars for over 15+ years

• With 12-word seed phrases we also have multi-layer security: 6-Digit PIN + biometrics authentication + 2FA authentication every time a transaction is processed.

• Oppi Wallet is also independently audited by CyberScope (Blockchain security firm) they did not find any critical vulnerabilities

• We are VASP certified (Virtual Asset Service Provider) which means we meet international regulatory standards

Your Bitcoin is stored on the blockchain and not on Oppi Wallet’s server. Even if the company shuts down or tomorrow your Bitcoin is still yours. You just have to download a new self-custody wallet and import your wallet there with your seed phrase.

But do remember if you don't have your seed phrase then you can not import your wallet on any other device or any other wallet app.

Also if your seed phrase gets compromised then your bitcoin or other crypto can be stolen. So it is your duty to secure your seed phrase properly.

Here are some Best Practices to secure your seed phrase:

• Write it on paper (never digitally)

• Store in 2-3 safe locations

• Never share it with anyone (not even "support" staff)

Q4: What if Bitcoin price drops after I buy?

A: Bitcoin price drops are normal and expected top happen. Here is what to do:

The reality:

Bitcoin price dropped from $69,000 to $15,000 in 2022 which is 78% drop

But then Bitcoin recovered to $124,000 in October 2025 which is a massive gain of 727% from bottom. And currently the prices are playing around $80,000 to $95,000 and is expected to go up to $105,000 in 2026 by some expert analyst

Price swings of 10-30% in a week are common

What NOT to do:

• Don't panic-sell when price drops

• Don't check the price every hour (it will stress you out)

• Don't invest money you need in the next 1-2 years

What TO do:

• Think long-term (5-10 years)

• Remember why you bought Bitcoin

• Only invest money you can afford to lose

Consider "dollar-cost averaging" (buy small amounts regularly instead of one big purchase)

Historical fact: Everyone who held Bitcoin for at least 4 years has made money, regardless of when they bought it.

Note: Past performance doesn't guarantee future results. Bitcoin could drop to zero (unlikely but possible). Never invest your emergency fund or rent money.

Q5: Can I sell my Bitcoin anytime?

A: You can easily sell your Bitcoin 24/7/365 because cryptocurrency markets never close.

How to sell from Oppi Wallet:

• Tap "Sell" button

• Select how much Bitcoin to sell

• Choose where to receive money (bank account)

• Confirm

Or convert to stablecoins instantly:

Instead of selling to dollars or your local currency, you can also swap Bitcoin to USDT or USDC (stablecoins worth $1 each). This will let you lock in your profit without leaving the crypto world.

Q6: What's better for beginners: exchange or self-custody wallet?

A: Not only for beginners but for everyone always a self-custody wallet is better. And if the wallet supports built-in Buy and Sell feature than its cherry on the top:

Here is why:

When you can use exchange:

• You are actively day-trading (buying and selling)

• You want someone else to manage security for you

• You are not ready to handle seed phrase responsibility yet

When you can use Self-Custody Wallets like Oppi Wallet:

• You are holding bitcoin for long-term

• You want to actually spend your Bitcoin

• You don’t want to pay your profits in fees

• You want true ownership

Q7: What happens if I lose my phone with an Oppi Wallet on it?

A: Your Bitcoin is safe as long as you have your 12-word seed phrase

Step-by-step recovery:

• Get a new phone

• Download Oppi Wallet

• Tap "Import Wallet"

• Enter your 12-word seed phrase in exact order

• Set new PIN and security features

• Your Bitcoins are secured. Nothing lost. Unless and until you have your 12-word seed phrase.

Why this works: Because your Bitcoin is actually not stored in the app or on your phone. Instead it lives on the Bitcoin Blockchain. And your seed phrase is the thing which proves your ownership.

Note: If you lose both your phone and your seed phrase, then your bitcoin is gone forever. No customer service can recover it. And that is why you must securely store your seed phrase also.

Tip: After writing a seed phrase, try testing your backup, by uninstalling Oppi Wallet, then reinstall it and instead of creating a new wallet click on import wallet.

Now you have to enter your seed phrase to open your wallet. This confirms that your backup works properly before you need it in an emergency.

We know this guide is explained fully in depth. Because we know what beginners look for and after reading this guide you know buying Bitcoin safely than 90% of those claiming experts.

We have seen that:

You can buy Bitcoin from as low as $20. You don’t need to invest thousands of dollars to start with Bitcoin

There are ways to buy bitcoin: Exchanges, self custody wallets with built-in buy features, Bitcoin ATM’s. But we will never recommend Bitcoin ATMs

Exchanges and some of the wallets charge hidden fees which eats up your profit. In this matter Oppi Wallet offers transparent pricing

Security matters more than convenience. Because $3.4 billion was stolen last year and from $2.7 billion alone was from exchange hacks

Bitcoin is not just for holding anymore. You can actually spend in real life

What you can do after reading this:

Step 1: Download Oppi Wallet free from Apple App Store for iOS and Google Play Store for Android

Step 2: Set up your wallet and write down your 12-word seed phrase on paper. Setting up takes maximum 8-10 minutes

Step 3: Complete KYC verification for virtual card

Step 4: Buy your first $20-$100 of Bitcoin using bank transfer (lowest fees)

Step 5: Store your seed phrase in 2-3 safe locations

That's it. In 15 minutes, you'll own real Bitcoin with true self-custody.

Note:

This guide is for educational purposes only. It is not any financial advice.

Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies are extremely risky investments. The price can:

• Drop 50% in a month

• Lose all value (unlikely but possible)

• Stay flat for years

Never invest the money which you can not afford to lose completely. Like don't invest rent money, emergency savings, or money which you will need in the next 1 to 2 years.

Because what works for one person may not work for you. Do your own proper research. Consult with a licensed advisor before making any investment decisions.

Are you ready to start?

The difference between people who succeed with Bitcoin and those who don’t is not intelligence or luck. It is about taking action and starting small.

2026 is going to be a historic year for cryptocurrency. Emirates announced accepting Bitcoin, Texas bought Bitcoin for its treasury and financial experts predicting Bitcoin at $105,000 this year.

But none of this will matter if you don't own any Bitcoin.

Download Oppi Wallet today and buy your first bitcoin satoshis with $20. Learn slowly how it works. Store your crypto safely. And then slowly slowly start investing more as you gain experience.

Your Bitcoin. Your Keys. Your Financial Future.

Visit Oppi Wallet Website for more details and to see our features

Download Oppi Wallet for iOS from Apple App Store

Download Oppi Wallet for Android from Google Play Store