Announcements
Welcome to the newsletter. I really liked the posts we got this week. Diverse and informative. Let's keep it up, and I will keep zapping.
Have a good week!
Logo design by @plebpoet
Link to last week's newsletter: Bitcoin Beginners Newsletter #121
Top 5 Posts Of The Week
There will be a zap award for the top 5 posts weekly. It will be broken down as follows:
- 1000 sats
- 250 sats
- 250 sats
- 250 sats
- 250 sats
I choose the top 5 posts each week based on sats, engagement, and overall quality. The cut off time is 9:00am EST (1300GMT) Friday morning. I will post the top 5 winners shortly after 9:00am every Friday morning.
I reserve the right to not award any sats for the week. I also reserve the right to deny sat awards to bare link posts. I recognize that link posts can be valuable, so I will only exercise discretion for low quality links that garner few sats or engagement from stackers.
- 🥇 1000 sats - Trunk or Treat 2026 - This post has free free ecash. by @jasonb
- 🥈 250 sats - You don't have to mine Bitcoin by @PictureRoom
- 🥉 250 sats - The Invity DCA Test: One Year After Launch, Most Turbo Buy Customers in Profit by @denlillaapan
- 250 sats - Show Me the Incentive, and I'll Show You the Outcome - Obi by @Scoresby
- 250 sats - The Last Untracked Generation by @hasherstacker
Learning Resources
Start Here
- The White Paper - Everyone knows about the white paper, but have you read it?
- Get On BTC - Five foundational lessons covering money, ownership, getting started, pitfalls to avoid, and FAQs. Includes wallet recommendations and an AI chatbot for questions. Great starting point for true beginners.
- Jameson Lopp's Getting Started With Bitcoin - Lopp's website is an incredible resource for people interested in learning about bitcoin at any level. For those who can do without Lopp's shitcoinery, here is a curated fork of the site.
- Learn Me A Bitcoin - Greg Walker explains bitcoin in a way that everyone can understand.
Go Deeper
- DarthCoin Guides - Excellent step by step instruction for those learning about nodes, particular wallets, and just about everything else in the ecosystem.
- Lightning Network Documents - Good complement to the white paper.
- Opcode Explained - Documenting bitcoin opcodes, one at a time.
Directories
- Why Bitcoin Only - This is a massive trove of links, where you can find just about anything you're looking for. It's also fun to browse around.
- Bitcoin Apps Ecosystem 26.03.08 by @R4DENT0R - A comprehensive ecosystem map. The most recent version is from March 2026, so some entries may be out of date, but beginners and experienced bitcoiners alike will benefit from checking it out.
Best Stacker Posts
DarthCoin Posts
- Zeus - Graduated LN wallet, a step by step guide for newbies by @DarthCoin
- Zeus Node - Tips and tricks by @DarthCoin
- Beginner guide: how to use different LN channel types by @DarthCoin
- Zeus embedded node - quick recovery guide by @DarthCoin
- Tips & tricks for mobile nodes users (w/neutrino) by @DarthCoin
- Quick class for LN newbies by @DarthCoin
- Why bitcoiners are so "in love" using Tor for their BTC LN nodes? by @DarthCoin
- Quick guide for small shops by @DarthCoin
- Blixt Wallet - Tips and tricks by @DarthCoin
- Bitcoin Historical Phrases by Andreas Antonopoulos by @DarthCoin
- How to create a private Lightning Network by @DarthCoin
- Do you need a quick BTC LN node to travel? Here is a trick by @DarthCoin
- Zeus updated guide - recovering zombie channels by @DarthCoin
- Explain Lightning Network in a simple analogy by @DarthCoin
- Choose wisely your LN wallet you want to use by @DarthCoin
- BDMD #1 - Bitcoin was hacked / will be hacked by @DarthCoin
- BDMD #2 - Govs will shut down internet, so Bitcoin is dead by @DarthCoin
- BDMD #3 - Bitcoin is illegal because it is not legal tender by @DarthCoin
- Bitcoin Accepted - PoS systems by @DarthCoin
- Managing LN wallets liquidity by @DarthCoin
- Getting Started with Alby Hub by @DarthCoin
- The best articles debunking Bitcoin FUD by @DarthCoin
- BDMD #4 - Bitcoin is like all other digital currencies, nothing new by @DarthCoin
- SHTF scenario - How to restore a dead LND node? by @DarthCoin
- Travel with family and self-custody - use case scenario by @DarthCoin
- Zeus quick guide: migrate node to new LN implementations by @DarthCoin
- How to start using zaps on nostr with Zeus by @DarthCoin
- Bitcoin Beginner Saloon #3 by @DarthCoin
- How to refill your emptied LN channels without Boltz swaps by @DarthCoin
- Getting started with Walletano by @DarthCoin
- Questions about your cold wallets rotation by @DarthCoin
- A fun solution for podcasters - LNbits streamer copilot by @DarthCoin
Top Posts Of All Time
Here you will find a few of the top posts to this territory. I am not going to adhere to a rigid zaprank system, since my purpose is to highlight content that has educational value. I will use an informal combination of zaprank and my own evaluation. For instance, some posts, though of high quality, are solely about Stacker News, and might have more appropriately originated as a meta post.
Lightning
- Explain Lightning Network in a simple analogy by @DarthCoin
- Getting started with Walletano by @DarthCoin
- Getting Started with Alby Hub by @DarthCoin
- Zeus - Graduated LN wallet, a step by step guide for newbies by @DarthCoin
- Choose wisely your LN wallet you want to use by @DarthCoin
- Best lightning wallet for US based non-techy beginners by @justanumber
Self-Custody & Security
- Reminder to Check Your Bitcoin Setups (Seedphrases, Backups, HWWs, Passphrases) by @denlillaapan
- "Non-custodial" means nothing if it is not used as such by @billytheked
- UTXO consolidation - What's you best option(s)? by @BitcoinIsTheFuture
- Full list of Bitcoin address prefixes by @italiansatoshi
- [ELI5] How does low entropy hurt security? by @Undisciplined
Buying, Spending & P2P
- Robosats Guide by @siggy47
- Safest no-KYC ways to convert cash stacks into Bitcoin? by @kpa
- Getting Started | Bisq Easy Mobile by @runningbitcoin
- How do you guys use bitcoin to pay for day to day things? by @mateusdeap
Nodes & Mining
- I want to run my first node but am overwhelmed by the choices by @boisechampion
- Bitcoin Mining Industry Introduction by @catoshi
- Setting Up a Braiins Mini Miner 101: Early Reflections by @denlillaapan
Concepts
- What If You Need to Relearn Bitcoin from Scratch Again? 🤔 by @Natalia
- The bitcoin beginner's guide to Public Key Encryption by @frostdragon
- Cryptography Primer: Keygen, Encrypt, Decrypt, Sign, Verify by @SimpleStacker
- What's the difference between a soft fork, a hard fork, and a chain split? by @Murch
- REXEARCH : Virtual Size of Onchain Transaction by @Rexdentron
- What bitcoin can't do (and can do) by @softglitter2d
- The six pitfalls of getting on zero. by @BlokchainB