ETH
How Can You Buy Ethereum?
You will need to be familiar with the basics of how ETH is acquired. To manage your crypto assets, every address on the Ethereum network receives a public and private key.
Public Key
Think about this as the crypto equivalent of an email address. Your Ethereum public key allows you to send ETH and other Ethereum-based tokens such as USDC and Dai. This can be safely shared with others.
Private Key
Think of it as your password. This should not be given out to anyone. A private key is a string of numbers and letters. It can also come in the form a string of words, called a Seed Phrase. It is important to keep track your private keys. You can lose your Ether forever if you lose them.
Wallet
To store and protect your Ether, you will need a wallet. For those just starting out, it’s easiest to create an account on the Coinbase app and coinbase.com. In this case, you will interact with a “custodial” wallet that stores your private keys and protects them for you. You might also want to explore other wallet options for decentralized finance (or deFi) interactions, such as Compound (a lending app and savings app) and Uniswap (“a decentralized exchange that allows trading cryptocurrencies).
