In this post I will be talking about decentralyzing, securing, and privatizing your finances. Practicing good opsec, regaining control and security in software and your digital footprint is pointless when you do not go all the way. Though you do not have to go to the extreme, it is still good to explore alternatives to everything, including the unethical and exploitative and surveillanced-based central banking system.

Like many other posts of mine, this is not a deep dive, but rather a starting point. This is not a comprehensive guide, and if you are genuinely wanting to get into this seriously, you will need to DYOR and start learning how the stuff works, I simply want to expose some of the bigger picture and a very minimal overview of what you should be doing, not necessarily all of the fundamentals of how it works.

Cryptocurrency is a digital currency based on the blockchain. It is decrenlayized and not controlled by a central entity like a bank or federal government. The system is secure, but it is not anonymous. Anyone who tells you that crypto is anonymous has been misled. Crypto has been regulated more and more, and some crypto, like Monero XMR is logged and tracked as much as possible due to association with criminal organizations.

The best part of crypto, is that it can be used to securely and privately conduct transcations between multiple parties without intermediaries snooping on transactions and transaction history. You can nearly instantly send money anywhere, and there is a lot of versatility in how you can manage funds.

The Coins

Bitcoin is the most common coin, and is likely the one you have heard of. Bitcoin has seen increasing popularity due to the potential investment value, however all crypto can be volatile, so I cannot recommend investing in it unless you really understand what you are doing and are willing to lose all of your invested money.

Other common coins are:

Ethereum ETH - This is also a pretty big platform that introduces the concept of smart contracts. It is a very interesting technology, and a common coin.

Monero XMR - Primarily designed for privacy and anonymity, and with goood OPSEC, this coin is the one you should be using to stay private and secure.

Stablecoins - These coins, like USDT, are pegged to fiat currencies, like the US dollar, to ensure a stable value. Usually used for basic cyrpto transcations for saving money. Best way to ensure that your wallet isnt very volatile and losing value. 

How to use Crypto

First, let's talk about how you should NOT start using crypto.

KYC - Know Your Client

This is essentially financial doxxing, and KYC platforms should be avoided. KYC requires you to submit your ID, face images, proof of address, and/or other bits of information that will directly tie you to your money. Even if you mix/tumble and obfuscate the money later, there is still a trail that leads directly to you, and you have just outed yourself as a crypto user to these platforms.

KYC will leave you vulnerable to surveillance, taxation, and potentially even asset seizure if you are deemed suspicious by the state. This info can be sold, or lost by the exchange and listed on unsavory databases where it can be exploited by bad actors.

Avoid the central banks

Do not, and I repeat, do not buy crypto with your bank account or debit card. This is just as bad as KYC, and leaves a paper trail right back to you. Instead you should opt for Peer-to-peer exchanges, and the best option is to buy in cash, in person, and have the money sent to a private wallet. This way, there is no trail going right back to your real identity.

Avoid public custodial wallets and exchanges

If you do not own your private keys, you do not own the assets or the wallet. Custodial wallets are privately controlled wallets that are usually hosted in the internet. Coinbase, Binance, Paypal, and etc. are examples of Custodial Wallets. Avoid these like the plague.

On these sites, you do not actually own your private keys, and the wallets are services offered by the site. If the company goes under, goes bankrupt, or decides to profile you, your money is done. It can be locked or seized, and if the company loses money, they can simply refuse to actually pay you what you have in "your" wallet. Think of these exchanges like more volatile banks. If they dont have money, then how can you expect to get your money out of their system?

What to do instead

Before even purchasing crypto, you should create a private environment. Practice good opsec, read my other blog posts, and do some research in keeping yourself private and secure in the digital world. Some basics are the following:

Linux, VPN, Tor (optional), hardened FireFox / Librewolf, Tails, Whonix, qubes, etc.

If you understand all of the above, then you are golden. Just make sure you know how to practice it, and not just list it.

Get a wallet

I recommend having multiple wallets that you can easily access. The absolute best option is to purchase a hardware wallet. These are like USB sticks that store your crypto, and can be incredibly secure. 

Find a software wallet you can self-host. Electrum is a popular one. 

Store your seeds and keys physically. No cloud, no text files, etc. Encrypt it as much as possible. You can use a password manager, but even then your master password should be written down physically or saved in an encrypted file. Try to come up with a password you can type from muscle memory, but also try to memorize the characters in it, a good long master password that you can memorize is great, but also make sure to back it up.

There are many wallets out there, but the important thing is to make sure it is not KYC, non-custodial, and privacy-focused. Hardware wallets are just always going to be the best, but these will cost money, and they are not necessarily cheap.

I recommend the Trezor hardware wallets, Monero has their own wallet in both CLI and GUI forms and is great, and has a lot of options and can even use TOR and i2p nodes.

Acquiring Crypto

Again, you should not use popular public exchanges for aforementioned reasons. You can use the following:

Bisq, HodlHodl, LocalMonero, AgoraDesk

The best option will be in-person exchange, someone local to you, or cash by mail. This CAN be risky, but is the best option. Practice good opsec and keep note of red flags. If making large transactions, do multiple smaller transactions, and try to pay your own fees if needbe, scammers will usually avoid doing things like this since it protects you to an extent.

Use services I have mentioned before like GuerillaMail and aliases. Never use your home IP, use a VPN like Mullvad or Proton. Mullvad is the only VPN that does not require an account, and can be paid for with cash and crypto. It is only 5 euros per month, but lacks some niche features that Proton has. For full security I recommend Mullvad over anything else.

Ultimately, you should default to using Monero XMR for privacy. Try to cycle addresses if you are using crypto regularly, and always keep your shit backed up and locked down.

Why you should use Crypto

Financial sovereignty is freedom. Your wealth should not depend solely on the central banking system. Even if you are not rich, which I doubt most of us are, you should protect your money from the greedy surveillance state that would rather conive to rob you then to help you. 

If you are serious about degoogling, and taking it further then just boycotting google, then this is an important step. This is more than just about google, it is about a network of organizations and individuals who do not have your best interests in mind. They are solely in power to gain more wealth, power, and control, and nothing more.

If you do not trust google, then you should also not trust their good friends in the banking industry.

Intelligence Agencies and Law Enforcement are also not your friends. I am not Anti-Cop or even anti-Law, but it becomes clearer and clearer every day that the system of Law is not designed to serve and protect the people, but serves the top 1% and to help keep the peasantry in check.

The credit and debt based money system is exploitative and designed to keep you enslaved by the banks. Using Cyrpto will not magically free you of the shackles they have put on you, but it is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, we are in too deep to truly break free of this system. However, you can take this further and fully break away from it, but it would require that you are able to support yourself without corporations, and that is not feasible for most of us.

Anyway, if these topics interest you, I recommend looking into Crypto, but not as some crypto-bro get rich quick scheme. This is about financial sovereignty and liberty, not about investments and capital gains. If you want capital gains and investments, go research stock trading and go work at a big tech firm or something.

Lastly, I wrote this up on a busted thinkpad, and the keyboard is FUBAR, so if there are any typos or severe grammitcal errors, I apologize.