CoinTalk

If you've spent more than five minutes on Crypto Twitter, YouTube, or Telegram, you've seen it. A person, often with a flashy profile picture, posting non-stop about a "hidden gem" or the "next 100x coin." Then, in the replies, you see someone post a single word: "shill."

So, what does that actually mean? Is it just a generic insult, or does it point to something deeper? As your guide through the wilder parts of the crypto world, let me tell you: it's one of the most important words you need to understand to protect your money.

Shilling Explained: The Modern-Day Snake Oil Salesman

At its heart, shilling crypto is the act of promoting a cryptocurrency or project for personal gain, while pretending to be an unbiased, genuine enthusiast.

Think of a carnival barker trying to lure you into a rigged game, or a snake oil salesman promising a miracle cure. The shill crypto meaning is rooted in this inauthenticity. They are not sharing a good investment opportunity because they care about you; they are promoting it because they will profit from your decision to buy.

This profit can come from:

Being paid directly by the project developers.Holding a large bag of the tokens and wanting to "pump" the price so they can sell theirs at a profit.

Your Shill Detection Kit: 5 Red Flags to Watch For

Shills operate in the open, but they rely on hype and FOMO (Fear Of Missing On) to cloud your judgment. Here’s how you can spot them:

• Outrageous Price Predictions: You'll see phrases like "Guaranteed 100x!" or "This is the next Bitcoin!" Real projects with solid fundamentals don't need this kind of hype.
• Focus on Hype, Not Substance: They talk about a "revolutionary team" and "game-changing tech" but offer zero specifics. They can't explain how it works, only that it's "the future."
• Creating Extreme Urgency: "You need to buy NOW before we go parabolic!" or "Last chance to get in this cheap!" This is a classic high-pressure sales tactic designed to make you act without thinking.
• Ignoring All Criticism: If anyone asks a tough question about the project's technology, security, or team, the shill will either ignore it, block the person, or attack them as a "hater" spreading "FUD" (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).
• A Suspicious Profile: Often, the account is relatively new, posts about nothing but this one specific coin, and retweets other accounts that are doing the same.

The Danger: The "Pump and Dump" Scheme

Shilling is the marketing engine for one of the oldest scams in the book: the Pump and Dump.

• The Pump: A group of insiders and shills coordinate to hype up a low-quality coin, creating a frenzy of buying from unsuspecting retail investors. This causes the price to skyrocket.
• The Dump: Once the price has peaked, the insiders and shills sell all of their holdings at the inflated price.
• The Crash: The price collapses, leaving all the new investors holding worthless bags.

Your Best and Only Defense: DYOR

So how do you navigate this landscape? With three simple letters: DYOR (Do Your Own Research).

Before ever investing, ignore the hype and investigate the fundamentals for yourself. Read the whitepaper, research the development team, check the community channels for genuine discussion, and look at the project's actual utility.

The crypto space is filled with incredible innovation. But it's also filled with noise. Learning to separate the signal from the shilling is the most critical skill you can develop.

In the world of crypto trading, especially on Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs), there's a high-speed game happening just beneath the surface. It's a world of automated bots, strategic bidding, and transactions that seem to happen with impossible foresight. This is the world of frontrunning.

You may have heard the term, or perhaps you've noticed a trade that executed at a slightly worse price than you expected. You weren't imagining it.

As your guide, I'm going to pull back the curtain on this practice. We'll explore what a frontrunning bot is, how it operates in the wild, and most importantly, what it means for your trades.

What is Frontrunning? A Simple Analogy

Before we dive into crypto, let's start with a classic example. Imagine a stockbroker receives a massive "buy" order from a wealthy client. The broker knows this huge order will drive the stock price up. Before executing the client's order, the broker quickly buys some of the stock for their own account. Then, they execute the client's massive order, the price shoots up, and the broker immediately sells their own shares for a quick, risk-free profit.

That is frontrunning. It's the act of using privileged information about a pending transaction to make a profit.

How Does Frontrunning Work in Crypto? The Mempool

In crypto, there isn't a broker; there's something far more public: the Mempool (Memory Pool). Think of the Mempool as a public "waiting room" for all pending transactions on a blockchain like Ethereum. Before a transaction is confirmed and added to a block, it sits in this waiting room, visible to everyone.

This is where the frontrunning bot crypto comes into play. These are highly sophisticated automated programs that constantly scan the mempool for large, pending transactions.

Here's the process:

• The Scan: A frontrunning bot spots a large "buy" order for a token on a DEX in the mempool. It knows this order will increase the token's price.
• The Front-Run: The bot instantly copies the user's trade but submits it with a slightly higher "gas fee" (the transaction fee). Think of this as giving a bigger tip to the miners/validators to get your transaction processed first.
• The Squeeze: The bot's "buy" order is executed just moments before the user's original order. This pushes the price up slightly.
• The User's Trade: The user's original buy order now executes, but at the new, slightly higher price caused by the bot.
• The Back-Run: The bot, sensing the user's buy pressure, immediately sells the tokens it just bought for an instant profit.

The "Sandwich Attack": You're the Filling

This entire sequence is famously known as a "sandwich attack." The user's trade is the filling, sandwiched between the bot's initial buy and its subsequent sell. The bot makes a profit on the price difference (the "slippage"), and the user ends up with a worse execution price than they should have.

The Sobering Reality and How to Protect Yourself

"So," you might ask, "can I run one of these bots?" The honest answer: it's an incredibly competitive, technically demanding, and ethically gray area dominated by expert teams with significant capital. For 99.9% of traders, it's not a viable path.

The more important question is: how do you avoid being the victim?

• Use Low Slippage: When trading on a DEX, set your slippage tolerance as low as possible (e.g., 0.5% or 1%). This limits the profit potential for a frontrunning bot.
• Use Anti-Frontrunning Tools: Some services offer private transaction relays (like Flashbots Protect) that send your transaction directly to miners, bypassing the public mempool.
• Trade on a Centralized Exchange (CEX): This is the most straightforward solution. On a platform like BYDFi, the order book is not a public mempool. The exchange's internal matching engine provides a controlled environment, protecting you from these specific types of public frontrunning attacks.

While the wild west of DeFi can be exciting, it comes with unique risks. Understanding them is the first step to protecting your capital.

Why Ledger Blockchain is Your Key to Crypto Security

In the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrency, securing your digital assets is non-negotiable. With hackers lurking and scams on the rise, a cryptocurrency hardware wallet like Ledger offers unparalleled protection. Whether you're a newbie wondering, What is a crypto wallet?  or a seasoned trader looking to integrate Metamask with Ledger, this guide dives deep into the Ledger blockchain ecosystem.

We’ll explore how to safeguard your investments, use long-tail keywords like credit card ledger and crypto ledger, and help you make informed decisions to secure your financial future. This 1200-word article is crafted for high engagement, packed with actionable insights, and optimized for Google’s SEO guidelines to ensure it ranks high and resonates with your search intent—whether you're seeking information or ready to make a purchase.

What is a Crypto Wallet? Understanding the Basics

A crypto wallet is a secure tool that stores the private keys needed to access and manage your cryptocurrency on the blockchain. Unlike a traditional wallet, it doesn’t hold physical coins but provides a gateway to your digital assets. There are two main types:

1- Software Wallets: Apps or browser extensions like Metamask, convenient but vulnerable to online threats.

2- Hardware Wallets: Physical devices like Ledger, offering offline storage for maximum security.

For users in countries like the U.S., UK, or Australia, where crypto adoption is soaring, choosing a cryptocurrency hardware wallet is critical, especially if you’re trading high-value assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum. The Ledger blockchain approach ensures your private keys stay offline, protecting you from hacks, phishing, and exchange failures.

Why Choose a Hardware Wallet?

Enhanced Security: Offline storage reduces hacking risks. - Control: You own your private keys, not a third-party exchange - Versatility: Supports thousands of cryptocurrencies, from Bitcoin to altcoins.

The Ledger Blockchain Advantage: Why It’s a Game-Changer

The term Ledger blockchain refers to the secure infrastructure behind Ledger’s hardware wallets, like the Ledger Nano S and Nano X. These devices use a proprietary blockchain-inspired system to ensure your private keys are stored in a tamper-proof environment. Unlike software wallets, Ledger’s technology keeps your assets safe even if your computer or phone is compromised.

Key Features of Ledger Wallets

1- Secure Element Chip: A military-grade chip protects your private keys.

2- Multi-Currency Support: Store Bitcoin, Ethereum, and over 5,500 tokens.

3- User-Friendly Interface: The Ledger Live app simplifies portfolio management.

4- Portability: Compact devices you can carry anywhere.

For traders in volatile markets or those using local currencies like USD, EUR, or AUD, Ledger’s reliability is a lifesaver. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, the crypto ledger system ensures peace of mind.

How to Use MetaMask with Ledger: A Step-by-Step Guide

For many crypto users, combining MetaMask with a Ledger hardware wallet is one of the best ways to manage your digital assets safely and conveniently. MetaMask gives you a user-friendly interface to access decentralized finance (DeFi) apps, while Ledger securely stores your private keys offline, protecting you from hacks and theft.

Here’s how to set it all up:

1. Set Up Your Ledger Device

First, connect your Ledger device—either the Nano S or Nano X—to your computer using the USB cable. Next, download and install the official Ledger Live app from Ledger’s website.

Open Ledger Live and make sure your device’s firmware (the device’s software) is fully updated to the latest version. This is important for security and compatibility.

During the initial setup, you’ll be asked to create a PIN code to protect your Ledger device. Choose a strong PIN that only you know.

You’ll also receive a 24-word recovery phrase. This phrase is critical—it’s the master key to your crypto wallet. Write it down carefully and keep it somewhere safe and offline. Never share it with anyone or store it digitally, to avoid theft.

2. Install MetaMask on Your Browser

After your Ledger is ready, install the MetaMask extension on your web browser. MetaMask works on Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge.

Once installed, you can create a new wallet or import an existing one. For now, don’t keep large amounts of funds inside the MetaMask wallet itself, because the goal is to link it with Ledger for enhanced security.

3. Connect Ledger to MetaMask

Open MetaMask and look for the option that says Connect Hardware Wallet. When prompted, choose Ledger as your device.

Make sure your Ledger device is connected, unlocked (enter your PIN), and that the Ethereum app (or whichever blockchain app you want to use) is open on the Ledger.

MetaMask will then display your Ledger-managed Ethereum addresses. Select the account you want to use and connect it. This means you can now use MetaMask as an interface, but all private keys remain securely stored on Ledger.

4. Use MetaMask with Ledger for Secure Transactions

There's a saying in cryptocurrency that every serious investor learns, sometimes the hard way: "Not your keys, not your crypto."

If your digital assets are sitting on an exchange, you're trusting someone else to protect them. But for true ownership and peace of mind, you need to take control of your own private keys. The gold standard for doing this is a cold storage wallet.

As your guide, I'm not just going to show you a list of products. I'm going to teach you how to think about security so you can choose the best cold wallet for crypto with confidence.

What Is a Cold Storage Wallet?

A cold storage wallet (also called a hardware wallet) is a physical device, much like a USB drive, that stores your private keys completely offline.

• Hot Wallets (e.g., software wallets): Your keys are on a device connected to the internet, making them vulnerable to hackers and malware.
• Cold Wallets: Your keys never touch the internet. When you need to sign a transaction, the request is sent to the device, it's signed internally, and only the secure signature is broadcast back. Your keys remain in "cold," offline isolation.

This offline-by-default approach is the most secure form of crypto storage available to the public.

The Most Important Part: Your 24-Word Seed Phrase

Before we even talk about brands or features, we need to discuss the single most important part of your new wallet: the recovery phrase (also known as a seed phrase).

When you first set up your hardware wallet, the device will generate a unique list of 12 or 24 words for you. This is the master key to all of your crypto. It is the one and only backup of your funds. If your hardware wallet is lost, stolen, or broken, this phrase is the only way you can restore access to your assets on a new device.

You must treat this phrase with the utmost seriousness. Here are the non-negotiable rules:

• Write It Down. Physically. Use the paper or card that comes with your wallet. Better yet, etch it into a piece of metal to protect it from fire and water damage.
• NEVER Store It Digitally. Do not take a photo of it. Do not save it in a text file, a password manager, or an email draft. The moment you store it on an online device, you have completely defeated the purpose of a cold wallet.
• Store It Securely and Secretly. Keep your written-down phrase in a safe place where no one else can find or access it. Some people keep copies in multiple secret locations.
• NEVER Share It. No support team, developer, or administrator will ever ask you for your seed phrase. Anyone who does is trying to steal your funds.

How to Choose the Best Cold Wallet: A 4-Point Security Framework

Before you look at any brand, understand these core concepts. This is what truly matters.

1. The Secure Element Chip (The "Vault"): Some wallets use a special microchip called a "Secure Element." This chip is a tamper-resistant fortress designed to protect secrets even from sophisticated physical attacks. It’s the same type of technology used in passports and credit cards.

2. Open-Source vs. Closed-Source (The "Blueprint"):

• Open-Source (e.g., Trezor): The wallet's software code is public. Anyone can inspect it for backdoors or vulnerabilities. This relies on community transparency for security.
• Closed-Source (e.g., Ledger): The code is proprietary. This relies on the company's internal security team and the physical security of the Secure Element chip.

3. Coin Support: Does the wallet support the assets you own? Check for support for BTC cold storage as well as the specific altcoins in your portfolio.User Experience: Is the device easy to set up and use? A complicated process can lead to user error, which is itself a security risk.

The Top Tiers: Reviewing the Market Leaders

Now that you have the framework, let's see how the industry leaders stack up.

Critical Security Advice: ALWAYS buy your hardware wallet directly from the manufacturer's official website. Never buy from an unknown third-party seller, as the device could be compromised before it even reaches you.

Your Strategy: Acquire First, Secure Second

A cold wallet is for the long-term, secure storage of your assets. The first step in this journey is acquiring those assets on a reliable, high-liquidity platform. This is where BYDFi comes in.

Ledger Nano S Plus Review: Is This $79 Crypto Vault Your Key to Unhackable Wealth?

In 2025, with crypto hacks costing investors billions—$2.2 billion in 2024 alone—securing your digital assets has never been more critical. If you’re searching for a reliable way to protect your Bitcoin, Ethereum, or NFTs, you’ve likely stumbled across the Ledger Nano S Plus. But is this hardware wallet worth your investment? In this Ledger Nano S Plus review,  we’ll dive deep into its features, security, usability, and value to answer your burning questions like: How to use Ledger Nano S Plus? and Does Ledger Nano S Plus have Bluetooth?  Whether you’re a crypto newbie in the U.S. or a seasoned trader in Europe, this guide will help you decide if the Nano S Plus is your ticket to peace of mind.

Why Choose a Hardware Wallet Like the Ledger Nano S Plus?

Cryptocurrency is a wild west of opportunity, but it’s also a magnet for hackers. Unlike hot wallets that stay online, hardware wallets like the Ledger Nano S Plus keep your private keys offline, making them nearly impossible to hack. With a sleek design, support for over 5,500 cryptocurrencies, and a price tag of just $79, the Nano S Plus is a top contender for both beginners and pros. But does it live up to the hype?

Ledger Nano S Plus: A Game-Changer for Crypto Security

Design and Build: Compact Yet Premium

The Ledger Nano S Plus is a pocket-sized powerhouse, measuring 62.39 x 17.40 x 8.24mm and weighing only 21 grams. Its brushed stainless steel and durable plastic build feels sturdy, resisting scratches even when tossed in a bag with your keys. The upgraded 128x64-pixel screen is a massive improvement over the original Nano S, making it easier to verify transactions. Available in colors like matte black, electric blue, and flamingo pink, it’s as stylish as it is functional.

What’s in the Box?

• Ledger Nano S Plus device – the hardware wallet itself.
• USB-C to USB-A cable – for connecting the device to your computer.
• Three recovery phrase sheets – to securely write down your 24-word seed phrase.
• Keychain strap – for carrying convenience.
• Getting-started guide – quick instructions for setup.
• Ledger stickers – branded stickers for personalization.

This thoughtful packaging ensures you have everything needed to start securing your crypto safely. Just make sure the shrink wrap is intact to avoid tampering risks.

Unbreakable Security: Your Crypto’s Fort Knox

When it comes to protecting your wealth, the Ledger Nano S Plus doesn’t mess around. Here’s why it’s one of the most secure wallets in 2025:

1- Certified Secure Element Chip (CC EAL6+): This chip, used in passports and credit cards, keeps your private keys offline, safe from hackers.

2- BOLOS Operating System: Ledger’s proprietary OS isolates apps for maximum protection.

3- PIN Protection: Set a 4- to 8-digit PIN to lock your device. Enter the wrong PIN three times, and it resets, wiping all data.

4- 24-Word Recovery Phrase: This backup lets you restore your wallet if the device is lost. Store it offline in a safe place—never online!

5- Physical Transaction Confirmation: Every transaction requires button presses on the device, thwarting phishing attempts.

Pro Tip: Consider Ledger’s optional Ledger Recover service ($9.99/month) for encrypted backup of your recovery phrase, perfect for those worried about losing their seed phrase. However, privacy-focused users may skip this due to its KYC requirements.

How to Use Ledger Nano S Plus: A Step-by-Step Guide

1- Download Ledger Live: Get the app from ledger.com for Windows, macOS, Linux, or Android.

2- Connect the Device: Plug the Nano S Plus into your computer or Android phone using the USB-C cable.

3- Set Up as New Device: Follow the on-screen prompts to initialize your wallet.

4- Choose a PIN: Pick a 4- to 8-digit PIN and confirm it.

Alright, you've moved past the basics. You know what GPU mining is, you understand you can't mine Bitcoin with your RTX 4080, and you've probably looked at a few lists of mineable coins.

So, what's next? How do you go from simply running a program to actually operating an efficient, profitable mining setup?

If you're ready to get your hands dirty with the technical details, this guide is for you. We're going to dive into the three things that separate beginners from pros: what you mine, how you optimize your hardware, and where you direct your hashrate.

Part 1: The "What" - Strategic Coin Selection & Profit Switching

A beginner picks a coin and sticks with it. An operator understands that the most profitable coin to mine can change daily. Your job is to adapt.

You have a powerful graphics card (GPU) in your computer. You bought it for gaming, for content creation, for its sheer performance. But what if that same piece of hardware could do more? What if it could be a machine that earns you crypto?

Welcome to the world of GPU mining. If you're curious about putting your hardware to work, you're in the right place. I'm here to be your guide, to cut through the hype, and give you a realistic look at how GPU mining works and what the best crypto to mine with a GPU might be today.

Why Is Your GPU So Good at Mining?

The reason your gaming GPU is a mining powerhouse comes down to one thing: parallel processing. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) is great at handling a few complex tasks at once. A GPU, on the other hand, is designed to handle thousands of relatively simple tasks simultaneously—like rendering every pixel in a video game.

It turns out that the mathematical "puzzles" used to secure many cryptocurrency networks (part of a process called Proof-of-Work) are exactly the kind of repetitive, parallel tasks that GPUs excel at.

The Big Question: Can You Mine Bitcoin with a GPU?

Let's get this out of the way immediately: No, you can no longer mine Bitcoin effectively with a GPU.

In the early days of Bitcoin, you absolutely could. But as Bitcoin grew, specialized hardware called ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) were developed. These machines do nothing but mine Bitcoin, and they are thousands of times more powerful and efficient at it than any GPU. Today, the Bitcoin GPU mining era is over; trying to compete would be like entering a Formula 1 race with a go-kart.

So, What Can You Mine? The World of ASIC-Resistant Coins

This is where it gets interesting. Because ASICs dominated Bitcoin, new cryptocurrencies were created with a specific goal: to be "ASIC-resistant." They use different hashing algorithms that are intentionally difficult for ASICs to solve but remain perfect for GPUs.

This created a vibrant ecosystem of GPU-mineable coins. When you are looking for the best crypto to mine with a GPU, you are really looking for these ASIC-resistant projects.

A Look at Popular GPU-Mineable Cryptos

The landscape for GPU mining is always changing based on profitability and new projects. However, some consistent examples include:

• Kaspa (KAS): Uses the kHeavyHash algorithm, which is highly efficient for GPUs and was designed to be ASIC-resistant.
• Ravencoin (RVN): Its KawPoW algorithm is specifically designed to level the playing field for GPU miners.
• Ergo (ERG): Features the Autolykos2 algorithm, which is memory-hard, making it difficult to create efficient ASICs for it.
• Flux (FLUX): A decentralized cloud infrastructure project that uses a proof-of-work algorithm friendly to GPU miners.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. Profitability can change rapidly. Always do your own research.

Is It Still Worth It? The Reality of Profitability

Before you start, be realistic. Your profitability depends on three main things:

• Your GPU's Hashrate: How powerful it is.
• Your Electricity Cost: This is often the biggest factor.
• The Current Price of the Coin: The value of what you're mining.

You’re exploring the world of digital assets, and you keep seeing different terms: cryptocurrency, virtual currency, digital money. Then you stumble upon a more specific, official-sounding one: "convertible virtual currency."

What does that mean? Is it different from Bitcoin? Is there a "non-convertible" kind?

As your guide, let me clarify this for you. Understanding this one term is key to understanding the foundation of the entire crypto market. It’s actually very simple.

The "Two-Way Street" Analogy

The easiest way to understand convertible money means thinking of it as a two-way street.

A convertible virtual currency (CVC) is any digital currency that has an equivalent value in real, government-issued money (like the U.S. Dollar) and can be readily exchanged back and forth.

• You can take your Dollars and buy Bitcoin. (Street going one way).
• You can take that Bitcoin and sell it for Dollars. (Street going the other way).

This two-way exchangeability is what makes it "convertible."

Examples of Convertible Virtual Currency

The vast majority of the cryptocurrencies you know and trade are CVCs. This includes:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Solana (SOL)
• XRP

Okay, so you get it. The public ledger is a shared, immutable database—a "digital notebook" that gives cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin their security and transparency. That's a great starting point, but for an investor or trader looking for an edge, it's just that: a start.

The real power comes from understanding the ledger not just as a database, but as a source of market intelligence.

If you're ready to go a level deeper, this guide is for you. We'll move past the basic definition and explore how the ledger actually works, its different forms, and most importantly, how you can use its data to inform your trading strategy.

From Notebook to Fortress: How the Ledger Really Works

Let's quickly upgrade the "notebook" analogy. The public ledger's integrity isn't based on magic; it's based on two core concepts:

1. Cryptographic Hashing (The "Wax Seal"): Every block of transactions is run through a mathematical function called a "hash," creating a unique, fixed-length code—like a digital fingerprint. Crucially, the hash of each new block also includes the hash of the block before it.
2. The Chain (The "Linked Chain"): This process of including the previous block's hash creates an unbreakable, interlocking chain. If a single detail in an old block is altered, its hash would change, breaking the entire chain from that point forward. This is what makes the ledger "immutable."

A consensus mechanism (like Proof-of-Work or Proof-of-Stake) is simply the set of rules the network uses to agree on which new, valid block gets added to the chain.

Not All Ledgers Are Created Equal: Public vs. Permissioned

Another key concept to grasp is that the "public" in public ledger is just one option. The underlying technology can be configured in different ways for different use cases.

Understanding this distinction is key. When you trade on BYDFi, you are primarily interacting with assets built on public ledgers, whose value is derived from their open and decentralized nature.

The Trader's Edge: Using the Public Ledger for On-Chain Analysis

This is where theory turns into a powerful trading tool. Since a public ledger is transparent, we can analyze its data in real-time. This is called On-Chain Analysis.

Instead of relying only on price charts, you can look directly at the economic activity happening on the blockchain. Here are a few things an intermediate trader should be watching:

• Exchange Inflows/Outflows: Are large amounts of Bitcoin moving to exchanges? This could signal that "whales" are preparing to sell (potential bearish signal). Are they moving off exchanges into private wallets? This could suggest accumulation for long-term holding (potential bullish signal).
• Transaction Volume & Size: Is the network settling a high volume of large transactions? This indicates significant institutional or "smart money" interest.
• Active Addresses: Is the number of unique addresses sending or receiving a specific crypto growing? A rising number of active addresses suggests growing network adoption and health.

You can use free on-chain data tools like Glassnode or IntoTheBlock to explore this data. It provides a layer of fundamental analysis that is impossible in traditional markets.

Putting Your Analysis into Action

The public ledger is far more than a simple record book; it's a living map of market activity. By learning to read this map, you can gain insights that aren't visible on a standard price chart.

When your on-chain analysis reveals a potential market shift, you need a platform with the speed and liquidity to act on it.