>be me
>been in crypto since before Mt. Gox went full Titanic
>watching newfags ask "what tools do I need to get started?"
>99% of answers are affiliate links to some KYC dumpster fire
>decide to post real tools for real degens who still have a soul
>Bitcoin Core
sync your own node, trust no one, verify everything
yes it takes time, no you can’t skip it
mfw people say "Bitcoin is too slow" but never ran a full node once
>Sparrow Wallet
clean UI, coin control, connects to your node, supports Whirlpool
basically Electrum for people with taste
>mempool.space
watch the mempool like it’s a weather radar before sending anything
helps you not overpay and look like a noob
plus it’s just cool to stare at the blocks stacking
>KYCP.org
see if your BTC address is already flagged by the surveillance state
run it before you send funds from Coinbase to your "cold storage" wallet
enjoy the existential dread
>bisq.network
buy Bitcoin peer-to-peer without bending the knee to some exchange KYC regime
yes, it’s a little janky
yes, that’s the point
>https://www.bitcoinqrcodemaker.com/
you want to generate clean, non-custodial, BIP21-compliant Bitcoin QR codes?
no trackers, no BS, no cookies — just the code and go
has an API for devs who want to plug BTC payments into real projects
unironically more useful than half of the top 100 on CoinGecko
>Uptime Kuma
because you should know when your node dies before your lightning wallet does
self-hosted uptime monitor
10/10 would run again
>newfags still posting about Metamask and Trust Wallet
>still storing seed phrases in their Notes app
>still calling Solana "fast Bitcoin"
>tfw we’re so back but also never left
Final Advice: Own your stack.
Don’t rent it from VC bros.
Don’t trust the influencers.
Don’t link your seed to a Google account.
Not your tools, not your freedom.
Not your keys, not your coin.
Not your QR code, not your payment.