Tips for Crypto Newcomers, Vets and Skeptics in 2026
OG Bitcoiner James Howells offers advice for newcomers to learn fundamentals, veterans to test backups, and skeptics to try crypto before judging.Summary
James Howells, the Bitcoiner famous for his unsuccessful attempt to recover 8,000 lost BTC from a landfill, shared his 2026 resolutions and tips for different segments of the crypto community. For newcomers, he stressed the importance of understanding the fundamentals of blockchain technology and decentralized finance before investing, and advised experimenting with protocols using minimal funds, while strictly avoiding leverage trading. Veterans are urged to routinely test their wallet backup and recovery setups to prevent loss due to software rot or outdated formats, and to focus on driving real-world adoption by building services or accepting crypto. Howells cautioned veterans against seeking validation from Wall Street or politicians, suggesting current pro-crypto regulations might become future traps. Finally, skeptics are encouraged to genuinely use crypto—setting up a wallet and making transactions—to judge the technology by its capabilities rather than focusing solely on scams and bad actors, noting that many critics are quietly building their own blockchain infrastructure.
(Source：Cointelegraph)