KYC is the identity verification process required by EU law before you can use any regulated crypto platform. You provide an ID, proof of address, and a selfie. It exists to prevent money laundering and fraud, and to protect you from identity theft. Once verified, it is a one-time process. It applies to the platform, not your Bitcoin. After purchase, you can move your Bitcoin wherever you want without additional verification.

Market cap is coin price multiplied by total supply. It matters more than price alone: a €0.01 coin with 100 billion supply is not cheap, it is a €10 billion asset. Larger market cap means more stability and harder price manipulation. For investment decisions, it signals risk level: mega-cap (BTC, ETH) is safer, small-cap is speculative. Watch the FDV too. If it is 10x the market cap, heavy dilution is coming.

SEPA is the standard EUR bank transfer system across 36 European countries. It is the cheapest way to fund a crypto account, typically free versus 2–4% for card deposits. Standard SEPA settles within 1 business day; SEPA Instant settles in under 10 seconds. For DCA, you can combine a SEPA standing order at your bank with Bitwala's recurring buy feature to fully automate Bitcoin purchases.

A Bitcoin ETF gives you Bitcoin price exposure through a regular brokerage, without a wallet, keys, or direct ownership. In Europe these are called ETPs/ETNs due to regulation. They are simple but come with annual fees and no real ownership rights. Real Bitcoin is cheaper long-term, tax-free in Germany after 1 year, and actually yours.

A blockchain explorer lets you look up any Bitcoin transaction, address, or block on the public ledger. Learn how to use explorers to verify payments, check balances, and understand Bitcoin's transparency.

The Lightning Network is a Layer 2 solution that enables instant, near-free Bitcoin payments. Learn how Lightning works, its benefits, limitations, and how it's used in Europe.

Proof of Work is the consensus mechanism that secures Bitcoin. Learn how PoW works, why it uses energy, how it compares to Proof of Stake, and why Bitcoin uses it.

The Bitcoin halving cuts the mining reward in half every 4 years, reducing Bitcoin's inflation rate. Learn how halvings work, historical price impact, and when the next halving occurs.

Bitcoin mining is the process of using computing power to verify transactions, secure the Bitcoin network, and create new Bitcoin. Learn how mining works, why it matters, and whether it's still profitable in 2026.