FORTEZQUE

On October 31, 2008, while the financial world was reeling from the subprime mortgage crisis, an anonymous cryptographer under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto sent an email to a list of experts. The subject said: "Bitcoin P2P e-cash paper". Attached was a document of just nine pages that contained the solution to a computer and economic problem that was considered unsolvable: how to create digital money without relying on a central bank.
That document, originally titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System", is now considered the "canonical text" of financial sovereignty.

If you enter an exchange, you will see thousands of coins with catchy names and prices that seem "cheap" compared to Bitcoin. These are the Altcoins (alternative coins), and although some present interesting proposals, the vast majority hide risks that beginners often ignore.
1. What are they and why do they exist?
Almost all altcoins were born trying to "improve" Bitcoin, promising to be faster, cheaper, or include features like Smart Contracts. Projects like Ethereum have created platforms for decentralized applications, while others, like Litecoin, simply adjusted Bitcoin's parameters to speed up transactions.

Many first-time users enter Bitcoin through applications like Binance or Coinbase and feel secure when they see a number reflected on their screen. However, that number is not Bitcoin; it is simply a **promise of payment** or a "right of claim" against a company that may go bankrupt, be hacked, or freeze your funds unilaterally. If you do not have physical control of your **private keys**, the Bitcoin is not yours, but belongs to the platform that holds it.

1. "Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins" 🗝️