BTC21Academy

Bitcoin educationThrough games

GUIDES // START HERE // How to set up Bitcoin

GUIDE // START HERE

How to set up Bitcoin

Get a wallet, back up your seed phrase, receive your first sats.

5 STEPS // ~15 MIN // BEGINNER // UPDATED --.--.2026

Overview of five setup steps: wallet, seed phrase, confirm backup, first sats, confirmation. Placeholder interface, not a real wallet.

Progress // Step 01 of 05

Saved on this device only

  1. 01 WALLET
  2. 02 SEED PHRASE
  3. 03 CONFIRM BACKUP
  4. 04 FIRST SATS
  5. 05 CONFIRMATION

For a first small amount, start with a well-reviewed, open-source mobile wallet. Install it only from the developer’s official site or the official app store listing.

Choosing a wallet: install from the developer’s official site or app store listing. Placeholder interface.

The wallet shows 12 or 24 words (BIP39). Write them on paper, in order, with their numbers. These words can restore your coins in any compatible wallet.

A recovery card with twelve numbered slots reading word 01 to word 12. Not a real seed. Write by hand and keep it offline.

Most wallets ask you to re-enter some of the words. Do it, then store the paper somewhere private, dry and out of sight of cameras.

Confirming a backup by re-entering selected words. Placeholder interface.
CHECKLIST // BEFORE YOU MOVE ON

Tap Receive and share the address or QR code. Send a small test amount first and check it arrives before sending more.

A receive screen with a placeholder QR and the text bc1q…placeholder. Not a real address.

The payment shows as pending until it is in a block. Blocks are found about every 10 minutes on average, sometimes much sooner or later.

A small test transaction: broadcast, pending, in a block, arrived. Blocks average about 10 minutes and vary.

Ticks stay in local storage. Nothing is sent.

No invented stats.

You will need

  • 01A phone you control
  • 02Paper and a pen
  • 03A private place, no cameras
  • 04A small amount to test with

Understand it first