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🧵Where Do I Buy Crypto?
A complete beginner’s guide by @learningcrypto.eth

1. The First Question: Where Can I Buy Crypto? If you're new to crypto, the first question you'll ask is: “Where can I actually buy crypto?”

There are two main platforms:
- CEX (Centralized Exchange): A company runs the exchange and holds your crypto for you.
- DEX (Decentralized Exchange): A permissionless protocol where you trade directly from your wallet.

Each has pros and cons. Let's explore both.

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2. Centralized Exchanges (CEX): Easy, Popular — But Centralized

CEX platforms are the most common entry point. Examples:
Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, and local ones like Tokocrypto, Pintu, Indodax. Why are they popular?

- Easy sign-up and user-friendly UI
- Fast trades and liquidity
- Fiat on-ramp (you can buy with your bank)

But you’re giving up control. CEXs hold your keys, not you. When you deposit funds, you trust a company to keep it safe. History has shown how dangerous that trust can be:

💀 Mt.Gox lost 850,000 BTC
💀 FTX misused billions of user funds
💀 Quadriga CEO died (or vanished?) with private keys

If everyone tries to withdraw at once, these platforms can collapse. This is called a "bank run".