BUY YOUR FIRST BITCOIN
I went through a learning curve in buying your first Bitcoin. There are a lot of reviews regarding different exchanges and how to buy cryptocurrency. Currently, many exchanges only allow you to buy different cryptocurrency if you already own either Bitcoin. This is what you need in order to get started:
1. Buy a hardware wallet. Both the Trezor and Ledger Nano S are popular choices. You will need this to store your coins safely and securely.
2. Sign up for a Coinbase account to buy Bitcoin with USD. When I started, I wanted to consider all options despite recommendations to use Coinbase. I was not able to find any alternative solutions other than localbitcoins.com, which I never used. Use this link, and we both get a $10 bonus after buying your first $100 worth of Bitcoin: https://www.coinbase.com/join/59cc32bc88759f010f2f7683
3. In order to buy other coins besides Bitcoin, you need to create an account for a reputable exchange. I currently use Binance and Bittrex, sign up here:
4. Make sure to track your purchase and sell orders for tax purposes as needed depending on where you live. If you only plan on holding long-term, this will be relatively simple. If you want to do short-term trading, I suggest using the following website to automatically import your orders from the exchange of your choice. Use the following link for a discount: https://cointracking.info?ref=B734184
5. Read about the beginning of Bitcoin and some of the events that led us to where we are today.
GET INVOLVED WITH MINING
You can get involved with the Bitcoin community by being part of the mining ecosphere. There are several options available to you.
1. If you have access to cheap energy and technical know-how, you can build your own mining rig (computer) and/or purchase a specialized mining rig (ASIC). You will also need a place for the hardware and temperature control, since it will be noisy and very hot.
2. Bypass the hassle of owning and maintaining your mining hardware by participating in cloud mining. I only trust these two companies:
At the time of writing on December 4, 2017, the break even is point is roughly 90-120 days. Afterward, any coins mined for the duration of the contract will be profit. Use the following links:
www.genesis-mining.com - Use the code "yAIeUB" (without quotations) to get a 3% discount.
www.hashflare.io - Use the code "D7051597" (without quotations)
3. Keep an eye out for movers and shakers. I think utilizing renewable energy is a big advantage in this space, and Hydrominer is doing some amazing things.