Question 1

How much Bitcoin should I buy as an individual?

Accepted Answer

There is no universal answer. Many individual savers begin with 1–5% of investable assets, treating Bitcoin as a high-conviction, long-duration savings instrument. The more important question is whether you can hold through volatility without selling. Never invest money you cannot afford to lock away for years.

Question 2

What is the safest way for an individual to hold Bitcoin?

Accepted Answer

Self-custody on a hardware wallet — never leaving coins on an exchange. Write your seed phrase on paper (or metal), store it in two separate locations, and never photograph it or store it digitally. Running your own node to verify transactions removes all remaining trust from third parties.

Question 3

What is dollar-cost averaging (DCA) in Bitcoin?

Accepted Answer

DCA means buying a fixed fiat amount at regular intervals — weekly, fortnightly, or monthly — regardless of price. Over time this averages your entry price across market cycles and eliminates the psychological burden of trying to time purchases.

Question 4

Do I need to run a Bitcoin node?

Accepted Answer

Not strictly required, but strongly recommended. A full node is the only way to verify that the Bitcoin you receive is real without trusting a third party's server. It takes less than a day to set up on modest hardware and costs nothing to run.

Question 5

Is Bitcoin private?

Accepted Answer

Bitcoin is pseudonymous, not anonymous. All transactions are public on the blockchain. Tools like Tor (for node connections), coin control, and Lightning Network payments improve privacy significantly. Running your own node prevents your IP address being linked to your address history.

Question 6

How should a company start building a Bitcoin treasury?

Accepted Answer

Begin with board mandate, then legal entity review, custody selection, and accounting framework. Download one of the free frameworks from House of Bitcoin — they cover the exact sequence for US, UK, and Canadian entities. For complex situations, contact the private advisory team.

Question 7

What percentage of corporate treasury should be allocated to Bitcoin?

Accepted Answer

Public companies typically begin with 1–5%, rising to 10%+ once operational infrastructure is established. MicroStrategy represents an extreme at 100% allocation. The right number depends on cash flow needs, debt obligations, regulatory environment, and board risk appetite.

Question 8

How do companies account for Bitcoin on their balance sheet?

Accepted Answer

As of FASB ASU 2023-08 (effective December 2024), US public companies must mark Bitcoin holdings to fair value with unrealised gains and losses flowing through net income. Earlier treatments used an indefinite-lived intangible asset model. UK companies follow IFRS and IAS 38 or IAS 32 depending on the use case.

Question 9

Which countries have the most favourable Bitcoin regulatory environments?

Accepted Answer

Switzerland, UAE (ADGM/VARA), El Salvador, and Germany (for long-term holders) lead globally. In the US, Wyoming and Texas offer the strongest state-level frameworks. The EU MiCA regulation (in force December 2024) provides clarity across all 27 member states.

Question 10

Should a company custody Bitcoin itself or use a custodian?

Accepted Answer

Most companies should use a regulated third-party custodian for their initial position — institutions such as Coinbase Custody, BitGo, or Anchorage Digital. Full self-custody is possible but requires significant operational infrastructure. Multi-sig arrangements combining custodian and company keys are the institutional gold standard.

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Bitcoin for Individuals

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