Learn digital assets, custody and modern finance
Plain-English guides on digital assets, custody, security, lending, proof-of-reserves, banking rails and compliance — written for people who want to understand what sits behind their account.
Foundations of Bitcoin, stablecoins, blockchains and tokenisation.
What is Bitcoin?
The original cryptocurrency, explained from first principles.
What are cryptocurrencies?
A plain-English overview of digital currencies and how they differ from fiat.
Stablecoins explained
How stablecoins hold their peg, what backs USDC, USDT and EURC, where depegs come from, and how MiCA changed the rules for euro and dollar tokens in Europe.
How do blockchain networks work?
Blocks, validators, consensus and settlement — without the jargon.
What is tokenisation?
Representing real-world assets on public blockchains.
Gold-backed tokens explained
Gold-backed tokens represent allocated physical gold on a blockchain. How XAUT works, how redemption and audits differ, and where the risks actually sit.
How digital assets are stored, protected and controlled.
What is crypto custody?
How digital assets are safeguarded through cryptographic keys, hardware and operational controls.
Hot wallets vs cold wallets
The trade-off between online convenience and offline security.
Private keys explained
What a private key is, why it matters, and how it should be protected.
Multi-signature wallets
How multi-sig removes single points of failure.
Institutional custody explained
How institutional custody differs from a wallet app or an exchange account: key generation, approval quorums, segregation, insurance and the questions to ask.
Proof-of-reserves, on-chain verification and independent attestations.
What is proof of reserves?
How platforms can demonstrate that user balances are backed by real assets.
How blockchain audits work
What auditors can and cannot verify on public blockchains.
On-chain transparency explained
Reading public ledgers, wallet balances and transaction flows.
Asset segregation explained
Why client assets should be held separately from operating funds.
Modern digital banking, IBAN accounts, SEPA and SWIFT.
Crypto vs traditional banking
How digital-asset services compare with the traditional banking rails.
Digital banking explained
How modern digital banks operate and how they differ from legacy banks.
IBAN accounts explained
What an IBAN is, how named and pooled accounts differ, and why a multi-currency IBAN matters if you move between euros, dollars and digital assets.
SEPA and SWIFT explained
The two networks that move money across banks and borders.
Crypto cards explained
How crypto cards work at the point of sale, what conversion actually costs, virtual versus physical issuing, and the tax and control questions to settle first.
Collateralised lending, loan-to-value and liquidation mechanics.
How crypto-backed loans work
A crypto-backed loan lets you borrow cash against Bitcoin or stablecoins without selling. How collateral, LTV, interest and liquidation actually work.
How collateral works
The role of collateral in secured lending.
Loan-to-value explained
LTV is the ratio between what you borrow and what you pledge. How to calculate it, what margin-call and liquidation levels mean, and how to pick a safe starting ratio.
Liquidations explained
How and why collateral positions get liquidated.
Bitcoin-backed loans in Europe
How to borrow euros against Bitcoin in the EU: collateral custody, euro settlement over SEPA, MiCA-era licensing and what to verify before choosing a lender.
KYC, AML and transaction monitoring in regulated financial services.
What is KYC?
Why financial institutions verify customer identity.
What is AML?
Anti-money-laundering obligations for regulated platforms.
Why financial institutions verify customers
The rules and rationale behind identity checks.
How transaction monitoring works
How suspicious activity is detected and escalated.
Crypto tax reporting in the EU
Which crypto events are usually reportable in the EU, what DAC8 changes from 2026, and the exact records to keep so filing takes an hour instead of a weekend.
MiCA explained
What MiCA requires from crypto-asset service providers and stablecoin issuers, what it means for users, and how to check whether a platform is authorised.
Bring what you've learned into practice
Open a The Vision Bank account to use custody, transparency reporting and crypto-backed lending in one regulated interface.