Start Using Bitcoin: Stacking Sats

The best way to understand Bitcoin is to use it. That starts with "stacking sats"—collecting small amounts of Bitcoin, usually over the Lightning Network. A "sat" or "satoshi" is the smallest unit of Bitcoin, like a cent to a dollar.

Don’t worry about perfection or going fully non-custodial right away. Just start. Download a Lightning wallet. Grab a Lightning Address. It’s like an email address for money. From there, you can earn and spend sats, tip creators, buy digital goods, and explore a global economy built on Bitcoin.

Why Stack Sats?

Stacking sats isn’t just about saving Bitcoin—it’s about learning by doing. Lightning is fast, cheap, and made for everyday transactions. You’ll get a feel for how Bitcoin works in practice, with real value moving at internet speed.

It’s your on-ramp to the Bitcoin economy. No lectures. No pressure. Just start using it and see where it takes you.

Choose a Lightning Wallet

There are many great wallets to choose from. At this stage, it doesn’t matter if you go with a custodial or non-custodial wallet—just pick one and get started.

• Blink: Simple, mobile-friendly wallet with a strong community around real-world adoption.
• Coinos: A powerful web wallet that supports Lightning, Liquid, Ecash, and on-chain Bitcoin.
• Wallet of Satoshi: A go-to for beginners—quick to set up and very easy to use.

Once you’ve got a wallet, you can start earning sats through tips, bounties, or jobs—or spend sats on things like podcasts, digital art, or your favorite creators.

This step is about putting Bitcoin to use. Get a feel for the tech. Make mistakes. Have fun. Once you’ve spent a few sats or received your first Lightning payment, you’ll never look at money the same way again.

When you're ready to secure your stack, move it on-chain. That’s when you start saving for real—holding UTXOs secured by your own hardware wallet. It’s a big milestone, and one of the most empowering things you can do.