06COMPARISON GUIDE
Compare concepts and their consequences
Six topics to distinguish rules, roles, payment layers and responsibility for keys. For each, consider the conditions under which conclusions hold; the cards lead to separate comparisons.
Bitcoin vs. fiat money
Compare issuance rules, verification methods and the role of institutions in transfers and settlement.
Open comparison 02Full Node vs. miner
Distinguish validating blocks and transactions from searching for a new block, and examine how these roles relate.
Open comparison 03Private key vs. Seed Phrase
Compare a signing key with a backup used to recover a wallet, and check what additional information recovery may require.
Open comparison 04On-chain vs. Lightning Network
Examine differences in settlement, fees, liquidity and the operating conditions of each payment method.
Open comparison 05Self-custody vs. custodial service
Compare who controls the keys, whom withdrawals depend on, and how risks, backups and access recovery differ.
Open comparison 06Soft Fork vs. Hard Fork
Examine changes to validity rules, compatibility of non-upgraded nodes and risks of activation or a network split.
Open comparisonThis overview does not recommend an investment or a particular service. Check the articles' conclusions against sources and your situation; the date below applies only to this index.