Tips For Crypto Newbies, Vets And Skeptics From A Bitcoiner Who...

James Howells, who accidentally had his hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin thrown away, offered his advice to industry newcomers, veterans and skeptics in 2026.

Newcomers are diving into crypto without learning what it is, veterans are watching their profits soar without spurring adoption and skeptics are judging crypto with little information, says OG Bitcoiner James Howells.

Howells is famous for fighting in court to recover a hard drive from a landfill that contained 8,000 Bitcoin (BTC) worth $700 million. While he didn’t succeed, he told Cointelegraph that he didn’t let the loss define him and shared his tips and 2026 resolutions for newcomers, veterans and skeptics.

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Many beginners launch straight into buying crypto on an exchange, but they should first learn what it is they’re buying and the real-world problems it looks to solve, Howells said.

“Fiat systems concentrate power in governments and intermediaries,” he said, adding blockchain offers an alternative for individuals to “opt out of that without permission from a third party.”

“Understanding why this matters is more important than buying any coin,” said Howells.

Once the basics are understood, Howells said newcomers should experiment with all kinds of crypto protocols, services, and wallets — without putting real money at risk.

“You will make mistakes, and you will lose money. That is part of learning,” he said. “The key is to ensure those lessons cost pennies, not pay cheques.”

Howells' advice for newcomers to experiment with everything had one exception: Leverage trading.

Source: CoinTelegraph