A few seconds later, and Alice can start using her new bitcoin web wallet by logging in with her account ID and password. In her web browser, she sees the web wallet home screen:
A few seconds later, Alice can start using her new bitcoin web wallet by logging in with her account ID and password. In her web browser, she sees the web wallet home screen:
[[blockchain-home]]
.Blockchain.info - Wallet Home Screen
image::images/blockchain-home.png["wallet home screen"]
The most important part of this screen is Alice's _bitcoin address_. Like an email address, Alice can share this address and anyone can use it to send money directly to her new web wallet. On the screen it appears as a long string of letters and numbers: +1Cdid9KFAaatwczBwBttQcwXYCpvK8h7FK+. Next to the wallet's bitcoin address, there is a QR-code, a form of barcode that contains the same information in a format that can be easily scanned by a smartphone. Alice can print the QR code as a way to easily give her address to others without them having to type the long string of letters and numbers.
The most important part of this screen is Alice's _bitcoin address_. Like an email address, Alice can share this address and anyone can use it to send money directly to her new web wallet. On the screen it appears as a long string of letters and numbers: +1Cdid9KFAaatwczBwBttQcwXYCpvK8h7FK+. Next to the wallet's bitcoin address, there is a QR-code, a form of barcode that contains the same information in a format that can be easily scanned by a smartphone's camera. Alice can print the QR code as a way to easily give her address to others without them having to type the long string of letters and numbers.
[TIP]
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@ -110,6 +110,15 @@ Alice is now ready to start using her new bitcoin web wallet.
===== Getting your first bitcoins
It is not possible to buy bitcoins at a bank, or foreign exchange kioks, at this time. It is not possible to use a credit card to buy bitcoins, either. In 2013, it is still quite difficult to acquire bitcoins in most countries. There are a number of specialized currency exchanges where you can buy and sell bitcoin in exchange for a local currency. These operate as web-based currency markets and include:
* Bitstamp (bitstamp.net), a European currency market that supports several currencies including euros (EUR) and US dollars (USD) via wire transfer
* Coinbase (coinbase.com), a US-based currency market, based in California, that supports US dollar exchange to and from bitcoin. Coinbase can connect to US checking accounts via the ACH system
* Mt. Gox (mtgox.com), one of the oldest bitcoin currency exchanges, based in Japan, that supports many different national currencies via wire transfer.
===== Spending bitcoins - Creating the first transaction
Andreas M. Antonopoulos
11 years ago