⚠️ READ THIS FIRST

Module 0: Start Here - Critical Warnings

Important information BEFORE you begin learning

⏱️ 5-7 minutes 🚨 CRITICAL - Do not skip!

📍 YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY:

🟠 Module 0: Critical Warnings ← YOU ARE HERE
⚪ Module 1: What is Money & Bitcoin?
⚪ Module 2: How Bitcoin Works
⚪ Module 3: Wallets & Security
⚪ Module 4: Getting Bitcoin in Uganda
⚪ Module 5: Using Bitcoin Wisely
⚪ Module 6: Your First 90 Days
⚪ Module 7: Advanced Topics (Optional)

⚠️ Why This Module Exists

Welcome to the Bitcoin education course for Uganda and Africa!

Before you learn anything else, you need to understand some critical warnings.

These warnings could save you money, stress, and disappointment.

Please read carefully. This is not hype. This is reality.

👤

Meet James - Your Learning Companion

Hi, I'm James. I'm 28, from Kampala. I work in a shop and send money to my family in the village every month.

Bank fees are expensive (5,000 UGX each time!). My friend told me about Bitcoin, but I heard scary stories about scams.

So I decided to learn properly FIRST. That's why I'm taking this course with you.

Let's learn together - carefully and safely. Up We Go! 🚀

1 Bitcoin is NOT Get-Rich-Quick

The Reality:

Bitcoin's price goes up AND down. Sometimes a lot.

You could buy Bitcoin today at 166,500,000 UGX per Bitcoin.

Tomorrow it could be 140,000,000 UGX (↓16%).

Next month it could be 180,000,000 UGX (↑8%).

This is normal. This is called "volatility."

❌ If someone promises you guaranteed profits → IT IS A SCAM

❌ If someone says "double your Bitcoin in 24 hours" → IT IS A SCAM

❌ If it sounds too good to be true → IT IS A SCAM

2 NEVER Share Your 12 Words

When you create a Bitcoin wallet, you get 12 words (or 24 words).

These words are called your "recovery phrase" or "seed phrase."

These 12 words ARE your Bitcoin.

Anyone who has your 12 words can steal ALL your Bitcoin.

❌ NEVER type them into a website

❌ NEVER take a photo of them

❌ NEVER share them with "support"

❌ NEVER send them to anyone - not even family

Real companies will NEVER ask for your 12 words. Ever.

3 Only Invest What You Can Afford to Lose

Before buying ANY Bitcoin, ask yourself:

  • Do I have 3-6 months of emergency savings? (in UGX, not Bitcoin)
  • Are all my bills paid?
  • Can I afford to lose this money completely?
  • Will I be okay if this drops 50% tomorrow?

If you answered "NO" to any of these → DO NOT buy Bitcoin yet.

Bitcoin is NOT for money you need soon.

Bitcoin is NOT for rent money.

Bitcoin is NOT for school fees.

Bitcoin is NOT for emergencies.

✅ Bitcoin is for EXTRA money you can save for 2-5 years

✅ Most people: 1-10% of savings maximum

4 Bitcoin Transactions Cannot Be Reversed

With Mobile Money, if you send to wrong person, you can contact MTN/Airtel support.

With Bitcoin, there is NO support to call.

If you send Bitcoin to the wrong address → it's gone forever.

If you get scammed → no one can reverse it.

If you make a mistake → you lose your money.

This is why we teach SECURITY FIRST in this course.

✅ Always double-check addresses before sending

✅ Start with small test amounts

✅ Take your time - don't rush

5 Scams Are Everywhere

Common Bitcoin scams in Uganda and Africa:

  • "Send me 0.1 BTC, I'll send back 0.3 BTC" → SCAM
  • "Investment platform" promising 50% returns monthly → SCAM
  • "Support" asking for your recovery phrase → SCAM
  • Fake wallet apps on app stores → SCAM
  • Romance scams asking for Bitcoin → SCAM
  • WhatsApp/Telegram "Bitcoin trading groups" → Usually SCAMS

Golden Rule:

If someone contacts YOU with a Bitcoin opportunity → 99% chance it's a scam

Legitimate Bitcoin businesses don't randomly contact people on WhatsApp.

6 You Are Your Own Bank

With regular banks:

  • Forget password? → Call support
  • Card stolen? → Block it
  • Wrong transaction? → Dispute it

With Bitcoin:

  • Lose your 12 words? → Money gone forever
  • Phone stolen? → You can restore (if you have 12 words)
  • Wrong transaction? → Cannot reverse

This means:

✅ Total freedom - no one controls your money

✅ Total responsibility - you must protect it yourself

Freedom and responsibility go together.

💭 Reality Check - Is Bitcoin For You?

Bitcoin might be good for you if:

  • You want to learn about new technology
  • You have emergency savings already (in UGX)
  • You can think long-term (3-5 years)
  • You're okay with price going up and down
  • You want financial independence
  • You're willing to learn and be careful

Bitcoin might NOT be for you if:

  • You need money in next few months
  • You expect guaranteed profits
  • You want to "get rich quick"
  • You can't handle seeing your balance drop 30%
  • You're not willing to learn about security
  • You want someone else to protect your money

Be honest with yourself. There's no shame in saying "not for me."

✅

James's Summary

Okay, I understand now. Bitcoin is:

  • NOT a get-rich-quick scheme
  • Requires me to be responsible (my own bank)
  • Has risks (price volatility, scams, mistakes)
  • Only for money I don't need soon
  • A long-term learning journey

I'm ready to learn properly. No shortcuts. No rushing. Safety first!

✅ Before You Continue

Please confirm you understand these warnings:

You must check all boxes to continue