A: Vague? Yeah, probably. Because there\’s no magic certificate. It\’s a gut feeling built from checking everything. Did you find a real physical address? Not a mail drop. Can you verify their claimed license (if any) with the actual regulator\’s website? Do they have clear, published procedures for handling hacks or complaints? Google \”[Exchange Name] + lawsuit\” or \”[Exchange Name] + hack\”. See what comes up beyond their own press releases. Check their social media – do they respond to problems publicly, or just delete comments? It’s detective work, not checkbox ticking. Took me hours spread over days for Kraken. Still felt like a gamble.

A> Safer, maybe. But Coinbase? They didn\’t list Poke last I checked. Binance did, but… look. I\’ve had funds stuck on Binance before during \”wallet maintenance.\” Took days. Nerve-wracking days. And their customer support? Like shouting into a black hole. Plus, the regulatory cloud over them is… thick. Makes me nervous holding anything there longer than absolutely necessary. Kraken had Poke, reasonable volume, and my tiny test withdrawal worked instantly. That tipped it. This time. Doesn\’t mean I trust them implicitly. I don\’t trust any of them implicitly.

A> The fear is real. I still get sweaty palms. That Vietnamese disaster? Happened partly because I was lazy and left funds on exchange. Lesson burned in. Yes, setting up a Ledger/Trezor feels daunting. Write down the recovery seed ON PAPER. Multiple copies. Hide them well (not digitally!). Triple-check addresses before sending. Send a TINY test amount first (like, $1 worth). Confirm it arrives in your wallet and you can see it using the wallet\’s own interface linked to the blockchain. Only then send the rest. The peace of mind outweighs the setup stress. Mostly. Sometimes I still wake up thinking I misplaced a seed phrase.

A> Oh, it\’s absolutely gambling. High-risk, high-reward (mostly high-loss, statistically). Pure speculation driven by a dumb hunch and nostalgia. I allocate money I can afford to light on fire. The process of buying it safely – navigating exchanges, using cold storage – that\’s the skill I\’m practicing. The Poke might vanish to zero. But knowing I got it off the exchange efficiently? That knowledge sticks. It’s about building the muscle memory for when I might want to buy something with more… substance. Maybe. Or maybe I just like the pain.

A> It happens. Annoying as hell. If they block a $1 withdrawal and demand intrusive \”verification\” beyond standard KYC, that\’s a massive red flag for me. Means their systems are either paranoid-broken or deliberately obstructive. Either way, I don\’t want my real funds there. On a truly reputable exchange (think Coinbase/Kraken level), a tiny test withdrawal shouldn\’t trigger alarms beyond maybe a brief automated check. If it does, and they resolve it quickly with standard info, maybe proceed cautiously. If it becomes a Kafkaesque nightmare? Cut your losses on the test amount and run. Consider that $1 your cheapest security audit ever.