There’s a huge amount going on in the cryptocurrency world, with an almost overwhelming degree of information to absorb. People are constantly checking out the latest news on upcoming coins, or looking at whether any of Bitcoin’s nearest competitors are coming close to outstripping it… but there’s a much more fundamental area that you need to think about first if you want to use crypto for gaming.

It’s not which coin to pick.
It’s not how to set up a digital wallet.
It’s not even which crypto games to try first.
It’s security.

Security is something that has encouraged people from all walks of life who enjoy online games to start using cryptocurrency; we all know that it offers a lot in this area. Its decentralized ledger that holds a record of all transactions for the public to view has gone a long way to combating fraud, and indeed, Bitcoin, the first and longest surviving crypto, has never been hacked and is considered immensely safe. That has led to a vast number of gamers starting to use cryptocurrencies for their online gaming sessions - it eliminates a lot of worries that surround making online payments and withdrawing funds.

That leads us to an important question, though. If you’re using cryptocurrency in today’s gaming world, do you need to worry about any other kinds of security? Let’s find out!

In Short, Yes

Cryptocurrencies are considered very secure, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all of online security, and in a world where cybercrime is constantly rising, entrusting all your digital safety to a cryptocurrency - even a well-established and highly reputable one - isn’t a great idea. Instead, users need to think about their digital security in a variety of different ways when gaming.

Let’s say you’re playing at a crypto casino using your favorite coin. You’ve got plenty of game options to choose from, and they play the same as they would if you were using fiat currency. You know they’re more secure because every transaction has to be recorded on that decentralized ledger… but there are still things you should do on your end to maximize your safety and ensure your crypto casino experience is as good as it can be!

So, what do you need to look out for? Well, if you’re new to crypto gaming, the first thing to do is make sure the casino (or other platform) is secure. If you’re on a browser, just look for the little padlock symbol up in the URL bar - that tells you it’s got a secure connection and nobody’s interfering with the traffic between the servers. If you’re using apps, make sure you only download reputable, highly rated apps from the app store and avoid anything with bad reviews.

Another important thing to look out for is usability and beginner friendliness. High-quality platforms want newbies to feel welcomed and at ease, so they’ll generally create helpful pages that get them started, offering up tips and tricks, FAQs, and easy-to-find customer service links for any unanswered questions. They’ll also have suggestions for things you can try to make the gaming session more fun - like the best casino games for beginners. If you’re using a crypto casino, they might offer some FAQs about how playing with crypto works and what you need to know before you get started.

Thinking about how professional the site feels can give you a good sense of whether it’s safe to use. It’s not a guarantee, of course, but in general, platforms that have been well-designed take user security seriously and will do their part in protecting your information.

Of course, there’s stuff you need to do on your side of things too, so let’s cover that next!

Password Protection

Perhaps you get tired of people telling you how important password security is, but even when you’re playing with crypto, your password security is critically important. A weak password is a weakness in the whole system, making it easier for hackers to break into your digital wallet and start spending your currency. That means you’ve got to prioritize password security.

However, if you’re struggling with the never-ending influx of passwords (and who isn’t, these days) and feeling tempted to just enter “password 111” or something similar into the box, there is a solution. Password managers allow you to come up with truly complex, hard-to-hack passwords (or use securely generated ones), without the stress of trying to remember them, or the problems that come with writing them down. That means there’s really no reason not to maximize the security of your password!

2FA

YYes, 2 factor authentication can be a nuisance. No, you shouldn’t avoid using it. 2FA makes it much, much more difficult for somebody to access your account because they’ve got to have access to your phone or email address (or something similar, depending on how you set it up). That’s a much bigger hurdle than you might think, and thus, 2FA is a huge element of keeping your cryptocurrency safe when you’re gaming.

Taking a few extra seconds to log in is well worth the effort when you consider just how much it offers in terms of security.

To sum up, if you’re an enthusiastic gamer, it might be tempting to think you can forget all about security if you play at a crypto casino or use cryptocurrency for your games… but in today’s world, you need to do everything possible to keep your accounts secure. Great though crypto is, it’s not enough on its own; we want the belt-and-braces solution, so bear these other tips in mind!