When I first explored Bitcoin in 2014, I had a wallet on Blockchain.info. I only used it for dabbling in a few faucets, and never accumulated much. When the Linux computer I was using at the time died, I didn't worry about the loss of less than a dollar in Bitcoin. I was just glad that I had managed to keep that old dinosaur running with an alternative OS despite dodgy hardware starting to go. However, I have had a nagging feeling ever since then that I had the wallet info stored somewhere as a digital file previously backed up from that computer.

I just found it tonight! I am wealthier now by slightly less than 1/100 of a Bitcoin, and I also have the equivalent BCH from the fork as well! Looks like that faucet experimentation from way back when wasn't such a waste of time after all, even after the recent drop in crypto prices!

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Since many people are panicking at the recent correction in Bitcoin prices from the highs of a few weeks past, I should also remind you that if you are using a faucet, the faucet payments are probably increasing in proportion to the falling price. If you don't use a faucet, I suggest setting up a Bitcoin wallet if you don't already have one, and trying them out.

Shameless salesmanship below:

There are two faucet sites that I recommend at the moment due to their longevity so far. Note that the hyperlinks here are referrals, but they cost you nothing in rewards if you use them!

Freebitco.in

Hourly rolls with a (tiny) chance to earn $200 in Bitcoin! Usually you'll just get a few Satoshis, but other features make this a good faucet. If you decline automatic payout, you can earn interest on your holdings once your balance exceeds the minimum payout sum. In addition, this site offers use of a browser-based cloud mining system. The better your processor, the more you can earn!

They used to offer free automatic weekly withdrawals, but with the recent spike in transaction fees, they set a 3,000 Satoshi minimum withdrawal fee to help cover costs. It seems fair to me. You also have the option for on-demand withdrawal at two different rates for higher transaction fees if you so desire. If you have much of a balance, your interest payments will add up to cover such fees eventually anyway.

Moonbit.co.in

Instead of hourly rolls, this site lets you redeem whenever you want, provided at least 5 minutes have elapsed since your last redemption. The available pool to redeem grows over time, although the growth rate also slows considerably over time. You get a Daily Loyalty Bonus multiplier that increases by 1% for each consecutive day in which you redeem at least once, and there is also a random multiplier of anywhere between 1% and 100% as another bonus. Once the loyalty bonus gets rolling, this site can match or even beat the average payouts from freebitco.in, although there isn't a large a potential upside to the random bonus roll.

Two caveats: First, this site is ad-supported, and the ads can be obnoxious. Most also appear to be rather shady. Don't bother trying to get the offer bonus from ads or offers. Second, the mining option doesn't seem as beneficial here as the freebitco.in system.

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My suggestion: try both faucets. Use the deposit address from freebitco.in as the payment address for moonbit.co.in and multiply your interest payment opportunities! It won't make you rich today, but we all know Bitcoin trends higher in value despite setbacks like the one we have seen in recent days.

I would like to reiterate my previous recommendation of Electrum if you want a lightweight desktop wallet. There are other options of course, but I haven't tried them all.

If you want an online wallet, Coinbase has been OK for me so far, but it has had issues during times of high activity resulting in very slow transfers. Plus if you click that referral link, once you buy or sell $100 of digital currency or more, we both earn $10 of free Bitcoin! I still use it mainly because it supports Litecoin, unlike Blockchain.info, which doesn't have a referral link but is also perfectly fine as an online wallet in my personal experience, especially considering the happy surprise of today!

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