Connect your accountWe strongly suggest you read the "What you should know" section, but the "Connecting to the platform" tutorial is below.What you should knowAt Learning Nodes we've made the decision to have users connect through a crypto (cryptographic) signature - a "decentralized identity". Sounds technical, but it really just means that your account is 'non-custodial', in other words you have full control of your private keys and are responsible for securing your signature -- your identity.What's in it for me?A crypto signature acts as a private decentralized identifier, so instead of having to create and remember multiple usernames and passwords for different apps, you can use your crypto identity to prove who you are. Your wallet stores your private keys, which are like passwords that only you have access to.
Private keysYour private keys act as a password to access your signature, meaning your identity and tokens, and can be thought of as your own personal lock on the wallet. When you own your private keys, only you have access to your wallet and your account, meaning that no one else can access them or control them without your permission. At Learning Nodes, we do not have access to your private keys or your wallet, so you can rest assured that your account is secure and only accessible by you.Not your private keys, not your crypto identityBut why?We're glad you asked! Using a crypto wallet will enable you the option to transact in cryptocurrencies. Meaning you can use them to send and receive cryptocurrencies to and from other people, without having to go through a bank or payment provider.This can be faster and cheaper than traditional banking methods sometimes because crypto transactions are agnostic of amount, they cost a fixed gas fee (it will cost you 3-5 cents irrelevant of sending 1usd or 1 million usd), and it's all done securely on the blockchain.This also implies you that you never have to go through a third-party exchange, offering an added level of convenience and security, as you don't need to trust any third parties with your tokens.There's more (skip this part if too technical)Because you are now connected with a crypto signature, you are automatically welcomed to the smart contract universe. The good news is you don't have to do anything with that information, but under the hood, transactions will occur in a private (end-to-end encrypted) and decentralized manner.What does this mean? Let's say an investment in a tool gets you a percentage of revenue from the tool, as well as voting rights. Since you are connected through your crypto identity, you'll be able to enter and leave organizations just by receiving and sending an access token. When you have the token, your identity's wallet receives payments and allows you to vote on community events, and when you sell the token - a direct peer-to-peer transaction without the need of any third-party providers, you'll pass on those earnings and rights directly.This will all take place in the LINS space - coming soon!Connecting to the platformWhen you attempt to connect to the platform, you will either:Be prompted to set up the metamask extension here.
Be prompted to login to metamask.
Be prompted to verify the signature to enter to your account.
First read the disclaimer:
Then you can validate your signature
If you don't have a username, you will be prompted to sign up:Required fields are:UsernameContact Email || The email addressed entered will be sent a verification token, so make sure it's correct and check your spam folder.CountryUser typeBudget Size || Will only be required if you are an User type: Investor 
