Hi all, first time posting after being convinced by Matt via YouTube vids that I need a server. A more general, first step question here: It’s been about a year since I purchased my first BTC from some BTC only exchanges. I have had my cold storage to get off the exchange for that entire time, but just haven’t done it. Will follow a BTC Sessions vid to do that, but I just haven’t. Anxiety, apprehension, self doubt, I don’t know. But I have to do it, I know. I’m ready to do so ASAP. But, I’m now worried that I should wait till I have my own node (hence my discovery of Start9) before I take my BTC off the exchanges to cold storage for full security. What do you guys think if I use Sparrow to a Coldcard, will I be jeopardizing my investment with future privacy issues? Do you think I should just get it off the 2 exchanges ASAP and then move on to setting up Start9? I’ll probably just get a Server One Step by step. Like Matt says, start with passwords then a BTC Node. My 2nd questions in more server specific. Please provide any expert advice and info for this self doubting newbie.
Perhaps the best truth to consider, and to spur yourself into action, is to realize that you currently own no Bitcoin. None at all. Zero. You own an IOU stored in a database by a company who doesn’t have any real interest in your wellbeing, regulated by a government that doesn’t have any real interest in your wellbeing. You might even say these exchanges are regulated less well than traditional banks, meaning you’re at even more risk.
A Bitcoin node – a node does not make your coins any more secure. A node’s only real practical benefit to you is privacy of transactions, and verifiability of transactions.
This is to say that by connecting any particular wallet to your node, whether this be a hardware wallet or a software wallet, you’re able to verify your transactions (and everyone in the world’s transactions because you have a full copy of the entire network and all its history) without recurring to someone else’s node to do that for you.
Say you set up Sparrow, create a quick wallet and receive some bitcoin. In doing so, without your own node, you’ve connected to someone else’s node. Likely some public node run by Blockstream. In theory, you could send yourself some bitcoin, and that third party node could falsify that you received it in some way by sending you fake blocks and fake transactions. You’d never know, you can’t verify a thing. With your own node, you can. You have verifiable blocks you know for sure come from the network.
It also means you can broadcast your own transactions. Again, when relying on a third party to do this, they could, in theory, say that your transaction was broadcast and settled but simply be lying. You’d have no way to know. You only have their word to go on.
Privacy is another benefit of running your own node. It means you can look up transactions without a third party taking an interest and recording which transactions are related to you and then follow them to follow you. When you use your own node when you broadcast transactions, there’s no sure way to know if it was you… except…
The problem here, for you, is that you’ve forfeited all your privacy by (I presume) using a KYC’d exchange. This means you’ve provided your identity so that all your future transactions can be tracked and logged, both by the entity you sent your ID to, and by the governments they serve.
While you may have already made the mistake of buying bitcoin from an exchange, running your own server is a great way to give yourself options for obfuscating your activities and your funds going forward, by using software like Jam (available on StartOS and with some great BTC Session tutorials) to mix your coins with those of other people to confuse observers.
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My general advice, and in summary… you can remove Bitcoin from exchanges without using your own node to verify this transaction at this time. You’ll end up with the Bitcoin in self custody, and can observe and broadcast new transactions in the future with your node whenever it is ready. The node, right now, while good to have, will not make a huge difference in your life I don’t think.
Wow, thank you so much for the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of that response. I heard Matt mention a couple times how impressed he had been with the community here, I am very grateful for the time and energy helping me out. I get it. “10-4” on all that. tnx
Hey MarcusAV, welcome to the community! 
Awesome to see you’re getting into Bitcoin self-custody.
StuPleb gave great advice on getting your Bitcoin off exchanges and how a node helps with privacy and verification. While a node is a good long-term goal, I’d also recommend starting by securing your BTC in cold storage with a hardware wallet. A Coldcard or BitBox (which I use) are both solid choices.
Once your BTC is safe, you can take your time setting up the node for privacy and broadcasting transactions. No need to wait—get your coins secured first!
You’ve got this! Feel free to ask if you need help. 
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