The Toolkit

Everything you need to execute both tracks.

We don't take affiliate fees. We don't push products. We point you to what works.

Track One — Trade the Paper

Trading Platforms

Where to execute day and swing trades without turning Framework into an options or futures course.

Stock / ETF Access

For simple listed exposure: GLD, SLV, IBIT, miners, and other liquid public-market vehicles.

  • Fidelity — Clean interface. Zero-commission ETF trades. Good for simple long-only exposure.
  • Charles Schwab — Full-service platform with strong account tools and research.
  • E-Trade — Solid mobile app and straightforward ETF execution.

This lane is not the active swing-trading engine. It is basic market access for listed vehicles and longer holds. Active day/swing execution belongs in the MT4/MT5 lane below.

Day / Swing Execution

For active metals, oil, indices, and FX execution. The right broker depends on your jurisdiction and instrument.

  • AMP Futures — U.S.-regulated futures broker with MT5 support and access to CME / COMEX / NYMEX products such as gold, silver, crude oil, copper, and index futures.
  • NinjaTrader — Futures-focused execution for Micro Gold, Micro Crude, equity index futures, and currency futures. Cleaner fit for U.S. residents who want active exposure without leaning on offshore CFD rails.
  • OANDA (U.S.) — Clean forex rail for legal U.S. residents. Good for spot FX execution, but not a replacement for offshore commodity or index CFDs.
  • MetaTrader 5 — The execution software layer. Use it only when the broker actually supports the instrument you want to trade.
  • Demo first — Practice the workflow before risking capital. The platform is not the edge; the structure and risk discipline are the edge.

Do not assume an offshore MT4/MT5 CFD broker will be available or appropriate for U.S. residents. For metals, oil, and index exposure, futures may be the cleaner route. For currencies, use a U.S.-regulated forex broker. Match the instrument to the broker, then demo first.

Charting

  • TradingView — Free tier works fine. This is what we use. Daily candles, clean charts, easy to mark structure.

Set up: Create free account → search ticker (GLD, XAUUSD, BTCUSD) → set to Daily timeframe → look at the structure.

You don't need premium charting. The scanner does the heavy lifting. TradingView is for when you want to SEE what the framework is reading.

Track Two — Stack the Real

Sovereignty Tools

Where to buy, store, and custody your hard assets.

Physical Gold & Silver

Where to Buy

  • APMEX (apmex.com) — Largest online dealer. Wide selection. Higher premiums but reliable.
  • JM Bullion (jmbullion.com) — Competitive pricing. Fast shipping. Good for regular purchases.
  • SD Bullion (sdbullion.com) — Lowest premiums online. No-frills. Best pure value.
  • Local Coin Shops — No paper trail. Build a relationship. Negotiate on larger purchases.
  • Costco — Yes, Costco. Gold bars at near-spot. Limited selection but hard to beat on price.

Compare premiums over spot. Buy the metal, not the packaging. 1oz coins (Eagles, Maples, Buffalos) for liquidity. 10oz bars for larger positions.

What Form to Buy

  • Gold: 1oz American Eagles (most liquid, globally recognized), 1oz Canadian Maples (purest at .9999), 1oz Buffalos, or 1oz bars from reputable mints (PAMP Suisse, Valcambi).
  • Silver: 1oz rounds (lowest premium), 10oz bars (good balance), 100oz bars (lowest premium per oz but less liquid). Avoid "collectible" coins — you're buying weight, not numismatic value.

If you can't hold it, you don't own it. Period.

Where to Store

  • Home safe — Bolted, fireproof, under 200lbs empty so it can't walk out. Don't tell anyone.
  • Private vault — Companies like Brink's, Loomis. Allocated storage. Insured. You can visit.
  • ❌ NOT bank safe deposit boxes — Can be seized. Not insured by FDIC. Not truly private.
  • ❌ NOT unallocated accounts — The dealer holds a pool. Your "gold" may not exist. If they go bankrupt, you're an unsecured creditor.

Bitcoin — Buying

On-Ramps

Choose the path that matches your current custody comfort.

  • Coinbase — Beginner-friendly on-ramp. Easy to buy, easy to start. Can hold custody while a new member learns the process, then withdraw to self-custody when ready.
  • Kraken — Strong exchange on-ramp with good security reputation. Good for members who want a cleaner exchange experience before moving to self-custody.
  • Strike (strike.me) — Simple Bitcoin buying and Lightning rails. Useful for smaller recurring buys and faster movement.
  • River (river.com) — Bitcoin-only. Good for recurring buys and a cleaner long-term Bitcoin accumulation path.
  • Swan Bitcoin (swanbitcoin.com) — Bitcoin-only. Good for DCA and education-first accumulation.
  • Bisq / Hodl Hodl — Advanced peer-to-peer options. Not primary recommendations until Framework has reviewed them more deeply.

Self-custody is the destination, not always the first step. If seed phrases feel overwhelming at first, use a reputable on-ramp while learning — then move toward holding your own keys with care.

Bitcoin — Hot Wallets

Software Wallets

For daily use, DeFi, and smaller amounts

  • MetaMask (metamask.io) — Industry standard. Browser extension + mobile. Ethereum, EVM chains, and token swaps built in. The wallet most DeFi protocols expect.
  • Rabby (rabby.io) — Multi-chain. Shows transaction previews before you sign. Better security UX than MetaMask.
  • Trust Wallet (trustwallet.com) — Mobile-first. Multi-chain. Binance-backed. Good for beginners.
  • Phantom (phantom.app) — Originally Solana, now multi-chain. Clean interface. Good for SOL ecosystem.

Hot wallets are for spending money, not savings. Keep only what you need for active use. Everything else goes to cold storage.

Bitcoin — Cold Storage

Hardware Wallets

  • Coldcard (coldcard.com) — Bitcoin only. Air-gapped. Most paranoid option. Loved by Bitcoin maximalists. ~$150.
  • GridPlus Lattice1 (gridplus.io) — Large touchscreen. Multi-chain support. Premium build. ~$400.
  • Trezor Model T (trezor.io) — Open source. Multi-coin. Good interface. ~$180.
  • Ledger Nano X (ledger.com) — Most popular. Bluetooth. Multi-coin. Controversial closed-source firmware — we mention it for completeness but prefer the others.

Any hardware wallet is infinitely better than leaving coins on an exchange. Pick one, set it up, move your coins.

Multi-Signature

For positions over $50K

  • Casa (casa.io) — 2-of-3 or 3-of-5 multi-sig. They hold one key, you hold the rest. Recovery assistance. $120/year.
  • Unchained (unchained.com) — 2-of-3 collaborative custody. They hold one key. Full inheritance planning. From $250/year.

Multi-sig means no single device failure loses your Bitcoin. If your stack is significant, this is worth the cost.

Seed Phrase Security

  • Metal backup — Stamp or engrave your 24 words onto steel/titanium plates. Fire-proof, flood-proof, time-proof.
  • Blockplate or Cryptosteel — Purpose-built metal seed storage.
  • Fireproof / waterproof folder — If you write the seed phrase on paper first, put it immediately in a fireproof, waterproof document folder or bag. Paper alone is not protection.
  • ❌ NEVER store seed phrases digitally — not in notes, not in photos, not in cloud storage, not in email.
  • ❌ NEVER share your seed phrase with anyone — no legitimate service will ever ask for it.

Your seed phrase IS your Bitcoin. If it starts on paper, protect that paper from fire, water, theft, and careless handling until it is moved to a stronger backup.

Three Rules

1.

If You Can't Hold It, You Don't Own It.

Physical gold in a bank vault isn't yours. Bitcoin on an exchange isn't yours. Only what you possess and control is real.

2.

Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins.

Paper Bitcoin — ETFs, exchange balances, 'crypto accounts' — is a claim on someone else's promise. Self-custody is the only grammatically correct form of Bitcoin ownership.

3.

Buy the Asset, Not the Story.

Compare premiums. Check fees. Don't overpay for packaging, branding, or convenience. The framework tells you when. This page tells you where. You bring the discipline.