Learning Modules

Learn Blockchain (Introduction)

BlockchainBitcoinLearn BlockchainCryptography

Motivation

Bitcoin and the blockchain technology ushered in a new era. It "developed the foundation for a new digital theory of property rights" (Nakamoto.com).

If your introduction to the field is through YouTube videos and social media, you may find that the education on this topic is severely lacking compared to the amount of content that encourages reckless speculation in the crypto-currency market.

Blockchain isn't about money. It isn't even about transactions. It is the creation of a new form of trust and ownership, backed by verifiable cryptographic truth.

Supertype Samuel Chan

We wanted to create an interactive workbook that help the average reader learn about the engineering marvel of blockchain, the Bitcoin protocol, and the cryptographic ideas that made the Bitcoin protocol possible. It is created to facilitate a self-learning approach guided by interactive quizzes, live code editors, and other interactive elements to help the reader acquire theoretical knowledge through experimentation.

It is our belief that an education-first approach to cryptography will be the best way to acquire an appreciation for the underlying principles of blockchain, and thus increase the adoption of blockchain technology.

Content

If you'd like an illustrative infographic-style depiction of Bitcoin transaction lifecyle, this is one from wiki.p2pfoundation.com. Clicking on the image opens it in full size in a new tab.

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You can consume the workbook in the order that best made sense for you since most chapters are fairly self-contained. If you are new to cryptography and blockchain, you may want to begin your journey in the following order:

  • Learn the basics of classical and modern cryptography, including how to encrypt and decrypt data, RSA, and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

  • Understand the role of encryption and modern cryptography in blockchain, with an emphasis on hashing, SHA-2, SHA-3 and Merkle trees.

  • An in-depth look at the Bitcoin protocol, including its block generation mechanism, proof-of-work and bitcoin mining.