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Blockchain Basics

Developed by the Technical Education team at the Web3 Foundation, this course provides a beginner's introduction to Blockchain technology. This course is for learners who are enthusiastic about Blockchain concepts but have limited or no knowledge of Computer Science concepts.

Module 1 - Introduction to Blockchain​

A brief history of Money. Properties of Money. How is Money created? Chaumian E-Cash and the Issue of Double Spending. Introduction to Blockchain. Introduction to Bitcoin. Innovations in Blockchain Technology. Cryptocurrencies, Web3 and more

Module 2 - Blockchain and Cryptography​

Cryptography in Blockchain. Public/Private keypairs and how do wallets work? What is a Hash? Properties of Cryptographic Hashing. Is Blockchain invincible? Blockchain data structures. Unforgeability game and the role of a central authority. Decentralization and the Trilemma.

Module 3 - Block Mining and Finality​

How Bitcoin blocks are mined? Anatomy of a Bitcoin Block. What is Forking? Major Bitcoin forks. What is Hashpower? How can miners tamper with PoW? Energy implications of PoW. What are the other ways to mine/validate a Block? PoS. What are other ways to finalize a Block?

Module 4 - Blockchain Nodes and Networking​

Distributed systems. Can I run my own Blockchain node? What are minimum hardware requirements to run blockchain nodes out there? How do Blockchain nodes communicate? Interfacing with Blockchain network. API. Full node vs Archive node vs light client. Consensus in depth. 51% attacks.

Module 5 - Blockchain Layers and Applications​

What problems can Blockchain solve? What is cheaper and reliable to do on Blockchain? Does your application need to be on a Blockchain? L0, L1 and L2 Blockchains. Lightning networks. EVM and Smart contracts. Crosschain swaps. Anonymity and confidential transactions. zkledger. zkrollups. Blockchain for enterprise.

Module 6 - Web3 and the Future of Blockchain​

Scams and Attacks. Culture. Public policy. Regulations. Blockchain governance. Cryptocurrencies and DeFi. DAOs. Interoperability and Scalability. NFTs. Metaverse. Decentralized computing.