Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Course

Lesson 1 • Introduction to Blockchain Technology

Explains how blocks, chains, and hashes create an immutable ledger. Students understand the data structure before exploring Bitcoin's specific implementation.

Lesson 2 • Core Concepts of Decentralization

Defines centralized vs. decentralized systems and explains trust models. Connects decentralization principles directly to Bitcoin's design goals.

Lesson 3 • Bitcoin's Origin and White Paper

Analyses the Bitcoin white paper's key claims and the problem it solves. Students can articulate Bitcoin's value proposition in professional settings.

Lesson 1 • Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption

Contrasts shared-secret and public-key encryption models. Establishes why asymmetric cryptography is essential for trustless digital ownership.

Lesson 2 • Digital Signatures and Verification

Explains how private keys sign transactions and public keys verify them. Students understand how Bitcoin proves ownership without revealing secrets.

Lesson 3 • Bitcoin Addresses and Key Derivation

Maps the path from private key to Bitcoin address through hashing and encoding. Students can generate and validate addresses with confidence.

Lesson 1 • UTXO Model and Transaction Inputs

Introduces the unspent transaction output model as Bitcoin's accounting system. Contrasts it with account-based models to clarify its security advantages.

Lesson 2 • Transaction Lifecycle and Confirmation

Traces a transaction from broadcast through mempool selection to block inclusion and finality. Students can explain confirmation security thresholds to clients.

Lesson 3 • Transaction Fees and Mempool Dynamics

Explains how fee markets form, how miners prioritise transactions, and how mempool congestion affects confirmation times. Enables informed fee-setting decisions.

Lesson 1 • Proof-of-Work Mechanism

Details how miners compete to find a valid nonce and why computational work creates security. Connects energy expenditure to trustless finality.

Lesson 2 • Attack Vectors and Network Resilience

Analyses 51% attacks, selfish mining, and Sybil attacks with real cost estimates. Students can evaluate network security claims critically.

Lesson 3 • Difficulty Adjustment and Halving

Explains the two-week difficulty retargeting algorithm and the halving schedule. Students understand Bitcoin's supply issuance and long-term security model.

Lesson 1 • Hierarchical Deterministic Wallets

Covers BIP-32 and BIP-44 derivation paths for generating unlimited key pairs from one seed. Students understand how HD wallets simplify multi-account management.

Lesson 2 • Seed Phrases and Backup Standards

Explains BIP-39 mnemonic generation, entropy sources, and backup best practices. Students can create and verify secure seed phrase backups.

Lesson 3 • Wallet Types and Architecture

Compares hot, cold, hardware, and paper wallets across security and usability dimensions. Provides the framework for selecting appropriate custody solutions.

Lesson 1 • Evaluating Cryptocurrency Projects

Provides a structured framework for assessing white papers, teams, tokenomics, and community. Students apply the framework to distinguish credible projects from speculative ones.

Lesson 2 • Smart Contract Platforms

Explains Turing-complete smart contract environments, virtual machines, and gas economics. Students understand how programmable blockchains differ from Bitcoin's design.

Lesson 3 • Token Standards and Issuance

Covers fungible and non-fungible token standards, issuance mechanics, and token economics. Students can critique tokenomics models critically.

Lesson 1 • Exchange Types and Market Structure

Compares centralized and decentralized exchanges, order book models, and liquidity pools. Students understand where and how cryptocurrency price discovery occurs.

Lesson 2 • Technical Analysis Basics

Introduces candlestick charts, trend lines, support and resistance, and key indicators. Students can read price charts and identify common patterns.

Lesson 3 • Risk Management in Trading

Covers position sizing, drawdown limits, and portfolio diversification. Students build a disciplined risk framework before executing live trades.

Lesson 1 • Global Regulatory Frameworks Overview

Maps how different jurisdictions classify and regulate cryptocurrency assets and activities. Students understand the spectrum from permissive to restrictive regulatory environments.

Lesson 2 • Travel Rule and Exchange Compliance

Covers the financial action task force travel rule requirements for virtual asset transfers. Students understand data-sharing obligations between compliant service providers.

Lesson 3 • Cryptocurrency Taxation Principles

Explains taxable events, cost basis methods, and reporting obligations for crypto transactions. Students can identify tax liabilities and maintain records for accurate reporting.