Cryptocurrency Course

Lesson 1 • Bitcoin vs. Traditional Money

Contrasts Bitcoin with fiat currency and commodity money across key monetary attributes. Prepares learners to articulate Bitcoin's competitive advantages.

Lesson 2 • History and Creation of Bitcoin

Covers the 2008 whitepaper, pseudonymous creator, and early adoption context. Grounds learners in the problem Bitcoin was designed to solve.

Lesson 3 • Core Properties of Bitcoin

Defines decentralisation, scarcity, permissionlessness, and censorship resistance. Learners connect these properties to Bitcoin's practical utility.

Lesson 1 • Distributed Ledger Mechanics

Covers how thousands of nodes maintain identical copies of the ledger. Learners understand why no single party controls the record.

Lesson 2 • Blockchain Transparency and Privacy

Examines the public nature of the ledger alongside pseudonymity. Learners balance transparency benefits with privacy considerations.

Lesson 3 • Consensus and Chain Validity

Explains how nodes agree on the valid chain and resolve forks. Learners understand the rules that keep the network in agreement.

Lesson 4 • Cryptographic Foundations

Introduces hashing, digital signatures, and public-key cryptography as security pillars. Learners grasp why Bitcoin transactions cannot be forged.

Lesson 1 • Mining Pools and Economics

Analyses pool mining, payout structures, and profitability variables. Learners evaluate mining as a business activity with measurable inputs and outputs.

Lesson 2 • Block Rewards and Halvings

Covers the subsidy schedule, halving events, and their effect on supply issuance. Learners project how halvings influence miner revenue over time.

Lesson 3 • Mining Hardware Evolution

Traces hardware progression from CPUs to ASICs and its impact on network hashrate. Learners assess how hardware shapes mining economics.

Lesson 4 • Proof of Work Mechanism

Details the computational puzzle miners solve to add blocks. Learners connect energy expenditure to security guarantees.

Lesson 1 • Multi-Signature Wallet Setup

Introduces multi-sig schemes, quorum configurations, and use cases. Learners design custody arrangements requiring multiple approvals for spending.

Lesson 2 • Securing Private Keys

Covers physical and digital threats to key security and mitigation strategies. Learners implement layered defences against loss and theft.

Lesson 3 • Wallet Types and Trade-offs

Compares hot wallets, cold wallets, hardware devices, and paper wallets. Learners match wallet type to their security and convenience requirements.

Lesson 4 • How Bitcoin Wallets Work

Clarifies that wallets store keys, not coins, and explains address generation. Learners correct common misconceptions before handling real funds.

Lesson 1 • Broadcasting and Confirmation

Covers transaction signing, broadcasting to the network, and confirmation tracking. Learners manage the full transaction lifecycle from creation to settlement.

Lesson 2 • Script and Transaction Types

Surveys P2PKH, P2SH, P2WPKH, and P2TR script types and their use cases. Learners select the appropriate script type for each transaction scenario.

Lesson 3 • Transaction Structure and Components

Dissects inputs, outputs, scripts, and transaction IDs. Learners read raw transaction data and identify each component's function.

Lesson 4 • UTXO Model Explained

Contrasts the UTXO model with account-based systems and explains coin selection. Learners understand how Bitcoin tracks spendable balances.

Lesson 1 • Validating Transactions and Blocks

Explains how a node independently verifies every rule without trusting peers. Learners appreciate the security model of self-verification.

Lesson 2 • Peer-to-Peer Network Architecture

Describes how nodes discover peers, relay data, and maintain the network. Learners understand why no central server is needed.

Lesson 3 • Node Configuration and Settings

Covers bitcoin.conf options, pruning, and RPC interface setup. Learners customise node behaviour for their operational environment.

Lesson 4 • Node Monitoring and Maintenance

Covers log analysis, uptime monitoring, and software upgrade procedures. Learners maintain a healthy, up-to-date node over time.

Lesson 1 • Network-Level Attack Scenarios

Analyses 51% attacks, Sybil attacks, and eclipse attacks and their practical likelihood. Learners assess network-level risks and appropriate defensive responses.

Lesson 2 • Operational Security Practices

Establishes OPSEC habits for device hygiene, network security, and communication. Learners apply discipline that prevents information leakage.

Lesson 3 • Inheritance and Succession Planning

Addresses how to pass Bitcoin custody to heirs without exposing keys prematurely. Learners create documented plans balancing security and accessibility.

Lesson 4 • Exchange and Custodial Risk

Evaluates risks of holding Bitcoin on exchanges versus self-custody. Learners apply the principle of not holding more than necessary on third-party platforms.

Lesson 1 • Regulatory and Compliance Landscape

Surveys anti-money-laundering obligations, travel rule requirements, and reporting duties. Learners navigate compliance without referencing jurisdiction-specific codes.

Lesson 2 • Corporate Treasury and Bitcoin

Examines rationale, policy design, and custody models for corporate Bitcoin holdings. Learners build a framework for evaluating Bitcoin as a treasury asset.

Lesson 3 • Bitcoin Payment Integration

Covers merchant acceptance, payment processor selection, and settlement workflows. Learners design end-to-end Bitcoin payment pipelines for businesses.

Lesson 4 • Strategic Communication About Bitcoin

Equips learners to present Bitcoin to sceptical stakeholders using evidence-based arguments. Learners craft clear, credible narratives for diverse professional audiences.