Altradits

The free Bitcoin library, in reading order.

Start at step 1. Every resource is free. Read, then try it yourself.

1. Money

Why Bitcoin exists.

  1. Shelling Out: The Origins of MoneyNick SzaboWhy people first used money, and what made it work.
  2. How Bitcoin worksbitcoin.orgThe big picture in plain words.

2. The whitepaper

Nine pages that started it all. Read it twice.

  1. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash SystemSatoshi Nakamoto, 2008The original design: no bank in the middle.
  2. Satoshi's emails and forum postsSatoshi Nakamoto InstituteSatoshi explaining the design in his own words.

3. How it works

Transactions, blocks and mining, under the hood.

  1. Learn Me A BitcoinGreg WalkerClear technical guides with diagrams.
  2. Mastering BitcoinAndreas M. Antonopoulos, David A. HardingThe full technical book, free on GitHub.

4. Keys and wallets

Hold your own keys.

  1. Your first wallet: Ye₿enteAltraditsStart small, then move to a wallet only you control.
  2. Choose your walletbitcoin.orgCompare wallets you control.

5. Run a node

Verify, don't trust.

  1. Set up Bitcoin CoreAltraditsStep by step for Windows, macOS and Linux.
  2. Running a full nodebitcoin.orgWhat a node does and what it needs.

6. Privacy

Good habits from day one.

  1. PrivacyBitcoin WikiHow payments can be traced, and how to avoid it.
  2. Optech topicsBitcoin OptechShort explainers on every technical topic.

7. Lightning

Fast, cheap payments on top of Bitcoin.

  1. The Lightning Network paperJoseph Poon, Thaddeus DryjaThe original Lightning design.
  2. Mastering the Lightning NetworkAntonopoulos, Osuntokun, PickhardtThe full Lightning book, free on GitHub.
  3. BOLT specificationsLightning developersThe rules every Lightning node follows.

8. Contribute

From reader to reviewer.

  1. Programming BitcoinJimmy SongBuild Bitcoin's maths in Python, free on GitHub.
  2. Bitcoin Development PhilosophyKalle Rosenbaum, Linnéa RosenbaumHow Bitcoin developers think.
  3. Bitcoin Core PR Review ClubBitcoin Core contributorsWeekly sessions reviewing real pull requests.
  4. Contributing to Bitcoin CoreBitcoin CoreHow changes are proposed and reviewed.
  5. Bitcoin Optech newsletterBitcoin OptechWhat changed in Bitcoin this week.

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