Suggested resources for technical understanding of Bitcoin

[brainactive]

Are there any recommendations on any resources (either books, articles, posts etc) to develop a more technical understanding of Bitcoin and it's various components?

I started reading "Mastering Bitcoin" by Andreas Antonipolous but it's a bit too dense (and too long around 500 pages). I've also read "Inventing Bitcoin" but it's too basic. Is there something in between?

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[BlackHatCoiner]

Learnmeabitcoin was the one I started with and I'd recommend it easily. I haven't read the whole “Mastering Bitcoin”, but I remember from the first 10-20 pages that is really interesting. Andreas has done some nice work years now. (I think he's in Bitcoin since 2013)

Any other resources, hmm. Well, I remember someone had suggested me this thread, but I'm not sure that they're all these technical. If I ever had a query, I was firstly googling and whatever I wasn't understanding, questioning it here.

[ABCbits]

Jameson Lopp website has list of technical Bitcoin resource at https://www.lopp.net/bitcoin-information/technical-resources.html. You might able to find resource which suitable for you.

I started reading "Mastering Bitcoin" by Andreas Antonipolous but it's a bit too dense (and too long around 500 pages).

Don't try to read whole book at once, consider reading each it chapter by chapter.

[BitMaxz]

I just want to add this below from the suggestion above. For me, this is the best source of learning and understanding about bitcoin including how to build them and make your own Blockchain.

It also has a list of Bitcoin books and the history of bitcoin.

- https://github.com/openblockchains/awesome-blockchains

Scroll down to the bottom you will see more other resources about Bitcoin.

[NotATether]

You should start by reading the Bitcoin developer documentation, it has a section about examples that show you the outputs different parts of bitcoin core make, along with their input parameters. The Reference, Developer guide and Glossary are also good resources.

You can also study the various BIPs inside the codebase and the associated Github issues and pull requests that implement those BIPs. These BIPs give a high level description of how the protocol works and since Bitcoin core is an implementation of this protocol you get to see how each part of it is implemented in C++.

The bitcoin-dev mailing list also contains a few gems that explain why some parts of bitcoin core code are written the way they are.

Seriously, browse the mailing list. You won't believe the amount of useful information that developers write on there that never makes it to webpages because they can't/don't bother to make one. You don't even have to subscribe to it, you can just browse the monthly historical archives.

[HeRetiK]

For a high level overview of the core concepts I'd recommend this article:
https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3136559

It's a quick read but nonetheless manages to introduce most of the fundamental rationales behind the design of Bitcoin.

[brainactive]

Thanks all - I've only had a look at Learnmeabitcoin so far (it's excellent) but will get around to reading the others too. 

[Wind_FURY]

You should start by reading the Bitcoin developer documentation, it has a section about examples that show you the outputs different parts of bitcoin core make, along with their input parameters. The Reference, Developer guide and Glossary are also good resources.

You can also study the various BIPs inside the codebase and the associated Github issues and pull requests that implement those BIPs. These BIPs give a high level description of how the protocol works and since Bitcoin core is an implementation of this protocol you get to see how each part of it is implemented in C++.

The bitcoin-dev mailing list also contains a few gems that explain why some parts of bitcoin core code are written the way they are.

Seriously, browse the mailing list. You won't believe the amount of useful information that developers write on there that never makes it to webpages because they can't/don't bother to make one. You don't even have to subscribe to it, you can just browse the monthly historical archives.

The Bitcoin Developer Documentation was very helpful in my learning process, and also the Bitcoin Stack Exchange. Follow all of Murch’s replies, it’s going to make your Bitcoin journey easier, https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/

Plus read through all of StopAndDecrypt’s blogs for further technical understanding. I believe that to be enough to learn that some trolls in the forum have been spreading disinformation, https://stopanddecrypt.medium.com/

[Welsh]

Seriously, don't pass up the Bitcoin stack exchange. Pretty much everything you could have ever thought have has been posted there one way or another. Just search up your question, and its likely been discussed. Of course, its not to be used as a primary teaching outlet, but it will aid any of the suggestions above greatly when used together with them. Think of Stack Exchange, and this section as ways of getting clarity of things that you have read or listened too, but don't quite grasp the concepts.

[Wind_FURY]

Seriously, don't pass up the Bitcoin stack exchange. Pretty much everything you could have ever thought have has been posted there one way or another. Just search up your question, and its likely been discussed. Of course, its not to be used as a primary teaching outlet, but it will aid any of the suggestions above greatly when used together with them. Think of Stack Exchange, and this section as ways of getting clarity of things that you have read or listened too, but don't quite grasp the concepts.

I believe following all the serious-minded developers, both the Core developers and some of the shitcoin developers, would also be good sources of knowledge, and insights where Bitcoin as a technology, and/or its macroecomomics are going in 5+ years. Although, we should not take their posts as “the final truth”.