Education Resources to learn bitcoin from scratch

[Flyingjack123]

Dear Members,

I am a non tech guy, with little knowledge of coding, block chain and how to use bitcoin.
I had been introduced here by one of my friends, who insists me that bitcoin is future and i should learn about it
 He said is to reading the posts of seasoned bit coiners  here will help me in learning about bitcoin and crypto.

I am still not being able to understand much about how to go forward.
I request if some good people  can share their knowledge  and suggest good resources from where i can learn about bitcoin and the best practices to follow for becoming a good future bitcoiner. I hope your replies will help more newbies and junior members like me.

I am posting it here because most of senior bitcoiners are regular here and their advices are very precious

Thank-you!!!

[mk4]

Pro-tip: don't focus on trading and investing and such. (at least for now.)


* If you like reading articles: https://coindesk.com/learn
* If you like reading books: https://theinternetofmoney.info/
* If you like watching videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPQwGV1aLnTuN6kdNWlElfr2tzigB9Nnj

Security related:
* https://cryptosec.info
* https://www.lopp.net/bitcoin-information/security.html

If you want to get more technical
* https://github.com/bitcoinbook/bitcoinbook#chapters

[NeuroticFish]

mk4 made a great list, but I will add one short and easy to read (imho) "paper" that should be there: https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

I also have a (maybe rhetorical) question to OP: how comes that it took you 8 months and almost 50 posts to ask the right question?  

[PX-Z]

You don't need to learn to code to learn about bitcoin or the blockchain. So what do you want to learn first? Because learning bitcoin is so vast. It would be better if you can tell us such as the basics ^{(sending/receiving, transaction, security)}, mining, trading, technical side so people can give you links of articles, videos, etc.

What are the outcome of your first research^{(if you did)}. Anyway, the links provided can give you knowledge just step by step and understand. Don't make a big step because it will only give you confusions. Good luck.

[franky1]

dumbed down very basic concept

imagine a bitcoin transaction like a bankers cheque

it lists the input UTXO(from source of the funds), the output(destination), the value(amount the destination will get) and is signed.

the signatures are special because they are unique to the transaction(cheque) using cryptography to produce a signature using a secret key of the source funds address, and signing a message of the transaction content
thus changing the destination address or amount or any detail of the transaction changes the content thus makes the signature not match.. meaning no one can edit a transaction apart from the true owner of the source funds

unlike cheques.. this transaction is given to everyone but only the destination gets the amount to spend. so its safe to give to everyone that wants to see it

there are special cheque clearing houses called mining pools. they collate lots of transactions together into batches called blocks
these blocks include an identity of the previous block of transactions. thus chaining the blocks together..  hense blockchain

the ID is an encrypted hash of the contents. so editing anything in current block or previous blocks changes the ID's which no longer match.. thus easy to spot if anyone tried to send a block with edited content..


a blockchain is the mega database that many many people have copies of which means no 1 person can delete/edit the database because everyone has it and compare which versions are correct/unedited/match the hashes and are complete. and ignore/reject any copies that dont meet the rules
.. everyone has all transactions in blocks ever made. (all cheques in batches ever made) so everyone has their own copy to reference and not rely on others
they they can all audit that all values moved correctly and everyone deserves what they got.

anyway lets get into how transactions are confirmed(cheques are cleared)
the mining pools(clearing houses). double check that all the transactions they collate are valid in their newly collated block. and the format of the block is correct to meet the rules everyone follows when they do their checks.
each pool is collting their own transaction lsit. and its a competition of the fasted pool to solve a block gets their block added to the blockchain.

so the mining pools add a reward amount that meets rules of reward amounts to that block they made to pay themselves that amount if their block is confirmed into the blockchain.
.. and then.. they create a unique ID for that block. which involves creating a header for that block that contains an merkle rood(id hash) for the transaction list plus the previous block ID and a few other things, and then hashing that block header.. which is ultimately via a couple step process hashing the block data


they work hard changing a given variables allowed to be changed(nonce/extranonce) until they have an ID that matches another rule about difficulty.. where the prefix of the ID has to have a number of zeros.(more zeros is more difficult to achieve)

which is a complicated thing to hash lots of times editing the variable to get an ID that meets this difficult to achieve prefix. but if someone gets it its considered a solved block.. they broadcast that block to everyone.. before another mining pools gets a solved block

everyone sees that it all meets the rules and they keep that block as the latest addition to the blockchain.

thus fixing it in and confirming it as valid. thus all transactions listed in the block are valid

because blocks are linked together by an id of previous block. there can only be one winning block per session(as there can only be one block linked to the previous block in the chain). meaning its a competition for the first mining pool to get a solved block and transmit it to the network before others. then once seen by the network. the mining pools use that now confirmed blocks ID as the 'previous id' hash to add into the next block collated transaction list attempt and the next session begins
..
every 2016 blocks the difficulty adjusts to meet a rule.. if 2016 blocks were made in less than 2 weeks it means they were made too fast so it becomes more diffult for the next blocks(more zeros on ID prefix)
this is so, basic math an average block is made hopefully on an average of 10minutes
..
the reward rule is that fir the first 210,00 blocks each block gets 50btc. rewarded to the block solver. and at each 210,00 block interval (average 4 years) this reward amount halves.  t the time of posting this the reward is only 6.25 as there have been several "halving" events
if you total up how many coins are rewarded and calculate it out over all halving events until no more halvings can happen down to the decimal level.. there will eventually be only ~just short of 21m btc ever made. and this rule is a hard rule no one dares ever to break. which gives bitcoin a hard rule of coins supply limit.
..
as for other security things
if anyone wanted to randomly remove a confirmed transaction from the blockchain. then the ID of that previous block wont match which means the next block wont calculate to match either. this can easily be spotted if an edit happened if someone was to send you a different blockchain list . because the ID that needed alot of work to find no longer matches the content..
this allows people to reject edited blocks easily

thus making the data secure because the data has to match the ID and vice versa. protecting the data from edits.

where by to even attempt to edit an old block you then have to do the hard work of rehashing a new id that meets the difficulty rule and then the next block to catch up or overtake the height of the blockchain everyone is following to overtake the network to try to make your version the supreme copy to follow.. which costs even more the further back you go to then edit and catch up.. thus. the more blocks back(confirmations) your transaction is the safer it is from ever being edited
at currenttime of posting it costs over $100k of just electric (and billions of hardware) to edit 1 block(confirmation) thus not worth editing it to remove a transaction of low value.
people spending pocket money mounts dont care much for 1 confirmation payment security... but for mansion amounts people wait until their transaction is 3-6 blocks deep before trusting it wont be edited out.

everyone simply follows a chain of blocks that are all valid and had enough work done on the ID's that no small guy can simple edit a block and then hash a new id.

thus everyone only follows the blocks with lots of work done,

[crwth]

Most people come here to learn and possibly learn how they could probably earn with Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. The place that they could start is the Beginners & Help section of the forum. They would be able to check How to earn BTC, beginner wallets, and many more basic topics that you might possibly be interested.

Anyway, I think the best thing to utilize here is the search function to check different sections on a topic that might be existing already. This is best to keep the forum clean and prevent repetitive topics on the forum.

Some resource that you might be interested in:

https://buybitcoinworldwide.com/treasuries/

[BlackHatCoiner]

I had been introduced here by one of my friends, who insists me that bitcoin is future and i should learn about it

Have that friend closely 

Just kidding, I don't know what kind of person he is. Recommending to learn more about bitcoin (specifically, not cryptos!), does sound like a life advice to me now more, though. There's a mountain of information to study. I'd begin with learnmeabitcoin.com as I consider it a treasure for the Bitcoin community. @mk4 also shared some good links.

Also: Use this place a lot. Let us resolve your queries, that's why forums exist.

[Leviathan.007]

Regarding the education for anything related to new technologies I can see the best thing is to start searching about what you don't know and for the being of your research you can even use this forum because there are many articles there where you used them to start your journey to bitcoin, also I can see can many people here linked some useful websites for you and you can start having a review however you should consider what's your knowledge level about bitcoin and blockchain technologies because the start point can be different for many different people.

[ajiz138]

Learning bitcoin from the start is the most important thing before you start any activity in cryptocurrency, I think about learning there are many here or beyond, you just have to read more because the guide if you read it will not be finished in 1 day so it takes some relaxing time to do it .

Knowledge of mk4 is clear enough if you want to start learning it and do you know and understand all of the above?
Not only in this forum you can learn from your own friends who already know that bitcoin is a future asset, at least he knows how about Bitcoin, so you also need to consult with your friends.

Although many have provided resources for you about bitcoin knowledge I think this link can also help you a bit to find out.

https://cointelegraph.com/bitcoin-for-beginners

[Ayers]

knowledge about bitcoin nowadays is not too difficult to find, in addition to this forum you can find knowledge about bitcoin on all social networking platforms today
but to be safe and not spend too much time searching then follow what mk4 provides, i think it is enough for a beginner with bitcoin
another thing is that when you are just starting out, you will surely encounter many temptations about profitable investments and my advice is to only focus on providing knowledge first, do not rush to invest anywhere, the risk of losing money is very high for those who do not have much knowledge like you

[Rruchi man]

I am a non tech guy, with little knowledge of coding, block chain and how to use bitcoin.

It's a good thing that no technical knowledge is really required to become knowledgeable in the use of bitcoin. People from all walks of life and with all sort of skill sets can learn about bitcoin provided they're disciplined enough to subject them self to the rigours of learning something new. Good thing is that it may not take you time to catch up with if you properly commit to all the resources that have been referred to, and you keep an open mind plus the  willingness to learn.

[Odusko]

I also have a (maybe rhetorical) question to OP: how comes it took you 8 months and almost 50 posts to ask the right question?  

Some members here wander around for a while before realizing what the purpose of Bitcoin is and what advantage Bitcoin has for their financial life.
But thank goodness he has been given great tools that will build his knowledge, I have always suggested knowledge before any attempt in bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency market.
I wouldn't want to suggest some more learning tools to ops since he already got quite a handful of educative links from mk4 to learn and build with.

[AmoreJaz]

I also have a (maybe rhetorical) question to OP: how comes it took you 8 months and almost 50 posts to ask the right question? 

Some members here wander around for a while before realizing what the purpose of Bitcoin is and what advantage Bitcoin has for their financial life.
But thank goodness he has been given great tools that will build his knowledge, I have always suggested knowledge before any attempt in bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency market.
I wouldn't want to suggest some more learning tools to ops since he already got quite a handful of educative links from mk4 to learn and build with.

actually, the OP is lucky to stumble this forum. because this forum alone will give him tons of knowledge and info that he won't find outside. if he will be patient roaming around, he will slowly understand some facts and vital knowledge that he needs to gain when it comes to crypto market. also, he needs to slow down if he wants to buy some crypto. he can start understanding how to transact by using spare and small funds. because reading alone won't give him first hand experience. he needs to start sending or buying small amounts of crypto to understand the market better.

[Synchronice]

Once you enter into Bitcoin world, you should understand that there are new mountains to climb and you should always be updated. After gaining some experience in Bitcoin and blockchain, then you should also learn about DeFi, DAOs, and NFTs.

I think that it's not a bad way to start with Coursera, there are some free courses and for the paid ones, you don't actually need to pay unless you want to get a certificate, you can always audit courses.
Link: https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=cryptocurrency

One thing to mention: This website is the best educational resource in the entire galaxy because this is the root of the crypto era. Satoshi was there, every developer was there, every project started from the knowledge that was available there, hands down the best education resource, you just have to dig deeper.

[hd49728]

Bitcoin information and resources
How is the 21 Million Bitcoin Cap Defined and Enforced? and Bitcoin's Controlled Supply

If you want to read books, you can pick some books from [LIST] Big Library of Bitcoin & Blockchain Books

[Esther C]

Dear Members,

I am a non tech guy, with little knowledge of coding, block chain and how to use bitcoin.
I had been introduced here by one of my friends, who insists me that bitcoin is future and i should learn about it
 He said is to reading the posts of seasoned bit coiners  here will help me in learning about bitcoin and crypto.

I am still not being able to understand much about how to go forward.
I request if some good people  can share their knowledge  and suggest good resources from where i can learn about bitcoin and the best practices to follow for becoming a good future bitcoiner. I hope your replies will help more newbies and junior members like me.

I am posting it here because most of senior bitcoiners are regular here and their advices are very precious

Thank-you!!!

There are tons of resources online. And you just gotta stick around here long enough to start figuring things out. You can also go on YouTube and search “Bitcoin for beginners”. There are resources that would put you in track.

[Agbe]

A lot of books, articles have been provided to you to read. I believe if you really read those materials there is no way you will not understand bitcoin. Thank God that you are still young in the forum and this is the best time for you to read. When you read the materials and understand them them you excel with bitcoin. Therefore, I also provide a historical part of bitcoin https://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/the-history-of-bitcoin for you. As this your age in the forum, reading should be your hobby if really you want to do well. You can use one to three weeks to read all the different materials users have send to you. Please don't be in hurry, calm down and learn from the materials. Any paragraph, word (s), Phrase or clause that is confusing you in the process of reading, you can still bcome here and ask the question.

[Flyingjack123]

Pro-tip: don't focus on trading and investing and such. (at least for now.)


* If you like reading articles: https://coindesk.com/learn
* If you like reading books: https://theinternetofmoney.info/
* If you like watching videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPQwGV1aLnTuN6kdNWlElfr2tzigB9Nnj

Security related:
* https://cryptosec.info
* https://www.lopp.net/bitcoin-information/security.html

If you want to get more technical
* https://github.com/bitcoinbook/bitcoinbook#chapters

Thankyou very much.. i had been looking for such resources for quite some time...
You gave all this wonderful stuff. I am looking forward to study all this...
Thanks senior.

[Flyingjack123]

I also have a (maybe rhetorical) question to OP: how comes it took you 8 months and almost 50 posts to ask the right question?  

Some members here wander around for a while before realizing what the purpose of Bitcoin is and what advantage Bitcoin has for their financial life.
But thank goodness he has been given great tools that will build his knowledge, I have always suggested knowledge before any attempt in bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency market.
I wouldn't want to suggest some more learning tools to ops since he already got quite a handful of educative links from mk4 to learn and build with.

Yess.. i am a completely non tech guy..
I was introduced to this forum by one of my friend,  I always wanted to use it.

However most of post seem discussions and while i was reading them i was making small contributions to forum, however when i understood i need technical know-how to actually do something meaningful, i felt asking the seniors is the best thing to do.
And thanks to gods
 You people gave me something worthy to study and learn.