Introduction to Bitcoin, Blockchain and Decentralized Technology

I'm excited to announce a new course available at pluralsight: app.pluralsigh...
Outline
Module 1: Bitcoin Concepts and Basic Use
- Demo: buying a digital video online
- What gives Bitcoin value?
- Big Ideas: openness, privacy, decentralized, cryptocurrency, programmable
- Basic structure: a collectively maintained ledger
- Transactions: how money is sent in Bitcoin
- Smart Contract example: crowdfunding
- Getting Bitcoin: exchange, ATM, in person, pros / cons
- Demo: buying Bitcoin on an exchange
- Wallets: How to store and use Bitcoin, mobile, online, hardware, cold storage
- Demo: using a hardware wallet
- Bitcoin mining
- Demo: accepting Bitcoin on a website with BitPay
Module 2: How Bitcoin Works Under the Hood
- Bitcoin software universe: from wallets and libraries to full nodes
- Demo: Installing Bitcore, javascript Bitcoin library, create Bitcoin address
- Digital Signatures,
- Bitcoin addresses
- Transaction structure, UTXOs, scripts
- Demo: creating and sending a transaction on testnet with Bitcore
- Ledger consensus (voting) & security
- Cryptographic hashes
- The blockchain: structure that holds transactions
- Coin creation, double spend attacks
- SPV (Simplified Payment Verification) Wallets
Module 3: Advanced Bitcoin
- HD (Hierarchical Deterministic) Wallets
- Mnemonic codes (human friendly private key storage)
- Demo: derive Bitcoin HD addresses securely on public server without private keys using Bitcore
- Multisignature Addresses for shared wallets & backup
- Low trust escrow with multisignature addresses
- Bitcoin challenges: centralization due to mining & software control, blocksize debate
- Soft vs Hard Forks (software upgrade procedures)
- Segregated Witnesses
- Payment Channels & Lightning Networks (secure, off-chain transactions)
- Check Lock Time Verify (time-based script logic)
- Replace by Fee (update stuck transactions)
- Payment Protocol (secure payment address delivery)
- CoinJoin (mixing transactions for privacy)
Module 4: Beyond Bitcoin
- Altcoins, metacoins, colored coins & side chains
- Comparison metrics
- Byzantine General’s problem
- Proof-of-Work Consensus Alternatives (Primecoin, Foldingcoin)
- Proof-of-Stake (Peercoin, NXT, future Ethereum, Bitshares delegated Proof-of-Stake)
- Permissioned / Private blockchains for banking, enterprise (distributed database or something more? Multichain, R3)
- Seeking high performance blockchains (Tendermint, Ripple, BigChainDB)
- Privacy procotols & projects - why needed? (Monero, Ring Signatures, Stealth Addresses)
- Zero Knowledge Proofs & Zerocash
- Stability coins: Digix, Tether, BitUSD, Nubits, MakerDAO
- Ethereum - Open, Decentralized Computer for Smart Contracts
- Demo: create and use Smart Contract (create your own token) on Ethereum
- Prediction Markets & Augur
- IoT (Internet of Things) and DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), with Slock.it
- Decentralized Storage with Storj & IPFS (Interplanatary File System)
- Decentralized Identity and Reputation (Namecoin, Identify & Onename)
If you'd like to support the creation of additional content, here's a bitcoin/lightning donation address: bit.ly/2NldSYA
fiat support: / curiousinventor

[@bosapiutsa3829]

Wow, I'm impressed! With those courses you address amazing amount of valuable knowledge!

[@andydrewie3879]

what's in the remaining 5%?

[@andydrewie3879]

also, since I only want to take this one class you offer out of the entire pluralsight ed platform, do you recommend me signing up for 1 month access then cancel to finish this course you offer? although i much prefer the udemy model, let me know what's the best way to save money and get the most of your quality effort.

[@CuriousInventor]

I believe it's just $29 if you want just one month. The last 5% has some conclusions and some of the brief overviews of other decentralized systems. Thanks for your interest.

[@ivanlukanov6206]

Sorry but where is the full course again? Is it available on lynda.com

[@CuriousInventor]

app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/bitcoin-decentralized-technology The free trial will let you watch 95% of the course. Hope it's helpful!

[@EatHotLead4Ever]

Really want to do the course, but $300 is a bit steep

[@CuriousInventor]

I understand, but you can watch 95% of it with their free trial.

[@jonathanpilkington5798]

or you could pay for one month for $29 dollars to finish it.

[@ivanlukanov6206]

Thanks