"Now let's challenge each other, learn a lot and together explore Blockchain & Money. And have a bit of fun along the way."

- Prof. Gary Gensler, opening lecture of 15.S12, Blockchain and Money, Fall 2018, MIT.

Below are some links to resources that can help you learn about blockchain.

Bitcoin and Blockchain

Title of resource: Bitcoin Whitepaper
Resource type: Website
Description: The paper released by Satoshi Nakamoto prior to release of the now famous cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
Link: link

Title of resource: Bitcoin's Academic Pedigree
Resource type: Paper
Description: How Bitcoin, a radically different proposal for a decentralized cryptocurrency showed that digital cash could be viable.
Link: link

Title of resource: What is Blockchain Technology? A Step-by-Step Guide For Beginners
Resource type: Website
Description: A step by step guide that goes into the details of what Blockchain technology is.
Link: link

Title of resource: Blockchain: The Invisible Technology That's Changing the World
Resource type: Website
Description: Article that expands on a new immutable digital fabric remaking the internet without people even realizing it. It also shows how Blockchain-based networks, decentralized apps (DApps), and distributed ledgers are becoming the foundation of digital life.
Link: link

Title of resource: Decoding the Enigma of Bitcoin Mining
Resource type: website
Description: How Bitcoin mining works.
Link: link

Bitcoin Structure

Title of resource: Unspent Transaction Output, UTXO
Resource type: Website
Description: An online glossary for technical terms regarding Bitcoin. This link Provides the definition and synonyms for an “Unspent Transaction Output”.
Link: link

Title of resource: Unspent Transaction Output, UTXO
Resource type: Website
Description: An explanation on how UTXO’s operate vs other methods.
Link: link

Title of resource: How the NSA identified Satoshi Nakamoto
Resource type: Website
Description: An article written by Alexander Muse on Medium that explains how the NSA identified the creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Link: link

Basic Blockchain Operations

Title of resource: How a Bitcoin Transaction Works
Resource type: Website
Description: This article explains what a bitcoin transaction is, its purpose and outcome. The explanation in this article is suitable for both novice and intermediate bitcoin users.
Link: link

Title of resource: How does the Blockchain Work? (Part 1)
Resource type: Website
Description: An article on Medium that gives a simple and easy explanation on how blockchain works.
Link: link

Title of resource: How Does the Blockchain Work?
Resource type: Website
Description: An article that explains blockchain technology in simple words.
Link: link

Title of resource: Blockchain 101 - A Visual Demo
Resource type: Video (Run time- 17:49)
Description: Very basic VISUAL introduction to the concepts behind a blockchain where the idea of an immutable ledger is introduced using an interactive web demo.
Link: link

Ethereum Structure

Title of resource: Smart Contracts: A White Paper
Resource type: White paper
Description: Offers an overview of smart contracts, their types depending on the transaction involved, and blockchain technology providers.
Link: link

Title of resource: Account Management
Resource type: Website
Description: Documentation on account management from Ethereum Homestead, an ongoing collaborative effort of volunteers from the Ethereum Community.
Link: link

Title of resource: Native: Account management
Resource type: Website
Description: Introduces account management and how it can provide Ethereum integration for your native applications.
Link: link

Ethereum Operations

Title of resource: How Ethereum Works
Resource type: Website
Description: This article dives deeper into how the platform functions under the hood.
Link: link

Title of resource: What Is Meant By The Term “Gas”?
Resource type: Website
Description: Answers on Ethereum stack exchange that explains gas and where it comes from?
Link: link

Incentive Model

Title of resource: Vitalik Buterin Doubles Down on Ethereum Incentive Strategy
Resource type: Website
Description: An article that goes into the incentive strategy for Ethereum during the Workshop on Trusted Smart Contracts.
Link: link

Title of resource: Ether
Resource type: Website
Description: Official website of ethereum that lists the most important things to know about ethers.
Link: link

Title of resource: Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake: Basic Mining Guide
Resource type: Website
Description: This article will explain the main differences between Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake and will provide a definition of mining.
Link: link

Public-Key Cryptography

Title of resource: What Is Public-Key Cryptography?
Resource type: Website
Description: A look at the encryption algorithm and its security benefits
Link: link

Title of resource: Asymmetric Cryptography (Public-Key Cryptography)
Resource type: Website
Description: Article explains what Asymmetric cryptography is and how it works
Link: link

Title of resource: Public Key Cryptography - Computerphile
Resource type: Video (Run time- 6:19)
Description: Youtube video that explains how public key cryptography works.
Link: link

Title of resource: Blockchain 101 - Part 2 - Public / Private Keys and Signing
Resource type: Video (Run time- 8:53)
Description: Youtube video that explains how public key cryptography helps in verifying the transactions in a blockchain.
Link: link

Hashing

Title of resource: What Is Hashing? Under The Hood of Blockchain
Resource type: Website
Description: An article that not only explains the basics of hashing but introduces a more specific type of hashing and how it affects the mining process.
Link: link
Note: Check the comments in the article for a few corrections in the article

Title of resource: Hashing Algorithms and Security - Computerphile
Resource type: Video (Run time- 08:11)
Description: Hashing Algorithms are used to ensure file authenticity, but how secure are they and why do they keep changing?
Link: link

Title of resource: SHA: Secure Hashing Algorithm - Computerphile
Resource type: Video (Run time- 10:20)
Description: How files are used to generate seemingly random hash strings.
Link: link

Title of resource: Hash Functions
Resource type: Website
Description: Explanations and examples of simple hash functions and the hashing sequences of characters.
Link: link

Title of Resource: Blockchain demo
Resource type: website
Description: This website contains a hashing tool.
Link: link

Smart Contracts

Title of resource: Smart Contract: Building blocks for digital markets
Resource type: Paper
Description: This is a paper by Nick Szabo when he discussed the concept of smart contract. This paper is dated 1996, well before the advent of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
Link: link

Title of resource: How to Learn Solidity: The Ultimate Ethereum Coding Guide
Resource type: website
Description: This Guide will walk you step -by-step through learning Solidity.
Link: link

Title of resource: Remix- Solidity IDE
Resource type: website
Description: Remix is an IDE for the smart contract programming language Solidity and has an integrated debugger and testing environment.
Link: link

Title of resource: Structure of a Contract
Resource type: website
Description: Smart Contracts in Solidity.
Link: link

Title of resource: Introduction to Smart Contracts
Resource type: website
Description: This website provides an introduction to smart contracts.
Link: link

Title of resource: Account Types, Gas, and Transactions
Resource type: website
Description: This website details the two type of accounts in Ethereum.
Link: link

Title of resource: Ethereum, Tokens, and Smart Contracts
Resource type: website
Description: This article details Ethereum, tokens, and smart contracts.
Link: link

Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum

Title of resource: A Gentle Introduction to Blockchain Technology
Resource type: Website
Description: This article is a gentle introduction to blockchain technology and assumes minimal technical knowledge. It attempts to describe “what it is” rather than “why should I care”.
Link: link

Title of resource: On Public and Private Blockchains
Resource type: Website
Description: A blog that explains the differences between the different types of blockchains.
Link: link

Title of resource: What is Cryptocurrency. Guide for Beginners
Resource type: Website
Description: An easy to understand guide on cryptocurrencies, including its history and future.
Link: link

Title of resource: 2017 Was Bitcoin's Year. 2018 Will Be Ethereum's
Resource type: Website
Description: The following article explains why Ethereum will continue to evolve throughout the year 2018.
Link: link

Title of resource: What is Cryptocurrency: Everything You Need To Know
Resource type: Website
Description: This introduction explains the most important things about cryptocurrencies and where they are headed.
Link: link

Title of resource: What is the Difference Between Public and Permissioned Blockchains?
Resource type: Website
Description: An article that introduces a description of the three technologies that make up blockchain technology: cryptographic keys, a distributed network and a network servicing protocol.
Link: link