Recommended start
Surface route
Start With Bitcoin
Begin with the core concepts before moving into wallets, keys, and transactions.
WATCHING THE MEMPOOLREADING THE NETWORKFOLLOWING THE SIGNAL
LEARN HOW BITCOIN MOVES.
Start at the surface or go deeper. Follow clear learning paths through Bitcoin fundamentals, the network, protocols, development, and the wider ecosystem.
Choose Your Path
Start with the route that matches your depth.
Choose a starting point, then follow the related subjects in the knowledge index below.
Harbor route
Use Bitcoin Safely
Follow custody, privacy, and security markers before sending value on your own.
Current route
Understand the Network
Trace mining, nodes, mempools, blocks, and consensus as connected parts of the system.
Deep route
Build on Bitcoin
Move into Layer 2, digital assets, developer tools, and emerging protocol ideas.
Open ocean
Explore the Ecosystem
Map the people, companies, markets, and communities moving around Bitcoin.
Knowledge Index
A structured archive for the Bitcoin ocean.
Open a section, scan the markers, and choose where to continue deeper.
Bitcoin Basics Begin with the core concepts.
Topic Preview
Foundations
- What is Bitcoin?
- Why Bitcoin?
- Bitcoin History
- Satoshi Nakamoto
Using Bitcoin
- Wallets
- Self-Custody
- Sending & Receiving
- Transactions & Fees
Security
- Seed Phrases
- Public & Private Keys
- Bitcoin Security
- Bitcoin Privacy
Essentials
- UTXOs
- Confirmations
- Halving
- Best Practices
The Bitcoin Network Read the currents that move transactions.
Topic Preview
Mining
- Mining
- Mining Pools
- ASIC Miners
- Difficulty Adjustment
Nodes
- Full Nodes
- Pruned Nodes
- Running a Node
- Node Software
Network
- Mempool
- Blocks
- Blockchain
- Hashrate
Consensus
- Proof of Work
- Consensus
- Soft Forks
- Network Upgrades
Building on Bitcoin Continue deeper into layers and assets.
Topic Preview
Layer 2
- Lightning Network
- Ark
- RGB
- Sidechains
Digital Assets
- Ordinals
- Runes
- BRC-20
- Inscriptions
Development
- Developer Tools
- Wallet Integrations
- APIs
- Indexers
Innovation
- BitVM
- DLCs
- OP_CAT
- Emerging Protocols
Bitcoin Development Continue deeper into the protocol.
Topic Preview
Bitcoin Core
- Bitcoin Core
- Bitcoin Knots
- Source Code
- Releases
Protocols
- BIPs
- Script
- Taproot
- SegWit
Cryptography
- Schnorr Signatures
- Digital Signatures
- Hash Functions
- Merkle Trees
Infrastructure
- RPC
- Development Environment
- Testing
- Running Infrastructure
Bitcoin Ecosystem Chart the wider field around Bitcoin.
Topic Preview
People
- Builders
- Developers
- Artists
- Industry Leaders
Companies
- Public Companies
- Startups
- Mining Companies
- Infrastructure Companies
Markets
- Exchanges
- Wallet Providers
- Marketplaces
- Service Providers
Community
- Conferences
- Communities
- Historical Milestones
- Open Source Projects
Featured Learning Route
START HERE: HOW A BITCOIN TRANSACTION MOVES
Follow the path from wallet creation and signing through the mempool, miner selection, block inclusion, and confirmation.
- 1Create
- 2Sign
- 3Broadcast
- 4Mempool
- 5Confirm
Glossary Preview
Terms for reading the chart.
Compact definitions for the language that appears throughout Bitcoin guides.
Mempool
The waiting area where valid unconfirmed Bitcoin transactions are held by nodes before they are included in blocks.
UTXO
An unspent transaction output is a discrete piece of bitcoin value that can be used as an input in a later transaction.
Hashrate
A measure of the total computational work miners are directing toward Bitcoin proof of work.
Confirmation
A transaction has a confirmation when it is included in a block, with later blocks adding more settlement depth.
Self-Custody
Holding your own private keys so you control spending without relying on a third-party custodian.
Node
Software that independently checks Bitcoin rules and shares valid transaction and block data with peers.