Learning Bitcoin

NOTE: This is a draft in progress, so that I can get some feedback from early reviewers. It is not yet ready for use.

Copyright

Unless otherwise noted, the contents of this repository are Copyright ©2017 by Christopher Allen @ChristopherA <[email protected]> and are licensed CC-BY.

Credits

Role	Names
Lead Authors:	Christopher Allen @ChristopherA, Shannon Appelcline @ShannonA
Contributors:
Reviewers:	Glen Willem @gwillem
Sponsors:	Blockstream Corporation

Introduction

The best way to learn deeply about bitcoin is to avoid GUIs (even bitcoin-qt), and instead learn it from the command line.

Requirements

This tutorial assumes that you have some minimal background of how to use the command line interface. If not, there are many tutorials available, and I have one for Mac users at https://github.com/ChristopherA/intro-mac-command-line

Files

PART ONE: PREPARING FOR BITCOIN

• 1.0: Introducing Bitcoin
• 2.0: Setting Up a Bitcoin-Core VPS
  • 2.1: Setting Up a Bitcoin-Core VPS by Hand
  • 2.2: Setting Up a Bitcoin-Core VPS with StackScript.md
    • Linode_Bitcoin-Core_VPS_Setup.stackscript

PART TWO: BITCOIN-CLI

• 3.0: Understanding Your Bitcoin Setup
  • 3.1: Verifying Your Bitcoin Setup
  • 3.2: Knowing Your Bitcoin Setup
  • 3.3: Setting Up Your Wallet
    • Interlude: Using Command-Line Variables
  • 3.4: Receiving a Transaction
• 4.0: Sending Bitcoin Transactions
  • 4.1: Sending Coins the Easy Way
  • 4.2: Creating a Raw Transaction
    • Interlude: Using JQ
  • 4.3: Creating a Raw Transaction with Named Arguments
  • 4.4: Sending Coins with Raw Transactions
  • 4.5: Sending Coins with Automated Raw Transactions
• 5.0: Controlling Bitcoin Transactions
  • 5.1 Watching for Stuck Transactions
  • 5.2: Resending a Transaction with RBF
  • 5.3: Funding a Transaction with CPFP
• 6.0: Expanding Bitcoin Transactions
  • 6.1: Sending a Transaction with a Multsig
  • 6.2: Spending a Transaction with a Multsig
  • 6.3: Sending & Spending an Automated Multisig
  • 6.4: Sending a Transaction with a Locktime
  • 6.5: Sending a Transaction with Data

PART THREE: BITCOIN SCRIPTING

• 7.0: Introducing Bitcoin Scripts
  • 7.1: Understanding the Foundation of Transactions
  • 7.2: Running a Bitcoin Script
  • 7.3: Scripting a P2PKH
  • 7.4: Testing a Bitcoin Script
• 8.0: Embedding Bitcoin Scripts in P2SH Transactions
  • 8.1: Understanding the Foundation of P2SH
  • 8.2: Building the Structure of P2SH
  • 8.3: Running a Bitcoin Script with P2SH
  • 8.4: Scripting a Multisig
  • 8.5: Spending a P2SH Transaction — Awaiting API Work
• 9.0: Empowering Timelock with Bitcoin Scripts
  • 9.1: Understanding Timelock Options
  • 9.2: Using CLTV in Scripts
  • 9.3: Using CSV in Scripts
• 10.0: Expanding Bitcoin Scripts
  • 10.1: Using Script Conditionals
  • 10.2: Using Other Script Commands
• 11.0: Designing Real Bitcoin Scripts
  • 11.1: Writing Puzzles Scripts
  • 11.2: Writing Complex Multisig Scripts
  • 11.3: Empowering Bitcoin with Scripts

PART FOUR: BITCOIN APIS

• 12.0: Talking to Bitcoind — Needs Editing
  • 12.1: Accessing Bitcoind with Curl
  • 12.2: Accessing Bitcoind with C
  • 12.3: Programming Bitcoind with C — Needs Editing
  • 12.4: Receiving Bitcoind Notifications with C — Pending
  • 12.5: Accessing Bitcoind with Other Languages — Writing
  • 12.6: Accessing Bitcoind with Python — Writing
  • 12.7: Accessing Bitcoind with Java
• 13.0: Programming with LibWally
  • 13.1: Programming Transactions
  • 13.2: Programming Scripts
• 14.0: Programming with secp256k1

Planned Future Work

Add: HOW TO DO A REFUND (short answer: ask!)

** PART FIVE: BITCOIN FUTURES **

• 15.0: Setting Up a Bitcoin Regtest
  • 15.1: Starting the Regtest
  • 15.2: Mining with Regtest
  • 15.3: Testing with Regtest

** APPENDICES **

• Appendix: Compiling Bitcoin