Web3 for Software Engineers
You already know how to ship a REST service, index a DB, and deploy behind a CDN. This course maps those mental models onto blockchain: a Postgres you don't own, with consensus instead of a primary, lambdas that cost gas, and a public event log that anyone can replay. We'll build up primitives, then write production code.
How to use this
- Read in order the first time. Each phase has a small project — build it before moving on.
- Every page has Analogy blocks to ground ideas in things you already know (DBs, HTTP, Git).
- Code is runnable. Python/Node-only where possible; Solidity when needed.
- Quizzes at the bottom. Click an option — no login, no tracking.
The 16 phases
Foundations Refresh
Networking, OS, cryptography primitives. Hashes, signatures, TLS.
Advanced Cryptography
Public-key, Merkle trees, SHA-256 vs Keccak, proofs.
Distributed Systems
P2P, CAP, BFT, gossip. Why consensus is hard.
Blockchain Fundamentals
Blocks, txs, UTXO vs account, PoW vs PoS. Build a minimal chain.
Ethereum Deep Dive
EVM, gas, accounts, state. Hardhat + local chain.
Smart Contracts
Solidity end-to-end. ERC-20 and a small NFT.
Web3 Integration
ethers.js, wallets, RPC, ABIs. Build a dApp frontend.
Backend for Web3
Event indexing, The Graph, Node.js services.
Token Standards
ERC-20/721/1155. Marketplace logic.
Security
Reentrancy, overflow, front-running. Slither.
DeFi Concepts
AMMs, LPs, staking. Build an x*y=k simulator.
Layer 2 & Scaling
Rollups, sidechains, zk. Deploy to Polygon/Optimism.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs
zk-SNARKs intuition. Circom + SnarkJS.
Cross-chain & Oracles
Bridges, Chainlink, LayerZero.
Production Engineering
Infura/Alchemy, Docker, CI/CD, observability.
Research & Specialization
Pick a lane. Read whitepapers, contribute OSS.