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 anyone can replay.
labs/), CI-tested reference solutions, capstone rubrics, and toolchain pins. Completing the course does not replace an independent security review before mainnet funds.How to use this
- Read 1–16 in order the first time. Build each phase project before advancing.
- After Phase 16, pick a production track — do not repeat overlapping phases blindly (18↔22, 19↔25, 20↔26).
- Labs: start in
labs/<name>/starter/; CI validatessolution/. See labs index. - Assessment: capstone rubric + toolchain matrix. Gap audit: COURSE_GAPS.md.
- Every page has Analogy blocks. Quizzes at the bottom — no login.
Foundation (Phases 1–16)
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. Minimal chain.
Ethereum Deep Dive
EVM, gas, accounts, state. Hardhat 3 + local chain.
Smart Contracts
Solidity, ERC-20/NFT. Points to Foundry in Phase 17.
Web3 Integration
wagmi/viem, simulation before submit, wallet UX.
Backend for Web3
Reorg-safe indexing, The Graph, Node services.
Token Standards
ERC-20/721/1155. Marketplace logic.
Security
Classic vulns, Slither, Echidna intro.
DeFi Concepts
AMMs, LPs, staking. x*y=k simulator.
Layer 2 & Scaling
Rollups, exits, finality. Testnet deploy.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs
zk-SNARK intuition. Circom + SnarkJS.
Cross-chain & Oracles
Chainlink, LayerZero v2, bridge trust models.
Production Engineering
RPC, CI/CD, relayer runbook, launch drill.
Research & Tracks
Pick a lane → enter production phases.
Production (Phases 17–26)
Production Contract Engineering
Foundry lab, CREATE2, gas diagnosis, verified deploy.
Protocol, L2, Oracle & ZK
DeFi mechanisms, MEV, circuit-security intro.
Bitcoin Protocol & Custody
Core/regtest, UTXO, Script, PSBT concepts.
Lightning & Operations
Channels, LDK/watchtower, ops checklist.
Security Engineering
Threat models, exploit lab, Echidna, disclosure.
DeFi Protocol Engineering
Lending lab, v4 hooks, ve-tokenomics sim.
L2, Oracle & Cross-chain
Bridge SM lab, light clients, indexer dashboard.
ZK Systems Engineering
Underconstraint lab, prover ops, manifest.
Bitcoin Wallet Engineering
PSBT lab, air-gap, package relay, RBF/CPFP.
Capstone
Reproducible repo + rubric + induced-failure drill.