Programming Bitcoin

A hands-on programming book for developers who learn by doing. Jimmy Song guides you through implementing Bitcoin's core pieces yourself, in Python and from first principles: the elliptic-curve cryptography behind keys and signatures, how transactions are built and serialised, how Script works, and how blocks and the network fit together. Each chapter comes with exercises, so you are writing real code, not just reading about it. By the end you have built a working toolkit and understand Bitcoin at a level no overview can give you.

It turns abstract concepts into things you have actually made work with your own hands, which is the deepest kind of understanding. Ideal for a developer who wants to build on Bitcoin or simply prove to themselves exactly how it works. Bring some programming comfort and a willingness to do the exercises.