Bitcoin Developers Basics 02: Crypto + Digital Signatures

🌐 Course Title: Bitcoin Developers Basics 02: Crypto + Digital Signatures

🎓 Course Headline: Dive Deep into the Cryptography and Digital Signatures That Keep Bitcoin Secure

Unlock the Secrets of Bitcoin's Security Mechanisms!

Have you ever been intrigued by the world of digital currencies, particularly Bitcoin? Have you ever pondered over how transactions are executed, or how Bitcoin can be securely locked and transferred? If your answer is yes, then our "Bitcoin Developers Basics 02: Crypto + Digital Signatures" course by the expert instructor niftynei from Base58 is just what you need!

🔍 What You'll Learn:

• Understanding Blockchain Data: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the fields, bytes, and scripts that form the backbone of Bitcoin transactions.
• Building Your Own Bitcoin Transaction Parser: Equip yourself with the knowledge to create your own transaction parser and understand how Bitcoin data works.
• Writing Custom Bitcoin Locking Scripts: Learn to craft custom scripts to lock and unlock bitcoin, enhancing your programming skills in the process.
• Adapting Transactions to SegWit: Master the modern Segregated Witness (SegWit) format to optimize your transactions on the Bitcoin network.

Course Structure:

Step 1: The Foundation of Digital Signatures - Elliptic Curve Cryptography

• Elliptic Curves Over Finite Fields: Understand the mathematical concepts behind elliptic curves.
• Secp256k1: Trace the origins of Bitcoin's chosen elliptic curve, secp256k1.
• Public and Private Keys: Learn how to derive a public key from a private key in the context of Bitcoin.

Step 2: Locking Bitcoin with Public Keys - P2PK, P2PKH, and P2WPKH

• Compressed Keys: Explore the format of compressed keys and their role in Bitcoin transactions.
• P2PK & P2PKH: Write scripts to lock bitcoin directly to a public key (Pay-to-PubkeyHash).
• P2WPKH: Understand the more recent Pay-to-Witness PubkeyHash and its benefits.

Step 3: The Art of Digital Signatures in Bitcoin

• ECDSA Demystified: Discover how Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) secures your transactions.

Step 4: Crafting Sighashes

• Sighashes and SegWit: Learn the importance of sighashes in constructing ECDSA signatures with SegWit transactions.
• Legacy vs. SegWit: Understand the differences between legacy and SegWit sighashes.
• Understanding SIGHASH Types: Dive into the specifics of SIGHASH_ALL, SIGHASH_NONE, and SIGHASH_SINGLE.

Step 5: Multisignature Wallets

• Multisig Explained: Discover how threshold signatures can be used to enhance security in Bitcoin transactions with OP_CHECKMULTISIG.
• Script and Multisig: Combine your knowledge of scripts and multisig to create more secure transaction methods.

By the end of this course, you will not only understand the cryptographic principles behind Bitcoin but also be able to apply them in real-world scenarios. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, this course is designed to take your understanding of blockchain and digital assets to the next level. 🚀

Enroll now and embark on an enlightening journey into the heart of Bitcoin's security mechanisms with "Bitcoin Developers Basics 02: Crypto + Digital Signatures"! 💻✨