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Intermediate Learning Path

Go deeper into how Bitcoin works

Study transactions, UTXOs, fees, privacy, address types, Lightning and personal-node integration through a structured learning path.

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25 lessonsAround 3–4 hoursProgress saved locally

Course curriculum

Intermediate lessons

Follow the suggested sequence or open any topic directly. Completed lessons remain available for review at any time.

Module 1

Transaction mechanics

Follow transactions from outputs and addresses through fees, the mempool and settlement.

0 of 8 complete

1

Lesson 1

12 min

Bitcoin Transactions

Explore how Bitcoin transactions are constructed, signed, broadcast and verified by nodes.

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2

Lesson 2

12 min

UTXOs Explained

Understand Bitcoin's unspent transaction output model and how wallets calculate balances.

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3

Lesson 3

12 min

Bitcoin Address Types

Compare legacy, SegWit and Taproot addresses and understand their compatibility and fee differences.

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4

Lesson 4

10 min

Transaction Fees

Learn how fee rates, transaction size and mempool demand affect confirmation priority.

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5

Lesson 5

10 min

The Mempool

Discover how nodes store unconfirmed transactions and how miners select transactions for blocks.

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6

Lesson 6

12 min

Confirmations and Finality

Understand block confirmations, chain reorganisations and why transaction confidence increases over time.

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7

Lesson 7

16 min

When Bitcoin Transactions Go Wrong

Diagnose rejected, missing, delayed, dropped or replaced transactions and choose the safest next action.

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8

Lesson 8

19 min

Transaction Batching and UTXO Consolidation

Compare fee savings with the privacy and operational trade-offs of combining payments or wallet outputs.

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Module 2

Wallets and privacy

Build a practical threat model and make deliberate privacy, coin-control and verification decisions.

0 of 6 complete

9

Lesson 9

14 min

Wallet Privacy

Learn how address reuse, change outputs and transaction history can affect Bitcoin privacy.

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10

Lesson 10

12 min

Coin Control

Understand how selecting individual UTXOs can improve privacy, fee management and wallet organisation.

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11

Lesson 11

16 min

Wallet Threat Modelling

Choose wallet controls by identifying realistic threats, failure modes and recovery requirements first.

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12

Lesson 12

19 min

CoinJoin, PayJoin and Chain Analysis

Understand collaborative transactions, common chain-analysis heuristics and the limits of Bitcoin privacy tools.

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13

Lesson 13

18 min

Light Wallets and Verification Models

Compare hosted backends, SPV, compact block filters and full-node validation across trust, privacy and resource trade-offs.

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14

Lesson 14

14 min

Connecting a Wallet to Your Node

Learn why connecting a wallet to your own node improves verification, sovereignty and privacy.

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Module 3

Network inspection and testing

Understand propagation, inspect public data and practise safely on Bitcoin test networks.

0 of 3 complete

15

Lesson 15

16 min

Network Propagation and Peer Discovery

Follow how nodes discover peers, exchange inventory and relay transactions and blocks without a central server.

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16

Lesson 16

17 min

Reading a Bitcoin Block Explorer

Inspect transactions and blocks without confusing an explorer's labels with independent verification.

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17

Lesson 17

18 min

Bitcoin Test Networks

Choose between regtest, Signet and testnet4 for safe experiments without putting mainnet funds at risk.

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Module 4

Payments and scaling

Use payment requests, understand Lightning and apply Bitcoin in a business context.

0 of 3 complete

18

Lesson 18

17 min

Bitcoin Payment Requests and QR Codes

Read Bitcoin payment instructions safely, verify amounts and destinations, and understand what a QR code can contain.

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19

Lesson 19

14 min

The Lightning Network

Explore how payment channels enable faster and lower-cost Bitcoin transactions beyond the base layer.

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20

Lesson 20

18 min

Accepting Bitcoin as a Business

Design a practical payment workflow covering settlement, Lightning, verification, refunds, records and operational risk.

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Module 5

Custody, trust and continuity

Compare acquisition and exchange risk, then design resilient multisig and inheritance arrangements.

0 of 5 complete

21

Lesson 21

17 min

KYC, Peer-to-Peer Buying and Privacy

Compare custodial services, peer-to-peer buying, identity records and the safety trade-offs of each acquisition path.

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22

Lesson 22

18 min

Proof of Reserves and Exchange Risk

Learn what reserve evidence can prove, why liabilities matter and which custodial risks remain after a snapshot.

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23

Lesson 23

17 min

Multisig and Collaborative Custody

Understand signature thresholds, key separation, recovery plans and the trade-offs of involving another custodian.

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24

Lesson 24

19 min

Bitcoin Inheritance and Recovery Planning

Build a succession plan that separates instructions from secrets and remains testable as wallets and circumstances change.

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25

Lesson 25

15 min

Bitcoin and Artificial Intelligence

Separate practical machine-payment use cases from speculation, and understand the custody and verification risks.

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Intermediate assessment

Test your understanding with 25 questions. Score 20/25 or higher to earn your completion badge. Your attempt is saved automatically.