Blockchain Basics and Solidity Programming

Name: Blockchain Basics and Solidity Programming
Rating: 4.8 (101 reviews)

Learn blockchain fundamentals and build smart contracts with Solidity in this beginner-friendly development course.

Created bySelfcode Academy

Last updated 11/2024

English

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What you'll learn

Understand the fundamentals of blockchain technology and distributed ledger systems.
Learn to write, deploy, and manage smart contracts using Solidity programming.
Set up blockchain development tools like MetaMask and Remix for Ethereum projects.
Develop real-world decentralized applications (DApps) and optimize them for gas efficiency.

Course content

3 sections • 22 lectures • 4h 49m total length

Understanding Distributed Ledger Technology9:44
Learn the fundamentals of blockchain technology, including distributed ledger technology, centralized vs decentralized systems, and cryptography.
Basics of cryptography in blockchain10:49
Explore how cryptography underpins blockchain security by hashing and sha-256 for tamper resistance, and public key cryptography with digital signatures to verify transactions and ownership.
History and evolution of blockchain9:01
Explore the history and evolution of blockchain, from 1990s digital cash to Bitcoin and Ethereum, highlighting smart contracts and enterprise use cases.
Key concept of blockchain network16:37
Explore core blockchain concepts, including nodes, blocks, transactions, and consensus mechanisms like proof of work and proof of stake, along with cryptographic hashes, peer-to-peer networks, and smart contracts.
Types of blockchains/ public, private, and consortium9:07
Explore public, private, and consortium blockchains, comparing open access, decentralization, and privacy features. Learn how PoW, PoS, and PBFT-style consensus shape governance and use cases.
Nodes, miners, and consensus mechanisms19:51
Explore blockchain architecture, including nodes, miners, blocks, and transactions, and how consensus mechanisms like proof of work, proof of stake, delegated proof of stake, and proof of authority secure network.
Blockchain DSA10:14
Review blockchain data structures by detailing block anatomy: header, nonce, merkle root, and previous hash, and explain transaction components, lifecycle, and types such as transfers, smart contracts, and asset tokenization.
Role of smart contracts10:08
Explore how smart contracts enable automated transactions, power decentralized applications, enforce conditional logic and governance, ensure immutable and transparent execution, and enable tokenization, asset management, and interoperability.
Use Cases of Blockchain Technology14:21
Explore blockchain use cases across supply chain, healthcare, finance, real estate, identity, and voting. Demonstrate how smart contracts, traceability, and secure records improve transparency and security.

Setting up Metamask11:33
Set up a web3 wallet with MetaMask and switch to a testnet to practice deploying smart contracts in Solidity. Understand gas fees, wallet security, and handling the secret recovery phrase.
Getting sepolia eth from faucets8:21
learn how to fund your MetaMask wallet with Ethereum from online faucets, understand minimum main net balances, and use testnets to safely develop and deploy smart contracts.
Exploring remix15:49
Learn the Remix IDE, a web-based integrated development environment, to write, compile, deploy, and test Solidity smart contracts for Ethereum.
Variables, constants and datatypes7:27
Explore variables, constants, and data types in Solidity, including booleans, integers, addresses, strings, and bytes, and learn value versus reference types and how constants save gas.
Deploying contract(operators brief)19:03
Develop your first Solidity contract in Remix IDE, declaring public variables and constants, compiling, and deploying to a test network via MetaMask, then review operator basics and deployment artifacts.
Conditional statements12:58
Discover conditional statements in solidity language, including if, else, and else if. See practical examples that classify numbers as positive, negative, or zero using basic comparison operators.
Functions and constructors (1)18:51
Master Solidity functions and constructors, learn visibility modifiers (public, private, internal, external), and function modifiers (view, pure, payable), and see how constructors initialize owner and initial state on deployment.
Functons and constructors (2)13:17
Solidity basics through hands-on demonstrations of functions, constructors, view and pure functions, and payable deposits, including a private variable and an increment example deployed via MetaMask.
Arrays, Structs and Mappings13:58
Explore arrays, including fixed-size and dynamic arrays, with push, pop, and length. Learn structs and mappings for multi-type data and key-value balance tracking.

Project-112:30
Create a smart contract called public funds with a fund function, a withdraw function, and a funders array and mapping, enabling the owner to withdraw; learn Solidity and constructor ownership.
Project-212:25
Implement a public withdraw function secured by require to ensure only the owner can withdraw, transfer contract balance, and clear funders data by iterating and resetting mappings and arrays.
Project-312:18
Learn to apply Solidity modifiers for owner-only withdraw, add fallback and payable functions, and use the constructor to enforce access and follow naming conventions.
Deployment and Gas Optimization21:11
Deploy and optimize Ethereum smart contracts by fixing compile issues, deploying with MetaMask, and applying gas-saving strategies like batch execution, immutable variables, and user defined errors.

Requirements

No prior blockchain or programming experience required.
Basic understanding of programming concepts can be helpful.
A computer with internet access and a web browser.
Familiarity with using Chrome extensions for tools like MetaMask is a plus but not necessary.

Description

Blockchain technology is transforming industries by providing decentralized, transparent, and secure solutions. In this course, Blockchain Basics and Solidity Programming, we aim to introduce college students and beginners to the world of blockchain and Ethereum development.

You will start by understanding the foundations of blockchain technology, including distributed ledger systems, cryptography, and blockchain networks. You’ll explore the differences between public, private, and consortium blockchains, and learn how nodes, miners, and consensus mechanisms maintain the integrity of the blockchain. Additionally, you’ll understand the pivotal role smart contracts play in decentralized applications.

Next, you’ll dive into Solidity, the programming language used to create smart contracts on Ethereum. You will set up essential tools like MetaMask and Remix to begin writing and deploying smart contracts. As you progress, you'll learn about key programming concepts, such as variables, data types, functions, arrays, and mappings. You’ll also get hands-on experience through real-world projects that help reinforce your knowledge.

The course is structured into three modules:

Module 1: Introduction to Blockchain You will start by understanding the foundations of blockchain technology, including distributed ledger systems, cryptography, and the key concepts of blockchain networks. This module covers the history of blockchain, types of blockchains (public, private, consortium), and critical elements like nodes, miners, and consensus mechanisms. You’ll also explore real-world use cases of blockchain technology and gain insights into the role of smart contracts.
Module 2: Solidity Programming Basics This module takes you through the essential tools and languages needed for blockchain development. You will learn to set up MetaMask and work with Remix, an online Solidity compiler. Key programming concepts such as variables, constants, data types, functions, arrays, structs, and mappings are introduced to build your foundation in Solidity. By the end of this module, you’ll be comfortable deploying your first smart contract.

Module 3: Final Projects Apply your knowledge through practical projects that simulate real-world blockchain development scenarios. This module guides you through three hands-on projects focusing on smart contract development, deployment, and gas optimization, giving you the skills to create decentralized applications (DApps) on Ethereum.

By the end of the course, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and tools to understand blockchain technology, build and deploy smart contracts, and develop decentralized applications. This course is perfect for students eager to explore blockchain and start coding with Solidity.

Who this course is for:

College students and beginners interested in blockchain technology.
Aspiring developers looking to learn Solidity and build decentralized applications.
Students or professionals curious about Ethereum and smart contract development.
Anyone looking to gain hands-on experience with blockchain tools and platforms.

Blockchain Basics and Solidity Programming

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction to Blockchain9 lectures • 1hr 50min

Solidity Programming Basics9 lectures • 2hr 1min

Capstone Project4 lectures • 58min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: