Welcome to Bitcoin Application Development
You've mastered Bitcoin's protocol and Lightning Network. Now it's time to build! In this stage, you'll set up a complete Bitcoin development environment, create transactions from scratch, and build a functional wallet application.
By the end of this stage, you'll have hands-on experience building production-ready Bitcoin applications and understand the best practices that separate hobbyist code from professional implementations.
Modules
Module 1: Bitcoin Development Environment
1
Set up a complete Bitcoin development environment with Bitcoin Core, regtest mode, and
the RPC interface. Learn how to create a local blockchain for testing without risking real funds.
Topics Covered:
- Bitcoin Core installation and configuration
- Regtest mode for development testing
- Bitcoin RPC interface and commands
- Creating and managing test wallets
- Mining blocks in regtest
Module 2: Building with Bitcoin
2
Build a functional Bitcoin wallet from scratch. Generate addresses, create transactions,
sign with private keys, and broadcast to the network. This is where theory becomes practice.
Topics Covered:
- HD wallet and address generation (BIP32/39/44)
- UTXO selection and coin control
- Transaction construction and signing
- Fee estimation and RBF (Replace-By-Fee)
- Broadcasting transactions to the network
Module 3: Best Practices
3
Learn the security considerations, testing strategies, and code review practices that separate
experimental code from production-ready Bitcoin applications.
Topics Covered:
- Security considerations (key management, validation)
- Testing strategies (unit, integration, property-based)
- Error handling and edge cases
- Code review best practices
- Production readiness checklist