The Principled Path

Why First Principles?

Most people learn Bitcoin backwards — starting with wallets, transactions, and technical details. The Principled Path takes you deeper: we start with the laws of physics, human nature, and information theory.

By the end, you won't just understand how Bitcoin works — you'll understand why it must exist.

Energy

Value requires work. Digital scarcity must be anchored in physical reality.

Incentives

Systems fail when incentives reward betrayal. Bitcoin aligns self-interest with honesty.

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Information

Truth requires verification. Centralized trust doesn't scale.

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Emergence

Bitcoin isn't designed — it evolves. Complex order from simple rules.

Your Journey Through First Principles

Five stages that build from physics to civilization

Foundations of Reality

Energy, Entropy, and the Laws of Value

"Before there was money, there was energy. Before there was corruption, there was entropy."

Discover why all durable systems obey physical and informational laws — and why money can't escape thermodynamics.

📝 3 Modules

~20 min

3 Interactive Labs

Modules:

1. The Law of Conservation of Value

Understand that value, like energy, cannot be created from nothing.

2. Entropy and Corruption

Recognize entropy as a universal law — disorder increases without work.

3. The Role of Rules

Discover how unchangeable rules make complex systems stable.

Begin Stage 1 →

Human Systems & Incentives

Why Trust-Based Systems Leak

"When power concentrates, corruption compounds."

Explore why groups fail to cooperate, how monetary systems degrade, and what happens when transparency is lost.

📝 3 Modules

~25 min

4 Interactive Labs

Modules:

1. The Coordination Problem

See why groups fail when incentives reward betrayal.

2. The Corruption Curve

Trace how monetary systems degrade as trust layers increase.

3. Trust, Power, and Accountability

Examine why power corrupts when transparency is lost.

Begin Stage 2 →

The Information Revolution

The Tools that Made Trustless Systems Possible

"When information became global, trust didn't scale. So we taught machines to remember."

Learn how public-key cryptography, proof-of-work, and distributed consensus evolved — and why Bitcoin was inevitable.

📝 3 Modules

~25 min

3 Interactive Labs

Modules:

1. The Building Blocks of Digital Trust

Grasp the three inventions that made Bitcoin possible.

2. The Ledger as Civilization's Memory

Understand why societies evolve by improving their ledgers.

3. The Cost of Truth

Learn why truth requires energy — and why that's good.

Complete Stages 1-2 First

Bitcoin as an Emergent System

Order from Energy and Incentives

"Bitcoin isn't built — it evolves."

Connect physics, incentives, and computation into a living system of truth. Watch how Bitcoin self-regulates and adapts.

📝 3 Modules

~25 min

4 Interactive Labs

Modules:

1. The Physics of Proof

Link physical work to digital security.

2. Incentives and Game Theory

Understand why Bitcoin's design keeps participants honest.

3. Bitcoin as a Living Organism

Appreciate Bitcoin's adaptive, self-healing nature.

Complete Stages 1-3 First

Beyond Money

The Wider Consequences of an Honest Ledger

"When truth becomes unbreakable, everything built on truth must evolve."

Explore Bitcoin's impact on energy, verification culture, and the future of human coordination.

📝 3 Modules

~20 min

3 Interactive Labs

Modules:

1. Energy Civilization

Explore how Bitcoin redefines energy use and economics.

2. Verification Culture

Envision how Bitcoin's principles extend beyond finance.

3. The Future of Human Coordination

Understand Bitcoin as a blueprint for post-institutional civilization.

Complete Stages 1-4 First

Why First Principles?

Your Journey Through First Principles

Foundations of Reality

Modules:

Human Systems & Incentives

Modules:

The Information Revolution

Modules:

Bitcoin as an Emergent System

Modules:

Beyond Money

Modules:

Final Capstone Challenge