Learn Bitcoin from the Command Line
Develop real Bitcoin Core skills by working directly with the protocol.
Learn Bitcoin from the Command Line is a 7-week, hands-on pathway designed to teach developers how to interact directly with Bitcoin Core using the command-line interface.
This pathway focuses on doing, not abstraction: running nodes, constructing transactions, inspecting scripts, and understanding Bitcoin by interacting with it at the lowest practical level.
You can complete this pathway independently (self-paced) or apply to join a live, guided cohort.
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What This Pathway Is
Learn Bitcoin from the Command Line’ is about building intuition through direct interaction.
Rather than relying on SDKs, libraries, or graphical interfaces, this pathway teaches you to work directly with bitcoind and bitcoin-cli. You will learn how Bitcoin behaves by observing, querying, and manipulating it yourself.
This pathway bridges the gap between theoretical understanding and real Bitcoin development work.
Who It's For
This pathway is designed for:
Developers with basic Bitcoin knowledge
Engineers ready to move from theory to hands-on practice
Builders who want to understand Bitcoin Core behavior directly
Anyone planning to contribute to Bitcoin OSS at a technical level
This is not an introductory pathway. Learners are expected to have a basic understanding of Bitcoin, wish to develop practical skills with bitcoin-cli and local bitcoin nodes, and are comfortable experimenting and troubleshooting.
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of Bitcoin concepts
Comfort using Unix/Linux command-line environments
Familiarity with concepts covered in Mastering Bitcoin is strongly recommended
This pathway assumes you can read technical documentation and follow terminal-based workflows.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this pathway, you will be able to:
Run and configure Bitcoin Core nodes
Interact with Bitcoin using bitcoin-cli
Construct, inspect, and control transactions
Work with multisig, PSBTs, and scripts
Develop practical intuition for Bitcoin Core behavior
This pathway prepares you for deeper protocol work and open-source contribution.
Core Study Material
This pathway is built around:
All readings, reflection prompts, and discussions are anchored to this text.
Choose Your Learning Mode
Self-Paced Learning (Always Available)
Learn independently using Builders materials, at your own pace.
Includes
Structured reading breakdowns and sample exercises
Curated reflection prompts
Access to the Builders Resource Hub
Does not include
Live sessions
Group exercises
Evaluation or graduation
Fellowship consideration
Best for
Independent learners
Developers refreshing or strengthening CLI skills
Learners preparing for live cohorts
Live Cohort (Limited & Selective)
A structured, guided experience with accountability and evaluation.
Includes
Fixed 7-week schedule
Weekly live study sessions
Practical exercises and discussion
Small study groups (5–6 learners)
Assigned chaperone (experienced guide)
Deputy-facilitated discussions
Evaluation and graduation
Eligibility for Fellowship consideration
Expectations
Consistent weekly participation
Comfort working in public
Preparedness for hands-on discussion
Collaborative problem-solving
Due to high demand, not all learners are accepted into live cohorts. The pathway is intentionally designed so self-paced learners still receive a high-quality experience.
What Comes After This Pathway?
Continue building via the Builders Resource Hub
Apply to advanced Btrust Builders Pathways
Top performers may be invited to the Open Source Fellowship (live-cohort participants only)
Long-term engagement through the Builders community and alumni network
This pathway is a bridge from learning to contribution.
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