Beginner
This guide is the beginner entry point for Ethereum. It focuses on fundamentals, basic tooling, and a first simple dApp. Deeper topics belong in Intermediate and Advanced.
Legend: ★ marks the most recommended resources.
Learning Path
graph TB
A["Stage 0: Prerequisites"]
B["Stage 1: Blockchain Foundations"]
C["Stage 2: Ethereum Core"]
D["Stage 3: Smart Contract Basics"]
E["Stage 4: Tooling & Basic dApp"]
A --> B
B --> C
C --> D
D --> E
Milestones:
- Explain Account, Transaction, Gas, and Event in your own words.
- Deploy a simple Contract on a testnet and verify it.
- Build a minimal dApp that connects a wallet and reads/writes data.
Stage notes:
- Stage 0: JavaScript/TypeScript basics, CLI/Git, HTTP/JSON.
- Stage 1: Ledger and Consensus basics, Wallets, Keys, Transactions, UTXO vs Account (high-level).
- Stage 2: Account, Transaction, Gas, Event, State, Block, EVM (concept), JSON-RPC basics, Explorer usage.
- Stage 3: Solidity syntax and types, Storage vs Memory, ABI, Deploy to testnet.
- Stage 4: Hardhat or Foundry basics, ethers.js basics, simple dApp read/write flow.
Minimal Must-Learn Path
Recommended MVP duration: 1-2 weeks. If a resource is long, complete only the required part listed in each step.
- Articles (Day 1-2): read What is Ethereum?, Accounts, Transactions, Gas, and EVM. Required outcome: explain Account, Transaction, Gas, and Event in your own words.
- Course (Day 3-5): use WTF Solidity. Required part: only beginner topics (syntax, types, functions, storage/memory, mappings, events, errors). Optional: continue advanced lessons later.
- Exercises (Day 6-8): complete CryptoZombies Lessons 1-3. Optional: do Truffle Suite Tutorial after finishing the MVP.
- Book (Day 9-10): read selected parts of Mastering Ethereum. Required part: introductory chapters about accounts/keys, transactions/gas, and smart contract basics. Optional: read the full book later.
- Video (Day 11-12): watch the first 4 videos from Solidity & Ethereum Bootcamp Playlist. Required outcome: understand the end-to-end flow from wallet -> contract -> dApp.
- MVP completion (End of Week 2): deploy one simple contract to a testnet, verify it on Etherscan, use ethers.js Docs to read/write state, and finish a minimal dApp flow (connect wallet + read + write).
Recommended Articles
- Overview:
- ★What is Ethereum? - High-level overview of Ethereum’s purpose, features, and ecosystem.
- Core concepts:
- ★Accounts - How accounts work, including EOAs and contract accounts.
- ★Transactions - Transaction lifecycle, fields, and how state changes.
- ★EVM - What the EVM is and how it executes smart contract code.
- Gas - Gas pricing, limits, and how fees are calculated.
- Nodes & Clients - Client types and how nodes participate in the network.
- Networks - Mainnet vs testnets and how to choose a network.
- Consensus algorithms - How Ethereum reaches agreement on blocks.
Recommended Courses
- ★WTF Solidity - Bite-sized Solidity lessons with code-first examples.
- Full Blockchain Solidity Course (Python Edition) - Comprehensive Solidity course with Python tooling and hands-on projects.
Recommended Exercises
- ★CryptoZombies - Interactive Solidity exercises through a gamified tutorial.
- Truffle Suite Tutorial - Step-by-step guide to build and test a simple dApp.
Recommended Books
- ★Mastering Ethereum - Definitive guide to Ethereum and smart contract development.
- Solidity Programming Essentials (2nd Edition) - Practical Solidity book with example code.
Recommended Videos
- Solidity & Ethereum Bootcamp Playlist - Long-form playlist covering Solidity and Ethereum basics.
Developer Tooling
- Frameworks:
- Foundry Book - Fast testing and scripting toolchain for Solidity.
- Hardhat Docs - Flexible JavaScript-based development environment.
- Libraries:
- ethers.js Docs - Lightweight library for interacting with Ethereum.
- web3.js Docs - Classic library for blockchain RPC interactions.
- Wallets:
- MetaMask - Connect to dApps and manage testnet accounts.
- RPC Providers:
- Explorers:
- Etherscan - Explore transactions, contracts, and verification status.
Common Websites
Contracts
| Site | Notes |
|---|---|
| Solidity Docs | Official language reference and basics. |
| OpenZeppelin Contracts | Reusable contract libraries and patterns. |
Frontend
| Site | Notes |
|---|---|
| MetaMask | Deeplink guide for wallet connection flows. |
| Binance | Deeplink API for Binance Web3 Wallet. |
| OKX | Universal link guide for OKX wallet connection. |
Backend
| Site | Notes |
|---|---|
| Alchemy Docs | RPC provider docs and developer tooling. |
| QuickNode Docs | RPC endpoints and infrastructure guides. |