Introduction to Blockchain and Crypto

Learn about the concepts behind Blockchain and Crypto!

If you’re curious what [Blockchain and Crypto](https://www.codecademy.com/resources/docs/general/cryptocurrency) are all about, whether it’s all hype, the different chains to build on, what you can build, and how to get started building, you are in the right place! A conceptual understanding of Blockchain and Crypto can help you be a part of the conversation.



### Take-Away Skills

The course, created by the [Stacks Foundation](https://stacks.org/), is meant to be a high-level overview of essential Blockchain and Crypto concepts. After this conceptual course, you will be able to:

* Define key Blockchain and Crypto concepts like Dapps, Smart Contracts, [NFTs](https://www.codecademy.com/resources/docs/general/nft), and DAOs.
* Understand the use cases and the pros and cons of web3 technology.
* Effectively choose whether or not web3 technology is something valuable for your career.
* Choose which web3 tech stack is most appropriate for your project/career.

• Welcome to Introduction to Blockchain and Crypto: Let's look at the big picture: what a blockchain is, what problems it solves, and how it works.
• Informational: Welcome to Introduction to Blockchain and Crypto
• Article: Introduction to Blockchain and Crypto
• How Blockchain Works: By understanding how blockchains work and the problems they solve, you’ll be better able to decide which chain you’d like to explore.
• Article: Blockchain and Decentralization
• Article: Anatomy of a Blockchain
• Article: Consensus Mechanisms
• Article: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana
• Smart Contracts, NFTs, and DAOs: Learn about Smart Contracts, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs).
• Article: Smart Contracts
• Article: Smart Contract Languages: Solidity, Clarity, and Rust
• Article: Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
• Article: Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
• Decentralized Apps (Dapps): Learn about Decentralized Apps (Dapps).
• Article: Blockchain and Web2 vs Web3 Architecture
• Article: Why Build on Decentralized Blockchain Architecture?
• Article: Examples of Decentralized Applications (Dapps)
• Blockchain Infrastructure: Learn about Blockchain Infrastructure.
  
  
• Lesson: Blockchain Infrastructure: Web3 Stack
• Quiz: Practice Blockchain Infrastructure Concepts!
• Capstone: A Potential Metaverse: Come up with an idea for a potential dapp and outline the tech stack.
• Article: Creating a Metaverse and a Web3 Stack
• KanbanProject: A Potential Metaverse
• Next Steps: Explore next steps to take after completing Introduction to Blockchain and Crypto!
• Informational: Introduction to Blockchain and Crypto: Next Steps