Thank you for joining me on this course, in this lecture I just want to give you an introduction as to what we’ll be covering. Essentially giving you a roadmap to the entire course before jumping into further lectures and sections. But just to put it out there, by the end of this course you will have a full theoretical and practical understanding of Bitcoin.

Now in this lecture I want to give you an overview of how Bitcoin works, this is so when we move forwards into the other sections and lectures within the course you’ll understand the foundations allowing you then to build upon that and understand the more complex topics.

In this lecture I want to now go over the key characteristics of Bitcoin, and what makes it so unique as a cryptocurrency. So lets jump into that now.

In this lecture what I’m going to do is debunk a myth for you. So many people believe that Bitcoin can’t be broken down into smaller pieces, but it can. Let me explain how.

Does the name Satoshi Nakamoto sound familiar to you? Well this is allegedly the name of the founder of Bitcoin. But, and this is a big but, it has never been confirmed! I don’t think it ever will.

Welcome to this lecture where I’m going to be showing you a range of Bitcoin wallets you can create, and start using right away. Now there are many wallets out there, a simple google search throws up plenty. However in this lecture, I’ll be recommending wallets that I’ve used, and suggest you use. So they do come with my seal of approval!

This is your ultimate Bitcoin dictionary. Every phrase that is used in the Bitcoin world is described in this e-book for you to refer to. Please do refer back to this e-book should you come across an unfamilr term in this course, or when online on a Bitcoin specific website.

Welcome to the very first project based assignment in this Bitcoin course. So what I want you to do for this assignment is simple, yet very crucial to joining the Bitcoin ecosystem.

As you might be aware the Bitcoin ecosystem has evolved hugely since its inception a few years ago, it really is hard to believe that Bitcoin was conceived just a few years back. But right at this moment in time, there are so many ways to be involved in the Bitcoin ecosystem, in my opinion more than any other time previously.

In this lecture we’re going to start by discussing the most simplest way to get involved in Bitcoin. That’s being a user! So being a user is I’d say the most important part of the ecosystem, so lets discuss how you can take on this role.

As I’m doing now with you, you could also become an educator on the area of Bitcoin, but within your local community. That’s where I started!

Lets now move onto an aspect that’s very interesting indeed, as there are so many ways you could do it. It’s all about becoming a Bitcoin marketer. So this is another option where the barrier to entry is relatively low, and there are notable individuals out there earning well through marketing Bitcoin.

I’d like to start this lecture by asking a simple question. Do you know what a Bitcoin faucet is? If you do, great! You may pick something up extra from this lecture. If not, also great, as you’ll learn about the opportunity that exists with Bitcoin faucets.

Now you may be aware that you can actually mine Bitcoins, and essentially create your own money! If you’ve heard that, let me talk to you about how you can get involved with mining.

Becoming a Bitcoin investor is perhaps one of the most popular ways to get involved in the Bitcoin ecosystem. It’s something where the barrier to entry is relatively low, and you can do it instantly.

Now here comes the question for this assignment, that all important question. What one, or multiple roles do you want to be playing in the Bitcoin ecosystem?

In this section I want to get a bit more technical with you, and help you understand the technical elements behind Bitcoin. So if you weren’t aware, Bitcoin is a form of open source software, and was launched back in 2009. Right now I’m going to explain what open source software is so you can understand Bitcoin technically.

Are you aware of Cryptography? Do you know what it actually is, as Bitcoin is a form of it. So if you’re are unaware of what Cryptography actually is, lets jump into explaining it now.

Now Bitcoin is a decentralised network, over a centralised network. It’s crucial to its success. So in this lecture lets go over why this decentralised network trumps a centralised network.

Imagine now a technology that would let you simply your mortgage and credit agreements, and potentially bring their rates down? This is just potentially a small piece of what smart contracts can, and will do in the future. So lets get into the nitty gritty and talk about how they work.

This lecture may surprise you, as I’m sure you’ve been told Bitcoin is anonymous. So without any further suspense building, let me show you all how anonymous Bitcoin is.

We touched on the blockchain in the last lecture, so lets explore it together in this lecture.

If you’re interested in reading the original Bitcoin white paper I’ll show you how now.

In this quiz you'll be tasked with answering 5 questions, all of which are related to this section on The Technical Elements Of Bitcoin

What I’m going to do now is show you how a Bitcoin transaction works, before showing how to buy. Now most transactions work in a similar way whether you’re buying, receiving and so on. So lets jump into showing you how it all works now, so you understand the process.

Some sites for buying Bitcoins are specific to certain countries, but there is one for you. In this lecture I’ll be showing you sites to use, and how to search for specific sites.

This is still a question that’s asked often, how do you buy Bitcoins with PayPal? Of course you can just buy them from eBay, there are lots of sellers offering such service. A very well known method to buy Bitcoins with PayPal is through a site called Virwox. I’ll show you how it works!

Welcome to the third assignment, all about getting your first piece of Bitcoin. You won’t be paying for this, you’ll be gaining it from a faucet which we touched on earlier. So lets now jump into getting your first piece of Bitcoin.

Many people think that those who buy Bitcoin do just so for investment purposes, however that is not totally true. Many do use Bitcoins in regular transactions so let me shine a light on this side of Bitcoin for you.

If you weren’t aware, Bitcoin is often referred to the Gold 2.0, so the modern day gold. There are six main ways that Bitcoin and Gold are similar, we’ll get into all of that in this lecture.

It may surprise you that certain people in this world see Bitcoin as safer than there currency. I’m going to go into the exact reasons as to why they believe it in this lecture for you.

Following on from the last lecture I want to show where the trust is with Bitcoin and Fiat currencies. So lets jump into explaining all of that now, before doing the quiz for this section.

In this quiz you'll be tasked with answering 5 questions, all of which are related to this section on Bitcoin VS Traditional Currencies.

Welcome to this section of the course which is all about mining Bitcoins, it’ll be interesting for sure. What I’m going to do In this lecture is share some general insights on mining, then go more in-depth later.

In this lecture we’re going to cover the four most popular mining hardwares. By the end you’ll have a clear understanding of why some hardwares are now obsolete.

One of the biggest recent events in Bitcoin was the block halving, as it effected mining. In this video I want to talk a little more about this event with you, and what it meant.

This is a very popular question among those getting started with mining, go solo or go down the route of pool mining? In this lecture I’m going to discuss the pro’s and con’s of each with you.

Here’s a controversial topic, cloud minding, should you join one? I’m going to go over cloud mining in this lecture with you so you fully understand it.

For this assignment in the course I’m going to show you how to use your computer to mine BTC. If you do this for a long period time you will need a fan to cool your computer down. With no fan it could damage your computer, I’d say for this it’s best to use an unused computer as uses lots of power.

As you’ll notice from the title of this lecture I want to explain to you why stores accept Bitcoin. The simple answer is that they accept it for more revenue, but there’s also a more important reason than that, so lets jump into explaining it.

Now if you’re a keen Amazon shopper, let me introduce you to a site in this lecture called Purse. This site will enable you to save up to 15% off all your purchases by shopping with Bitcoin.

If you enjoy searching the web for a bargain using eBay style sites, you’ll enjoy this lecture. So lets jump into this lecture and i’ll show you a few marketplaces you can use with Bitcoin.

So there maybe a time when you struggle to find something you want to spend Bitcoins on. But there are sites that act as a directory which list places to spend Bitcoins which I’ll show you now.

In this quiz you'll be tasked with answering 5 questions, all of which are related to this section on How To Spend Bitcoins Online.

In this section I’m going to walk you through how to sell your Bitcoins, and potentially profit. But before we do, I want to touch on the ways I’m going to discuss in this section.

It’s true you can profit from selling your Bitcoins, but it all depends on when you buy and sell. In this lecture I just want you to be aware of the price charts available to you, lets jump into that.

It’s also possible to sell your Bitcoins face to face, and meet with a buyer in your local area. This is a popular way still to buy and sell, so let me go into how it works for you.

The next method for selling Bitcoins, which is super popular, is exchange trades. So in this lecture we’re going to discuss how you can get started with selling on exchanges.

In this lecture I want to talk about peer to peer trading, so selling through this peer to peer method. Now this is a relatively new method, but it’s a very up and coming method. So lets jump into this now, and I’ll show you how it all works.

In this quiz you'll be tasked with answering 5 questions, all of which are related to this section on How To Sell Your Bitcoins.

Part One - Listen to me interview Francis of the Bitcoin Foundation Canada. Learn about his thoughts and opinions on Bitcoin around the world, and in Canada. Learn about Francis's opinions on the future of bitcoin.

Part Two - Listen to me interview Francis of the Bitcoin Foundation Canada. Learn about his thoughts and opinions on Bitcoin around the world, and in Canada. Learn about Francis's opinions on the future of bitcoin.

Part Three - Listen to me interview Francis of the Bitcoin Foundation Canada. Learn about his thoughts and opinions on Bitcoin around the world, and in Canada. Learn about Francis's opinions on the future of bitcoin.

Part One - Listen to my interview with Marc of Bittylicious. Learn how Marc has built a Bitcoin business up which has now traded more than £8M worth of bitcoins.

Part Two - Listen to my interview with Marc of Bittylicious. Learn how Marc has built a Bitcoin business up which has now traded more than £8M worth of bitcoins.

Part One - In this lecture I interview Henrik who is the co-founder of Chroma-Way. They have built up a business around the idea of colored coins. Listen their thoughts on the world of cryptocurrencies.

Part Two - In this lecture I interview Henrik who is the co-founder of Chroma-Way. They have built up a business around the idea of colored coins. Listen their thoughts on the world of cryptocurrencies.

Part One - In this lecture I interview Eric who has created a business in Canada which allows people to pay their bills with Bitcoin. He wants to bring bitcoin into the lives of everyone, through a regular task.

Part Two - In this lecture I interview Eric who has created a business in Canada which allows people to pay their bills with Bitcoin. He wants to bring bitcoin into the lives of everyone, through a regular task.

Part One - Diego is a pioneer of Bitcoin in Argentina. He has managed to turn the image of Bitcoin around, and to this day continues to promote its benefits. Listen to his thoughts on the future of Bitcoin.

Part Two - Diego is a pioneer of Bitcoin in Argentina. He has managed to turn the image of Bitcoin around, and to this day continues to promote its benefits. Listen to his thoughts on the future of Bitcoin.

Part Three - Diego is a pioneer of Bitcoin in Argentina. He has managed to turn the image of Bitcoin around, and to this day continues to promote its benefits. Listen to his thoughts on the future of Bitcoin.

So the blockchain is the public ledger of all of the bitcoin transactions that have ever taken place. As a result, the blockchain is ever evolving and growing, with new ‘blocks’ added as they happen.

Each computer that is connected to the Bitcoin network receives a copy of the blockchain, which is automatically downloaded upon joining the network. The blockchain is home to every piece of bitcoin information – including the public addresses and balances of traders and miners.

Let me explain to you now how the blockchain works, especially for those of you who are very new to the world of bitcoin. So the blockchain acts as a permanent database of bitcoin transactions across the globe.

A block is the up-to-date part of a blockchain which records the transactions, and once the block is complete it gets added to the chain.

We’ve gone through the various forms of ‘e-wallet’ available for storing your Bitcoin, but what about paper wallets? All you need is a printer to give your bitcoins a more physical presence and a new way to keep them safe.

A Bitcoin wallet, stored either online or on a PC, is probably the most user-friendly and efficient way to store your bitcoins. Each Bitcoin wallet consists of two keys; one of which is your wallet’s address, the public key, and the other which is the private key.

There are some basic rules for keeping your paper wallet safe and away from prying eyes:

1. Don’t let anyone see your wallet

2. Print your wallet from a printer not connected to a network (if possible)

3. Store in a dry place, preferably in some kind of plastic bag ...

The thing that worries some people about online Bitcoin transactions is that every aspect of the process takes place digitally, and while every trade can be traced through the network many still find it hard to buy and sell things that essentially don’t exist.

But there really is no need to worry: details of each and every Bitcoin are stored in the block chain, and as long as your unique keys are stored safely then everything will be fine.

So now you’ve purchased your first Bitcoins, and got them kept safe and secure in your chosen wallet, you’re probably wondering what to spend them on!

The increase in the amount of retailers accepting Bitcoin as payment has been incredible in the past year or so; with over 30,000 businesses and charities now also registered. And this trend is set to continue.

Unsurprisingly Bitcoin adoption has proven particularly popular with businesses operating online. These range from web hosting companies and domain providers.

If gambling online is your thing then there are quite a few websites that enable you to change your bitcoins for their own in-game currency. The most popular of these include Satoshi Dice, Peer Bet, Just Dice and Bet Coin.

So if you’re travelling to another country then you can pay for goods and services with Bitcoin and avoid the hassle of having to exchange currencies and pay taxes and commissions on these. You could soon be able to travel without any paper money whatsoever.

An efficient way of turning your bitcoins into ‘real’ currency to spend is via gift cards. Companies like Gyft, Gift Card Zen, iTrade and eGifter will transform your Bitcoin into currency which can be accepted in many big name retailers like Amazon, Nike and Walmart.

The only slight downside of Bitcoin at the moment is the quite sparse amount of merchants that recognize it as legal tender. This number is certainly growing, and you can still purchase pretty much anything with this digital currency. But you could argue that there is a lack of choice out there.

Once more businesses start to adopt Bitcoin then you can expect it to become a much more mainstream currency. So if you’re thinking about accepting bitcoin payments then here’s how you go about it...

The hash rate is extremely important in mining, it’s the number of calculations your chosen hardware can perform each second as it tries to produce the mathematical equation required for Bitcoin mining.

Hash rates are measured in units from megahashes to gigahashes and through to the ultimate: terrahashes. Simply put; the higher your hash rate, the more likely – and quicker - you will be in solving the mathematical equation to complete a transaction block.

This part of our course compares the differences between the two most widely-used cryptocurrencies – litecoin and bitcoin.

The world’s first cryptocurrency was bitcoin, which was released by Satoshi Nakamoto back in 2009. Ever since then, investors and miners have been working furiously to get their hands on as many bitcoins as possible. But as its popularity increased so too did its price, and many altcoin enthusiasts were left looking for a more profitable alternative.

OpenBazaar is a decentralized peer to peer marketplace that allows you to freely buy and sell and more online without relying on a corporation or service to exist. OpenBazaar puts the control back in users' hands rather than a corporation or centralized business. There is no one to charge fees or censor listings and the use cases are as limited as the imagination of our contributors.

Tealet is an online farmers market for tea. Independent tea growers are connected directly to their retail and wholesale buyers. Tealet serves as a transparent supply chain platform that provides optimized online marketing, international logistics, and low costs payments via cryptocurrency.

Bitex is a financial service provider helping people and businesses adopt bitcoin in Latin América. We run an open exchange at bitex for traders and investment funds, and conect a bitcoin which helps people acquire their first bitcoins easily. We're also always approaching big and medium businesses in the region so that they start accepting bitcoin while mitigating bitcoin's volatility risk.

AlphaPoint provides the financial technology infrastructure that powers digital currency exchanges in over 15 countries (with more on the horizon) across the globe. We work with some of the top bitcoin and altcoin exchanges at home and abroad, offering a platform that works faster than traditional exchanges – with the ability to process nearly one million transactions per second. Our main focus is to ease the adoption of digital currencies, which in turn, will change how businesses and consumers transact. The end vision is for anybody – no matter where they are in the world – to have easy access to buy and use digital currency.

With Bitwage, employees and users no longer need to have bank accounts. Our system enables users to have access to modern financial tools without having to lend their money to a financial institution or open an account with an intrusive service. While enabling employers to close the loop and take advantage of the efficiency of Bitcoin for the purposes of payroll, Bitwage allows anyone to bypass the slow and inefficient processes of acquiring Bitcoin through banking intermediaries. In addition, with our Bitcoin Payroll for the Individual (BP(i)) product, we allow people to be their own bank by allowing anyone to receive part or all of their pay check in Bitcoins, regardless of whether their employers sign up to our system.

Max Hillebrand is a bitcoin entrepreneur and privacy advocate at the forefront of monetary computer science. His focus is  on creating a second realm with a sound monetary economy in which sovereign individuals can pursue their entrepreneurial action. 

As someone deeply involved in the bitcoin industry and community and as a passionate autodidact in Austrian economics, Max Hillebrand has become a sought after educator and expert who is known for sharing a wealth of wisdom and unique insights.

Taking Bitcoin off exchanges
Securing your bitcoin in cold-storage is key to eliminate counter-party risk. BitBox is a Swiss-made hardware wallet with an excellent track-record and reputation that makes self-custody a bliss. Order your BitBox now: https://bitbox.shop/?ref=qw4OTp_fMIt47P