The Parts That Make Bitcoin
Public-key cryptography and addresses, Script, block structure, Merkle trees, Schnorr signatures, timelocks, covenants and how the rules change.
11 posts
- 1IdeasIntermediate
What Actually Makes a Bitcoin Yours
Bitcoin has no usernames, no passwords, and no banks. Ownership is proven by knowing a single number - the private key. A guide to the public-key cryptography that the entire system rests on.
- 2IdeasIntermediate
Why Bitcoin Addresses Start With 1, 3, or bc1
A comprehensive technical guide to Bitcoin address types - P2PKH (1...), P2SH (3...), P2WPKH (bc1q...), P2TR (bc1p...). Covers Base58Check vs Bech32/Bech32m encoding, checksum mechanisms, key derivation, and why Bech32m is superior.
- 3IdeasAdvanced
Bitcoin Actually Runs on a Tiny Programming Language
A deep technical guide to Bitcoin Script - the stack-based programming language that defines how bitcoin can be spent. Covers opcodes, standard script types (P2PKH, P2SH, P2WPKH, P2TR), execution traces, timelocks, multisig, and Tapscript.
- 4IdeasAdvanced
Cracking a Bitcoin Block Open and Looking Inside
A detailed technical breakdown of Bitcoin's block structure - from the 80-byte header to the coinbase transaction, SegWit witness data, and block weight. Includes hex analysis of a real block header.
- 5ArticlesIntermediate
How Bitcoin Verifies Transactions Without Checking Every One
Merkle trees let Bitcoin verify any transaction in milliseconds without downloading the entire blockchain. How this elegant data structure works and why it matters.
- 6ArticlesIntermediate
Why Bitcoin Blocks Are Limited to 4 Million Weight Units
Bitcoin's block weight limit explained: from the 1MB block size war to SegWit's 4M weight units. How block weight works, why it matters, and its impact on fees, scaling, and network security.
- 7IdeasAdvanced
How Schnorr Signatures Merge Many Signatures Into One
A deep technical exploration of Schnorr signatures in Bitcoin - from mathematical foundations and advantages over ECDSA to key aggregation, MuSig2, batch verification, and Taproot integration via BIP-340.
- 8ArticlesIntermediate
How Bitcoin Keeps a One-Year Promise Without a Clock
From the nLockTime already sitting in your ordinary payments, to the two-layer design of CLTV and CSV that never reads a clock, to the median time that blocks miner timestamp games. The Lightning Network and inheritance planning all stand on top of this.
- 9ArticlesIntermediate
How Bitcoin Locks Down Where Coins Can Go Next
Covenants let Bitcoin transactions enforce conditions on how funds can be spent next. A clear explanation of OP_CTV, OP_CAT, and why they matter for vaults, scaling, and programmability.
- 10IdeasIntermediate
Soft Fork & Hard Fork - Two Ways to Change the Rules
Bitcoin has no update button. How narrowing the rules differs from widening them, and why Bitcoin insists on soft forks.
- 11ArticlesIntermediate
Can Quantum Computers Actually Break Bitcoin?
What the quantum threat actually is. The thing that breaks is not your wallet but an exposed public key, and over 6 million BTC already have theirs on-chain. BIP-360, BIP-361, and the property-rights fight over coins nobody moves.