Meet The Instructors

Meet the lead instructors at Cyfrin: Patrick Collins and Ciara Nightingale!

Blockchain Foundations Blockchain Basics
1. Welcome to Updraft!
Welcome to the course! Duration: 6min
2. Best Practices
Best practices to follow! Duration: 9min
3. Meet The Instructors
Meet the lead instructors at Cyfrin: Patrick Collins and Ciara Nightingale! Duration: 1min
4. zkSync Sponsorship
Thanks to zkSync for being the lead sponsor of Updraft <3. Duration: 3min
5. What is a blockchain?
Introduction to blockchain technology, its evolution from Bitcoin to Ethereum, and the significance of smart contracts. Duration: 11min
6. The purpose of smart contracts
Exploration of the purpose of smart contracts, their advantages over traditional agreements, and their impact on various industries. Duration: 14min
7. Quiz: Blockchain Basics Introduction Quiz
Questions: 3
8. Quick Recap
Let us recap what we have learned so far. Duration: 6min
9. Current smart contract landscape
Overview of the current landscape of smart contracts, their features like decentralization, transparency, and applications in different fields. Duration: 7min
10. Setting Up Wallet
Set up your MetaMask wallet, secure your recovery phrase, and connect to testnets like Sepolia—all without spending Duration: 9min
11. Sending your First Transaction Tenderly
Set up a Tenderly testnet and send your first ETH transaction in MetaMask—hands-on practice with zero financial risk. Duration: 9min
12. A Note on Testnets
Explore testnets and blockchain explorers with optional hands-on practice—Tenderly makes testing smart contracts simple and fund-free. Duration: 2min
13. Sending First Transaction on Testnet
Learn to use Sepolia testnet with MetaMask—request test ETH, send a transaction, and explore gas fees without spending real money. Duration: 11min
14. Introduction to gas
Introduction to the concept of 'gas' in Ethereum, its role in transactions, and the mechanics of calculating transaction fees. Duration: 10min
15. Quiz: Blockchain Basics Mid Section Recap Quiz
Questions: 4
16. How do blockchains work
Detailed explanation of the working of blockchains, the importance of hash functions, and the concept of blockchain immutability. Duration: 18min
17. Signing transactions
In-depth look at the process of signing blockchain transactions, the role of private and public keys, and their significance in maintaining security. Duration: 10min
18. Gas in depth
Further exploration into the concept of 'gas' in blockchain transactions, including gas limits, transaction fees, and Ethereum's EIP 1559. Duration: 10min
19. Blockchain Overview
Comprehensive overview of fundamental blockchain concepts including cryptography, node operations, consensus protocols, and scaling solutions. Duration: 19min
20. L1s L2s And Rollups
Everything you need to know about layer 1s, layer 2s, optimistic rollups and zero-knowledge rollups. Duration: 9min
21. Centralized Sequencers 1
Why centralized sequencers can be problematic. Duration: 1min
22. Quiz: Blockchain Basics Recap Quiz
Questions: 6
23. Rollup Stages
The stages of a rollup as defined by L2 Beat. Duration: 8min
24. Making Your First Transaction On zkSync
Add a chain to MetaMask and learn how to use a bridge on zkSync to bridge funds from Sepolia to zkSync Sepolia. Duration: 12min
25. Why zkSync Is Our Recommended Chain
All the reasons why zkSync is awesome! Duration: 4min
26. Congratulations
Celebratory conclusion of the blockchain basics series, highlighting the journey from theoretical understanding to practical application. Duration: 2min

Certification: Blockchain Basics

Exam

This proficiency exam is designed to confirm your understanding of all key concepts and learnings presented in the course material. You will have 45 minutes to answer 30 questions and score 18 to pass and earn a Certificate of Completion.

Duration: 45min Questions: 30 questions

Course Overview

About the course

What you'll learn

Blockchain fundamentals

Introduction to smart contract gas

Introduction to wallets

Transaction signatures

Smart contracts

Advanced gas concepts

Course Description

Who is this course for?

  • Blockchain users
  • Finance professionals
  • Software engineers
  • Web3 developers

Potential Careers

Security researcher

$49,999 - $120,000 (avg. salary)

Web3 developer

$60,000 - $150,000 (avg. salary)

Smart Contract Engineer

$100,000 - $150,000 (avg. salary)

Smart Contract Auditor

$100,000 - $200,000 (avg. salary)

Web3 Developer Relations

$85,000 - $125,000 (avg. salary)

Meet your instructors

Patrick Collins

Patrick Collins

Founder at Cyfrin

Web3 engineer, educator, and Cyfrin co-founder. Patrick's smart contract development and security courses have helped hundreds of thousands of engineers kickstarting their careers into web3.

Ciara Nightingale

Ciara Nightingale

Developer relations at Cyfrin

Last updated on June 25, 2025