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Technical Concepts

Technical concepts and principles underlying blockchain technology, cryptography, and decentralized systems.

Showing 50 articles

Introductory

  • Application Programming Interface (API)

    We've discussed the concept of and how developers use it to manage complexity and collaborate effectively.

    3 min readUpdated 2023-01-09
  • Array (Data Structure)

    Let's start with some data - let's just pick 30 random words from the BIP-39 list (the words used for your seed phrases).

    4 min readUpdated 2023-01-16
  • Computer Science

    Foundational computer science concepts including data structures, programming paradigms, and computational theory.

    1 min readUpdated 2025-10-03
  • Discounted Cash Flow Analysis

    Bond A that pays $100 in 1 week  Bond B that pays $200 in 1 year

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Finance

    Fundamental concepts in finance including valuation, markets, derivatives, and capital management.

    1 min readUpdated 2025-10-03
  • Oracle

    : blockchains cannot pull in or push out data to any external system (by design).

    4 min readUpdated 2023-01-11
  • Turing Completeness

    To understand The World Computer you have to understand the Proto-Computer: .

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07

Intermediate

  • Abstraction

    Let's say you're a developer working for an e-commerce retailer who sells fruit.

    4 min readUpdated 2023-01-09
  • Arbitrage

    Arbitrage - an opportunity to secure a guaranteed profit by identifying and exploiting an information discrepancy.

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Background and Context

    To understand generational changes, you need to have a generational perspective. So, let's start from the beginning...

    6 min readUpdated 2022-12-08
  • Blockchain

    Core blockchain and cryptocurrency concepts including consensus, economic incentives, and decentralized systems.

    1 min readUpdated 2025-10-03
  • Credible Neutrality

    Let's start with a hypothetical. Let's say you walk into a casino.

    4 min readUpdated 2023-01-24
  • Cryptography

    Cryptographic primitives and techniques including hashing, digital signatures, elliptic curves, and zero-knowledge proofs.

    1 min readUpdated 2025-10-03
  • MEV Example

    is the opportunity to secure a guaranteed profit by identifying and exploiting an information discrepancy.

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-08
  • Ethereum Gas

    Note - On August 5, 2021 Ethereum executed the which, among other things, overhauled how gas works on Ethereum.

    4 min readUpdated 2023-01-14
  • Liquidity

    Practical definition of Money:  Money is a system of value that facilitates the exchange of goods in an economy.

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Market Making

    refers to the efficiency or ease with which an asset can be converted into cash without affecting its market price.

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Maximum Extractable Value (MEV)

    This article aims to give you a theoretical understanding of MEV in relation to the real-world activities that look a lot like MEV.

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-08
  • Options

    Options are a contract between two parties to buy/sell an asset (in the future) using a fixed price and date.

    2 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Perpetual Futures

    (perps) were a concept developed in the 90s but not really tried until released crypto perps in 2016.

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Power Law

    Consider a square with sides of length X. An increase in side length results in:

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Reserve Currency

    Has the depth and to allow for reliable and efficient international transactions Can be freely and easily exchanged for other currencies ...

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Settlement

    Settlement is the "final step in the transfer of ownership, involving the physical exchange of securities or payment".

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Stack (Data Structure)

    Let's start with some data - let's just pick 30 random words from the BIP-39 list (the words used for your seed phrases).

    4 min readUpdated 2023-01-17
  • Vectors

    A vector is a concept used to convey quantities that cannot be expressed by a single number.

    2 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Virtual Machines

    The way I think of a computer is it's a machine that provides a platform for the (incredibly) quick and efficient calculation of math.

    6 min readUpdated 2022-12-07

Advanced

  • Byzantine Fault Tolerance

    The Byzantine Generals Problem was introduced by an .

    5 min readUpdated 2023-01-09
  • BLS Digital Signatures

    support the basic properties of digital signatures: proof that the:

    3 min readUpdated 2023-01-09
  • Blockchain Bridges

    Ethereum is the World Computer, a single, globally shared computing platform that exists in the space between a network of 1,000s of computers (nodes).

    5 min readUpdated 2023-01-11
  • commit

    This is part 1 of a 3 part series on KZG Commitments. Here are links to part 2, part 3 and the summary article.

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Commitment Schemes

    Let's say you have a large amount of data that, for whatever reason, is private.

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Core Concepts
    1 min readUpdated 2023-01-23
  • Crypto-Economics and PoS

    Ethereum is the World Computer, a single, globally shared computing platform that exists in the space between a network of 1,000s of computers (nodes).

    5 min readUpdated 2023-01-22
  • Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange

    When you divide two integers, sometimes the result is not an integer (eg has a reminder). is a branch of math that is focused on the reminder.

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Digital Signatures

    Applying a takes data (of arbitrary contents and size) and reduces it to a unique, compact string.

    5 min readUpdated 2023-01-08
  • Elliptic Curve Cryptography

    Before we begin, a quick note.

    6 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Elliptic Curve Pairings

    This is part of a series on elliptic curve cryptography and its applications for Ethereum.

    6 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Polynomial Erasure Codes

    It is possible to ; you can (relatively) quickly and easily find the equation of said polynomial through a process known as the .

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Hash Functions

    The purpose of a hash function is to transform any amount of data into a compact, uniform value.

    2 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • KZG Commitments

    Elliptic curve cryptography looks unapproachable, but it's totally understandable with a decent amount of high school algebra.

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-08
  • Merkle Tree

    Applying a takes data (of arbitrary contents and size) and reduces it to a unique, compact string.

    3 min readUpdated 2023-01-12
  • open

    This is part 2 of a 3 part series on KZG Commitments. Here are links to part 1, part 3 and the summary article.

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • PCS Trusted Setup

    This is part of a series on elliptic curve cryptography and its applications for Ethereum.

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Polynomial Commitments

    Applying a takes data (of arbitrary contents and size) and reduces it to a unique, compact string.

    3 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Polynomial Encoding

    A polynomial is an equation made up of one or more groups of terms that are combined together with addition or subtraction.

    4 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Merkle Tree Scaling

    Applying a takes data (of arbitrary contents and size) and reduces it to a unique, compact string.

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • verify

    This is part 3 of a 3 part series on KZG Commitments. Here are links to part 1, part 2 and the summary article.

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Verkle Tree

    A is creates a commitment that is anchored to a piece of data.

    6 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Working Capital

    Alright, let’s talk product manufacturing cycles. At a super high level, here’s one one cycle looks like:

    5 min readUpdated 2022-12-07
  • Zero-Knowledge Proof

    In America, citizens don't have ID numbers... and yet we live in a society that necessitates them.

    3 min readUpdated 2023-03-31