Learning Paths
Curated sequences from beginner to advanced. Each path orders resources for progressive understanding β like a wiki table of contents with editorial judgment.
Cypherpunk Foundations
Start with philosophy and history β understand why privacy, cryptography, and code matter before touching any wallet.
- 1
A Cypherpunk's Manifesto
CP10Eric Hughes' foundational 1993 text defining cypherpunk philosophy: privacy as selective revelation, code over policy, cryptography as liberation.
- 2
The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto
CP10Timothy C. May's 1988 manifesto envisioning crypto-enabled anarchic communities beyond government control β a cypherpunk origin text.
- 3
Satoshi Nakamoto Institute Library
CP10Archive of foundational cypherpunk and Bitcoin literature β manifestos, mailing list posts, early cryptography papers, and historical documents.
- 4
Cypherpunk Mailing List Archive
CP10Historical archive of the cypherpunk mailing list (1992βpresent) β debates that shaped modern cryptography and digital rights.
- 5
Surveillance Self-Defense
CP9EFF's guide to protecting yourself from electronic surveillance β threat modeling, tools, and tactics for activists and everyday users.
Bitcoin Sovereignty Path
From whitepaper to full node β learn Bitcoin technically and run your own infrastructure.
- 1
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System
CP10Satoshi Nakamoto's original 2008 whitepaper introducing Bitcoin. Essential reading for understanding peer-to-peer electronic cash without trusted third parties.
- 2
Learn Me A Bitcoin
CP7Visual, beginner-friendly explanations of Bitcoin internals β blocks, transactions, keys, and scripting made accessible.
- 3
Mastering Bitcoin (3rd Edition)
CP8Andreas Antonopoulos' definitive technical guide to Bitcoin β keys, addresses, wallets, transactions, scripting, and network architecture.
- 4
Getting Started with Bitcoin
CP7Practical introduction to Bitcoin for individuals β wallets, security, transactions, and running your own node.
- 5
Running a Full Node
CP9Guide to running your own Bitcoin full node for sovereignty, validation, and network participation without trusting third parties.
- 6
BTC Sessions (YouTube)
CP7Practical Bitcoin tutorials β hardware wallets, nodes, Lightning, multisig, and self-custody for non-technical users.
Monero Privacy Path
Understand private money β Moneropedia concepts, wallet setup, Tor routing, and running your own node.
- 1
Moneropedia
CP9Community-maintained encyclopedia of Monero terminology β ring signatures, stealth addresses, RingCT, RandomX, fungibility, and more.
- 2
Understanding Fungibility (Moneropedia)
CP9Deep dive into why fungibility matters for sound money and how Monero achieves it through default privacy.
- 3
Ring Signatures (Moneropedia)
CP9Explanation of ring signature cryptography β how Monero obscures the true signer among a group of possible signers.
- 4
Monero.how
CP7Community resource explaining Monero concepts, setup guides, and privacy-focused tutorials for everyday users.
- 5
Monero User Guides
CP9Official guides for wallets, mining, nodes, Tor integration, view-only wallets, multisig, and blockchain import.
- 6
Connect Monero Wallet Over Tor
CP10Official guide for routing your Monero wallet through Tor to protect IP metadata and achieve stronger transaction privacy.
- 7
Run a Monero Node
CP9Step-by-step guide to running your own Monero node for maximum privacy and network health, by privacy advocate Seth For Privacy.
Practical OpSec Path
Hands-on operational security β GPG, Tor, Tails, and compartmentalized computing.
- 1
Cypherpunk School 101
CP1012-week hands-on curriculum covering threat modeling, GPG, encrypted filesystems, Tor, SSH tunnels, and digital sovereignty. Terminal-first, zero fluff, completely free.
- 2
The GNU Privacy Handbook
CP9Practical introduction to GnuPG β key generation, encryption, signing, and key management for secure communications.
- 3
OpenPGP Best Practices
CP9Community guide to using OpenPGP securely β key lengths, subkeys, expiration, and common mistakes to avoid.
- 4
Tor Project Documentation
CP10Official Tor documentation β onion services, bridges, pluggable transports, and operational security for anonymous networking.
- 5
Tails β The Amnesic Incognito Live System
CP10Live OS booted from USB that routes all traffic through Tor and leaves no trace. Standard tool for high-risk privacy scenarios.
- 6
Qubes OS β Security by Compartmentalization
CP9Operating system using Xen-based virtualization to isolate activities into secure compartments β foundation for advanced opsec.
Bitcoin Privacy Techniques
Bitcoin is transparent by default β learn CoinJoin, privacy wallets, and techniques to reclaim fungibility.
- 1
Bitcoin Wiki β Privacy & Fungibility
CP7Community wiki articles on Bitcoin privacy techniques, fungibility challenges, and ongoing improvements.
- 2
CoinJoin (Bitcoin Developer Guide)
CP8Technical overview of CoinJoin transaction patterns for improving Bitcoin transaction privacy through collaborative transactions.
- 3
Wasabi Wallet Documentation
CP8Privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet with built-in CoinJoin (WabiSabi), Tor integration, and hardware wallet support.
- 4
JoinMarket
CP9Open-source CoinJoin implementation for Bitcoin β earn fees as a market maker or pay for privacy as a taker.
- 5
Samourai Wallet & Whirlpool
CP8Mobile Bitcoin wallet focused on transaction privacy through Stonewall, Ricochet, and Whirlpool CoinJoin pools.
Deep Cryptography
Mathematical foundations for understanding protocols under the hood β university-level theory.
- 1
Cryptography I (Coursera)
CP7Stanford's Dan Boneh teaches core cryptography β block ciphers, MACs, public-key encryption, and TLS. Essential theoretical foundation.
- 2
MIT 6.875 β Foundations of Cryptography
CP7Rigorous graduate-level cryptography course covering provable security, zero-knowledge proofs, and modern cryptographic primitives.
- 3
Applied Cryptography (Schneier)
CP8Classic reference on practical cryptography β protocols, algorithms, and real-world security. Referenced throughout cypherpunk literature.
- 4
Monero Research Lab
CP9Academic research on Monero's privacy protocols β bulletproofs, CLSAG, Seraphis, Triptych, and ongoing cryptographic improvements.
- 5
Signal Protocol Specifications
CP7Technical specifications for the Signal Protocol β Double Ratchet, X3DH key agreement, and forward secrecy in messaging.
