Blockchain
A blockchain is a shared ledger replicated across a network. Blocks group transactions, hashes link them together, and consensus defines how the network agrees on the authoritative history.
Blockchains are append-only ledgers replicated across independent nodes. Each block references the previous block, creating a verifiable audit trail that makes tampering expensive and obvious.
Consensus coordinates these nodes so they agree on a single history. Proof-of-work offers probabilistic finality, while proof-of-stake uses validator votes to reach it. Either way, confirmations increase the cost of rewrites.
In this lesson you will assemble a block, see how hashes bind data, and explore why confirmations are the practical measure of safety.
Each block commits to the prior block hash, anchoring history.
The network follows the chain that satisfies protocol rules.
More blocks on top reduce reorg risk and improve finality.
Block journey map
Select each node to see how a transaction becomes part of the chain.
- Select a node to view that step.
- Use Next step to walk the sequence.
- The highlighted node shows your position.
People send coins, and the messages wait in a line.
Example: Alice sends Bob 0.5 BTC.
Tip: Select any node to jump.
Hash lock editor
Edit a value and watch the hash change.
- Edit the amount from 0.5 to 0.6.
- See the hash update immediately.
- Click Reset to restore the original hash.
Same data gives the same hash. Change anything and the lock breaks.
Build a block
Select transactions and seal a block. The hash commits the data.
- Select entries to include or remove.
- Click Seal block to generate the hash.
- Edit one entry to see the hash change.
Select transactions, then seal the block to commit the data to a hash.
- Seal a block with 2 or more transactions.
- Change one after sealing to see the hash change.
- No transactions yet
History lock meter
Confirmations are extra blocks stacked on top. More blocks make the past harder to change.
- Adjust confirmations to add blocks.
- Watch the 3D tower and chart update.
- Observe confidence rising and risk falling.
- Early blocks are the easiest to reorganize.
- Few confirmations are easier to change.
- Many confirmations are much harder to change.
Blockchain security
Security is about protecting keys, understanding contract risk, and monitoring network integrity. Learn to identify common threats before they cause loss.
Blockchain security is layered. Key custody, wallet approvals, contract code, and validator behavior all contribute to safety. Most losses come from compromised keys and unsafe approvals, not exotic protocol failures.
Because transactions are irreversible, prevention is the only real defense. Verifying domains, reviewing approvals, and using hardware wallets eliminate the majority of avoidable risk.
This lesson trains you to identify common threats and apply concrete mitigations so you can build a repeatable security checklist.
Treat approvals like power-of-attorney for your assets.
Understand audits, upgrade permissions, and failure modes.
Validator concentration and reorgs matter on large transfers.
Threat defense console
Select a threat to review severity and mitigation steps.
- Select a threat card.
- Review the risk score and defenses.
- Compare risks across scenarios.
Bad actors make fake sites to trick you into giving keys or approvals.
- Check the website name
- Use a hardware wallet
- Read approvals before clicking
Approval scanner
Approvals grant spending permissions. Revoke unnecessary or risky ones.
- Select Revoke or Keep for each approval.
- Watch the risk score change.
- Unknown or unlimited approvals carry the highest risk.
- Revoke approvals you do not recognize.
- Unlimited approvals are the most risky.
Trading
Trading is risk management plus execution. Use order flow to read supply and demand, and use order types to control slippage and timing.
Trading is execution under uncertainty. The edge is not just direction—it is how you manage risk and how efficiently you trade through liquidity.
Order flow shows whether aggressive buyers or sellers are consuming liquidity. Order type selection controls slippage, timing, and fill probability, which directly affects profitability.
The goal is to align entry with liquidity, predefine the exit, and keep losses consistent across trades.
Thin books widen spreads and increase execution cost.
Market for speed, limit for control, stop for risk.
Size positions so stop losses match your risk budget.
Order flow lab
Aggressive buying and selling pressure drives short-term price moves.
- Adjust buy pressure up or down.
- Adjust sell pressure to counter it.
- Watch direction, delta, and spread change.
- When buy pressure exceeds sell pressure, price tends to rise.
- When pressure is balanced, price often ranges.
Order type simulator
Order types balance speed, control, and slippage.
- Select market, limit, or stop.
- Adjust order size and liquidity.
- Compare slippage and fill probability.
Buys or sells right now. Fast but less control.
Decentralized exchanges
DEXs price through liquidity pools rather than order books. Large swaps move the pool and increase price impact.
DEXs replace order books with automated market makers (AMMs). Price is a function of pool reserves, and every trade shifts that ratio.
Large trades create price impact and slippage. Liquidity providers earn fees, but may underperform holding when price moves sharply.
This lesson connects pool mechanics to trade sizing, slippage tolerance, and liquidity decisions.
Reserve ratios determine price; trades move the ratio.
Larger trades create worse execution in thin pools.
Fees can offset losses, but not in every regime.
Swap simulator
Reserve ratios set price; larger swaps increase price impact.
- Adjust the swap amount.
- Observe the pool balances change.
- Review output and price impact.
- Fees take a small cut.
- The pool ratio sets the price.
Large swaps change reserve ratios, which increases price impact.
LP impact lab
LPs earn fees but can underperform holding when prices move sharply.
- Adjust the price move.
- Compare LP value versus holding.
- Larger moves increase divergence loss.
- LPs can underperform holding in volatile moves.
- Fees can offset losses, but not always.
Futures
Leverage increases exposure relative to collateral. It magnifies gains and losses and moves the liquidation threshold closer.
Futures provide leveraged exposure without owning the underlying asset. Collateral supports the position while the exchange enforces maintenance rules to manage risk.
Perpetual futures use funding to keep price aligned with spot. Funding can be a cost or a yield depending on positioning and market bias.
Leverage compresses your margin for error. Understanding liquidation distance and funding cost is essential before sizing a position.
Exposure grows faster than collateral as leverage increases.
Stops are planned exits; liquidation is forced and costly.
Ongoing payments can materially affect returns.
Leverage ladder
Higher leverage reduces the distance to liquidation.
- Select long or short.
- Set entry price and leverage.
- Watch the 3D ladder shift with liquidation.
Increase leverage to see the liquidation line move closer.
Funding pulse
Funding is a small fee paid between longs and shorts.
- Select long or short.
- Adjust the funding rate and size.
- See who pays and how much.
Positive funding means longs pay shorts. Negative funding flips it.
Trading futures
Every trade needs a plan: entry, stop, target, and size. Size the position so the loss fits your risk limits.
Futures trading requires a structured plan. Entry, stop, and target define the trade, while position size ensures the stop loss fits your risk budget.
Consistent sizing prevents large drawdowns. Strong setups can justify more size, but only within strict risk limits.
Focus on process: define conditions for entry, place the stop immediately, and accept the outcome without moving the goalposts.
Know entry, stop, and target before placing the trade.
Size from risk per trade, not from conviction.
Protect expectancy by respecting risk-reward ratios.
Trade plan builder
Set entry, stop, target, and size to quantify risk.
- Define entry, stop, and target.
- Adjust position size.
- Review risk and reward.
Risk cap
Tie position size to your account risk limit.
- Set account size.
- Set risk percent per trade.
- Compare current risk to the max size.
- Risk caps keep losses consistent.
- Reduce size when the stop is wider.
Prediction markets
Prediction markets translate beliefs into prices. Compare your probability estimate to the market-implied probability to find edge.
Prediction markets turn beliefs into prices. A share price is the market-implied probability, and your edge is the difference between that price and your own estimate.
Edge must overcome fees, slippage, and execution costs. Thin markets can erase theoretical advantage with poor fills.
Always read resolution criteria. Small wording differences can change outcomes, especially for long-dated or complex events.
Price maps directly to percentage odds.
Positive edge must be large enough to beat costs.
Ambiguous criteria can shift payouts and invalidate theses.
Probability dial
Edge is your belief minus the market price.
- Set your belief.
- Set the market price.
- See edge and expected value.
If your belief is higher than the price, buying YES has positive EV.
Payout calculator
Price decides how many shares you get and profit later.
- Set your stake.
- Set the YES price.
- Review shares, payout, and profit.
- Shares = stake / price.
- Payout is shares times $1.
Trading prediction markets
Execution matters. Define entry, stop, and target, then size the position based on edge and risk limits.
Execution matters more in thin markets. The ladder helps you place precise orders, but liquidity constraints can amplify slippage.
Use limit orders to control entry, scale in and out to reduce impact, and size positions based on edge and risk limits.
When price and liquidity are poor, the best trade is often no trade at all. Patience protects capital and preserves optionality.
Use the ladder and limits to control execution price.
Scale orders and avoid chasing thin markets.
Size from edge and risk, not emotion.
Prediction trade planner
Set entry, stop, and target using the ladder.
- Select YES or NO.
- Set entry, stop, and target.
- Use ladder buttons to set entry quickly.
Edge based sizing
Kelly sizing grows or shrinks stake based on edge.
- Set account size and Kelly scale.
- Change belief or entry to change edge.
- See the suggested stake.
- Kelly uses edge to pick a size.
- Scale down to make swings smaller.