Programming with Bitcoin Core and Lightning

(Or: Programming Bitcoind and Lightningd)

This is a tutorial for working with Bitcoin (and Lightning) that teaches direct interact with the severs themselves, as the most robust and secure way to begin cryptocurrency work.

NOTE: This is a draft in progress, so that I can get some feedback from early reviewers. It is not yet ready for use.

Copyright

Unless otherwise noted, the contents of this repository are Copyright ©2018 by Christopher Allen @ChristopherA <[email protected]> and are licensed CC-BY.

Credits

Role	Names
Lead Authors:	Christopher Allen @ChristopherA, Shannon Appelcline @ShannonA
Contributors:
Reviewers:	Glen Willem @gwillem
Sponsors:	Blockstream Corporation

Introduction

The best way to learn deeply about bitcoin is to avoid GUIs (even bitcoin-qt), and instead learn it from the command line.

Requirements

This tutorial assumes that you have some minimal background of how to use the command line interface. If not, there are many tutorials available, and I have one for Mac users at https://github.com/ChristopherA/intro-mac-command-line

Files

• 0.0: Introduction to Programming with Bitcoin Core and Lightning

PART ONE: PREPARING FOR BITCOIN

• 1.0: Introducing Bitcoin
• 2.0: Setting Up a Bitcoin-Core VPS
  • 2.1: Setting Up a Bitcoin-Core VPS by Hand
  • 2.2: Setting Up a Bitcoin-Core VPS with StackScript.md
    • Linode_Bitcoin-Core_VPS_Setup.stackscript

PART TWO: BITCOIN-CLI

• 3.0: Understanding Your Bitcoin Setup
  • 3.1: Verifying Your Bitcoin Setup
  • 3.2: Knowing Your Bitcoin Setup
  • 3.3: Setting Up Your Wallet
    • Interlude: Using Command-Line Variables
  • 3.4: Receiving a Transaction
• 4.0: Sending Bitcoin Transactions
  • 4.1: Sending Coins the Easy Way
  • 4.2: Creating a Raw Transaction
    • Interlude: Using JQ
  • 4.3: Creating a Raw Transaction with Named Arguments
  • 4.4: Sending Coins with Raw Transactions
    • Interlude: Using Curl — Needs Rewrite for New Section
  • 4.5: Sending Coins with Automated Raw Transactions
  • 4.6: Creating a Segwit Transaction — Awaiting Better Integration of Segwit into CLI
• 5.0: Controlling Bitcoin Transactions
  • 5.1 Watching for Stuck Transactions
  • 5.2: Resending a Transaction with RBF
  • 5.3: Funding a Transaction with CPFP
• 6.0: Expanding Bitcoin Transactions
  • 6.1: Sending a Transaction with a Multsig
  • 6.2: Spending a Transaction with a Multsig
  • 6.3: Sending & Spending an Automated Multisig
  • 6.4: Sending a Transaction with a Locktime
  • 6.5: Sending a Transaction with Data

PART THREE: BITCOIN SCRIPTING

• 7.0: Introducing Bitcoin Scripts
  • 7.1: Understanding the Foundation of Transactions
  • 7.2: Running a Bitcoin Script
  • 7.3: Scripting a P2PKH
  • 7.4: Testing a Bitcoin Script
• 8.0: Embedding Bitcoin Scripts in P2SH Transactions
  • 8.1: Understanding the Foundation of P2SH
  • 8.2: Building the Structure of P2SH
  • 8.3: Running a Bitcoin Script with P2SH
  • 8.4: Scripting a Multisig
  • 8.5: Spending a P2SH Transaction — Awaiting API Work
• 9.0: Empowering Timelock with Bitcoin Scripts
  • 9.1: Understanding Timelock Options
  • 9.2: Using CLTV in Scripts
  • 9.3: Using CSV in Scripts
• 10.0: Expanding Bitcoin Scripts
  • 10.1: Using Script Conditionals
  • 10.2: Using Other Script Commands
• 11.0: Designing Real Bitcoin Scripts
  • 11.1: Writing Puzzles Scripts
  • 11.2: Writing Complex Multisig Scripts
  • 11.3: Empowering Bitcoin with Scripts

PART FOUR: LIGHTNING-CLI

This section is unwritten currently, and will probably involve chapter 14.0 expanding into at least two chapters.

• 12.0: Setting Up TOR
• 13.0: Setting Up Lightning
• 14.0: Using Lightning

PART FIVE: BITCOIN & LIGHTNING PROGRAMMING

This section is currently a messy set of older writings which are being reorganized as listed below. We're not going to work through this section until we've got chapters 1-11 updated per our current notes, then 12-14 written. But, if you'd like to see what we have to date on programming in correlation with Bitcoin Core, please feel free.

• 15.0: Talking to Bitcoind with C — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • 15.1: Accessing Bitcoind with C — Needs Rewrite
  • 15.2: Programming Bitcoind with C — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • 15.3: Receiving Bitcoind Notifications with C — Pending
• 16.0: Talking to Lightningd with C
• 17.0: Programming with LibWally
  • 17.1: Using secp256k1 Functions
  • 17.2: Writing Wallet Functions
  • 17.3: Integrating Libwally and Scripts
• 18.0: Talking to Bitcoind with Other Languages
  • 18.1: Accessing Bitcoind with_Node_JS — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • 18.2: Accessing Bitcoind with Python — Needs Info form PR + Expansion + Editing
  • 18.3: Accessing Bitcoind with Java — Needs Rewrite + Editing

APPENDICES

Appendix I: Compiling Bitcoin

Appendix II: Using Bitcoin Regtest

• A2.0: Setting Up a Bitcoin Regtest — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • A2.1: Starting the Regtest — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • A2.2: Mining with Regtest — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • A2.3: Testing with Regtest — Needs Rewrite + Editing
  • [why is Regtest important if you're compiling it yourself?]