Mastering Bitcoin Core from the Command Line

A hands-on course teaching developers how to use bitcoind, bitcoin-cli, and regtest to build, test, and simulate Bitcoin applications using Bitcoin Core.

Last updated 05/2025

English

What You'll Learn

Run your own Bitcoin Core node with confidence, learning how to set up, configure, and maintain a secure and efficient local or testnet environment.

Leverage regtest to create isolated Bitcoin networks, mine blocks instantly, and test apps safely without risking real funds.

Create and manage wallets and addresses (Bech32, legacy) while understanding their differences and practical use cases in your apps.

Build, sign, and broadcast raw Bitcoin transactions directly from the command line, giving you full control over UTXO selection and fees.

Explore and inspect blockchain data, UTXOs, mempool state, and block details using precise commands to debug and monitor Bitcoin activity.

Write Bash or Python scripts to automate regtest environments and Bitcoin workflows, making your development and testing seamless.

Course Modules

8 modules . 1h 25m total length

Module 1: Installing & Running Bitcoin Core

Downloading from official sources
Verifying binary signatures (optional)
Setting up bitcoin.conf for regtest or testnet
Running bitcoind as a daemon
Basic node health checks

Module 2: Bitcoin Core Architecture

What is a full node?
bitcoind vs bitcoin-cli
Datadir, blocks, mempool, wallets
Permissioning and RPC ports

Module 3: Wallets and Addresses in Bitcoin Core

Creating and loading wallets
Generating new addresses
Watching vs active wallets
Bech32 and legacy formats
Labeling addresses

Module 4: Using Regtest to Simulate Bitcoin

Why regtest matters
Setting up a fully isolated Bitcoin environment
Mining blocks instantly
Sending transactions instantly

Module 5: Transactions and UTXO Control

UTXO model explained using listunspent
Funding transactions manually
Creating, signing, broadcasting raw transactions
Decoding transactions with decoderawtransaction

Module 6: Blocks and Blockchain State

Reading block data with getblock, getblockheader, getchaintips
Chain re-orgs in regtest
Understanding confirmations and depth
Inspecting mempool transactions

Module 7: Working with Bitcoin RPC

Using bitcoin-cli vs curl RPC calls
Reading/writing raw JSON requests
Authentication (cookie, rpcuser)
Securing RPC on real nodes

Module 8: Developing with Bitcoin Core Locally

Building testing environments for apps using regtest
Writing integration scripts in Bash, Python
Mocking confirmations and network events
Production notes: when to use a pruned node, when to separate wallet/node

Capstone Project

You will create a command-line tool that:

Spins up a regtest node

Mines 101 blocks instantly

Creates a wallet and sends Bitcoin to two addresses

Confirms the transaction

Outputs the full transaction hex and decoded data

Final Quiz + Completion

You will create a command-line tool that:

15–20 technical questions to test your knowledge

3 scenario challenges to apply what you’ve learned (e.g. “What happens if you send a tx with 0 fee on regtest?”)

Completion Outcome

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

Operate and inspect Bitcoin Core via CLI with confidence.

Simulate Bitcoin payments safely in regtest.

Build, sign, and broadcast raw transactions manually.

Use regtest as a sandbox for developing Bitcoin apps.