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The full roll

The index.

Sixteen projects that, between them, explain most of the industry: the coins that started it, the protocols built on top, and the wallets, explorers and developer kits that make it all usable. Every link goes to the project's real, public repository.

Bitcoin Core

verified

The reference implementation of Bitcoin. The full-node software that defines and enforces the rules of the network — where every beginner's reading should start.

coins github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin

Ethereum (go-ethereum)

verified

Geth, the most widely run Ethereum client. Executes transactions, maintains the chain state and speaks to the rest of the network.

coins github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum

Uniswap Protocol

verified

The core smart contracts of Uniswap, the open automated market maker that popularised swapping tokens directly on-chain.

protocols github.com/Uniswap/v4-core

Aave Protocol

verified

Open smart contracts for on-chain lending and borrowing pools, staking protocol, one of the most studied codebases in decentralised finance.

protocols github.com/aave/aave-v3-core

Lightning Network Daemon

verified

A complete implementation of a Lightning Network node — the second layer that moves Bitcoin payments off-chain for speed.

protocols github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd

Electrum

verified

One of the oldest Bitcoin wallets, written in Python. Light on resources, deterministic, and a pleasure to read as a learner.

wallets github.com/spesmilo/electrum

MetaMask

verified

The browser wallet that introduced millions of people to Ethereum apps. Fully open source under a source-available licence.

wallets github.com/MetaMask/metamask-extension

Sparrow Wallet

verified

A desktop Bitcoin wallet built for transparency — it shows you exactly what every transaction does before you sign it.

wallets github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow

Mempool

verified

A self-hostable Bitcoin mempool and block explorer. The visual mempool view has become the industry's shared picture of the network.

explorers github.com/mempool/mempool

Blockstream Esplora

verified

The explorer backend behind blockstream.info, ready to point at your own node so your lookups stay private.

explorers github.com/Blockstream/esplora

Hardhat

verified

The Ethereum development environment most smart-contract tutorials assume: compile, test, debug and deploy from one toolkit.

dev kits github.com/NomicFoundation/hardhat

Foundry

verified

A fast, Rust-written toolkit for Ethereum development. Its fuzzing tests have caught bugs that manual review missed.

dev kits github.com/foundry-rs/foundry

web3.js

verified

The JavaScript library that lets a website talk to an Ethereum node — the glue behind most browser-based apps in the space.

dev kits github.com/web3/web3.js

Monero

verified

A privacy-focused cryptocurrency whose entire codebase is open. The reference for ring signatures and confidential amounts.

coins github.com/monero-project/monero

Solana

verified

The validator software for Solana, a high-throughput chain with a very different design from Bitcoin — worth reading for the contrast.

coins github.com/solana-labs/solana

Something missing?

The roll is updated as the industry moves. If an open source project belongs here, email us the repository link.

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