But how does bitcoin actually work?

For a quick video intro I recommend this video from 3Blue1Brown ("youtube mathematician") [VIDEO] IMHO the best intro to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general.

The best explanation of blockchain has to be (unsurprisingly) 3Blue1Brown: [VIDEO] Would highly recommend watching this video for anyone who hasn't already.

this video is the best explanation for how mining and blockchains work IMO: [VIDEO] It's long but very clear and thorough.

> As someone that works in the crypto industry, I feel this every time I see the news or articles report on it, or comments here talking about it. It was the same way during the 90's Dot-Com era, journalists would explain the World Wide Web with word salad, e.g., the "Graphical portion of the Internet". With regard to Crypto, I decline to discuss it without mentioning the 3Blue1Brown video, sometimes the gambit works and triggers a better discussion: [VIDEO] And I love the comments in that video about being "Confused, but on a higher level".

Intro: 1. [LINK] 2. [LINK] 3. [VIDEO] 4. [LINK] 5. [LINK] 6. [LINK] Build Your Own Blockchain: 1. [LINK] 2. [LINK] 3. [LINK] Resource List for an Advanced Understanding (Multidisciplinary Approach): 1. [LINK] --- Additionally, here is some advice from Balaji Srinivasan (source: [LINK] ): 1. First, I'd master database and cryptography fundamentals, with something like Dan Boneh's course for the latter 2. Then, I'd read the Bitcoin.org and Ethereum documentation 3. Then, you should write short Python or Go scripts to do things like printing out the blockchain, formatting and signing a transaction by hand, managing private keys, that type of thing. This will give you a feel for the raw data structures. 4. After doing all this, I'd take a look at application libraries like Ryan Shea and Muneeb Ali's new blockstack.org The reason I'd do it in this order is that you would learn fundamentals first before proceeding to the cutting edge.

As a quick and visual introduction, I would recommend the great "Ever wonder how Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) actually work?" youtube video from 3Blue1Brown [VIDEO]

Mining and facilitating transactions, by which I'm assuming you're meaning certifying that transactions are legit, are the same thing. Here's a short video by 3Blue1Brown on how cryptocurrencies work: [VIDEO]

For a high-level introduction, this article in The Economist is where I'd advise someone to start: [LINK] Then, to make things feel more grounded, watch this video of a maths teacher walking you through the mechanics of what actually happens. He starts with "four friends who sometimes spot each other $5 for lunch" and then builds from there with great visuals, so it is quite accessible. [VIDEO]