Blockchain at Berkeley

Blockchain at Berkeley Review Guide: Everything You Need to Know (Programs, Costs, Access, FAQ)

Curious whether Blockchain at Berkeley is worth your time if you’re not a UC Berkeley student—but not sure where to start?

Good question. BaB gets a lot of buzz, but most people can’t tell if it’s a student club, a course provider, or a consulting shop. The answer is “a bit of everything,” which is why it can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to figure out how to plug in.

Why Blockchain at Berkeley feels confusing from the outside

Here’s what I hear again and again from readers and builders:

• “Do I have to be on campus?” You’ll see DeCal classes and recruiting posts next to public talks and YouTube lectures—hard to tell what’s open to you.


• “Is it a course or a club?” There are student-taught classes, research groups, and client work under one umbrella.


• “Are there certificates?” People want something to show on LinkedIn or in a resume—what counts, and what doesn’t?


• “What’s the time commitment?” Some tracks are casual; others look like a part-time job.


• “Does this actually help my career?” You’ll hear that BaB alumni do well in crypto—but which paths lead to real outcomes?

“I watched some lectures and joined a workshop—but I still don’t know if I’m doing BaB right.”

What you’ll get from this guide

I’ll map the entire landscape in plain English so you can pick a smart entry point and avoid dead ends. No fluff, just what works:

• How the education tracks, DeCal classes, and online options actually work


• What the consulting and research arms do—and who gets in


• Events, workshops, and hackathons worth showing up for


• How applications and selection typically work (and where most people slip up)


• Practical next steps by skill level so you don’t waste weeks guessing

How I review and what to expect

I look for clarity, credibility, and outcomes:

• Clarity: What’s truly accessible vs. selective, and what you can do from anywhere


• Credibility: Whether the work you produce stands up in the job market (GitHub repos, research notes, talks)


• Outcomes: The shortest path from learning to shipping projects people respect

If you never set foot in Berkeley, you should still know exactly where to start, what to expect, and how to prove your skills.

Quick verdict (so you can make a call fast)

• Signal: BaB is one of the strongest student-built crypto orgs for learning, networking, and real projects.


• Access: You don’t need to be a Berkeley student to benefit from talks, materials, and many community touchpoints.


• Selectivity: The most coveted roles (consulting, research fellowships, for-credit DeCals) are competitive.


• Value: Free learning content is genuinely useful; the consulting and research tracks shine for serious builders.

Want a quick sanity check? A simple LinkedIn search shows plenty of BaB alumni and contributors at well-known crypto projects, funds, and infra teams. That doesn’t happen by accident—it happens because people ship real work that others can see and verify.

So what exactly is Blockchain at Berkeley, how is it structured, and who gets the most out of it? Let’s break that down next—starting with what BaB actually does beyond the “student club” label. Ready?

What is Blockchain at Berkeley? Mission, structure, and who it’s for

Short history and mission

Blockchain at Berkeley (BaB) is a student-led organization launched in 2016 at UC Berkeley with a simple promise: make blockchain education and development practical, open, and connected to the real world. It grew out of peer teaching on campus and evolved into a hub where learning, research, and production-grade work live under one roof.

“Learn it. Build it. Share it. Repeat.”

That’s the culture in a sentence. Members teach, research, and ship. Non-members can still learn through public content and events. The throughline is accessibility: you don’t need a PhD in cryptography to start, but you’ll find serious depth if you’re aiming for protocol-level engineering or formal research.

How BaB is structured (education, research, consulting, community)

Think of BaB as four tightly connected arms. Each one feeds the others, which is why it feels more like a scrappy institute than a “club.”

• Education: Public lectures, guest talks, and foundational tracks with strong syllabi. Expect curated materials, recorded sessions, and starter-friendly pathways. Many talks live on their YouTube channel and on the official site.


• Research: Reading groups and seminars around topics like scalability, security, and zero-knowledge. You’ll see a mix of paper discussions and project proposals, often turning into repos on their GitHub.


• Consulting: Client-facing work with protocols and startups—think audits, product research, market analysis, prototypes, or tooling. The output is professional and portfolio-ready: write-ups, code, and measurable impact.


• Community & events: Workshops, hackathons, and meetups. These are open doors for curious beginners and a sandbox for advanced builders to pressure-test ideas with peers.

This blended model isn’t accidental. Research consistently shows that active, project-based learning drives stronger outcomes than passive lectures. If you care about ROI on time, this matters. For context, a large meta-analysis in PNAS found that active learning significantly improves performance in STEM courses compared to traditional lecturing (Freeman et al., 2014). BaB’s “learn by building” setup taps into that advantage.

Who it’s best for

BaB isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here’s who tends to get the most out of it, and why:

• Curious beginners: You want clear basics and a low-friction first step. Public lectures and recorded talks help you go from zero to competent without getting lost in jargon.


• Developers: You’re looking for code reviews, actual project sprints, and accountability. The research and consulting arms offer real problems, not toy examples.


• Researchers and tinkerers: You enjoy reading papers and testing assumptions. Expect rigorous discussions and a path to contribute to open-source or write impactful analyses.


• Product and ops folks: You want to understand user needs, business models, and go-to-market in crypto. Consulting and community events expose you to market realities.


• Companies: You need smart, motivated teams to explore ideas, pressure-test assumptions, or prototype features—without hiring a full-time unit on day one.

The common thread: people who show up, ship small projects, and ask good questions tend to unlock the most value here.

Is it a “club” or something bigger?

On paper, it’s a student organization. In practice, the output looks like a boutique firm paired with a university lab. Courses and talks are the front door; vetted members power research and client deliverables that stand up in the real world.

What this feels like from the inside:

• Energy of a campus group—open, collaborative, fast-moving.


• Rigor of a professional shop—deadlines, code quality, peer review, and clear deliverables.


• Public footprint—repos, recordings, and write-ups you can point to when someone asks, “What have you built?”

That combination matters. It’s hard to find places where you can learn, build, and get feedback in one loop. Here, the loop is the product.

Curious which programs are actually open to you, what’s free, and what carries proof you can show on LinkedIn? Let’s sort that out next so you don’t waste a minute on guesswork.

Programs, courses, and certificates: what you can actually take

If you’ve heard the hype and want something concrete, here’s the good news: there’s a clear stack of ways to learn—from totally free lectures to selective, project-based tracks where you ship real work. I’ve spent plenty of time going through these materials and talking to builders who used them to break into web3, and yes, there’s signal here if you use it right.

Free learning: public lectures, recorded talks, and online materials

The easiest entry point is the open content. Start here if you’re new or if you need to refresh your mental model of how blockchains actually work.

• YouTube channel: Blockchain at Berkeley on YouTube hosts full lecture series and talks on Bitcoin, Ethereum, consensus, Solidity, DeFi, rollups, and ZK. These aren’t fluffy intros—expect diagrams, walk-throughs, and code when relevant.


• Slides, repos, and labs: Scattered across public resources and the org’s GitHub. Look for beginner labs (wallets, ERC-20s), dev tracks (testing, security), and research notes.


• Suggested first path (free):
  
  
  
  • Watch a fundamentals series (Bitcoin, Ethereum, consensus, cryptography basics).
  
  
  • Pair it with hands-on practice: build a basic token, deploy to a testnet, write tests.
  
  
  • Level up with a smart contract security session (reentrancy, integer overflow, access control) and try a CTF like Ethernaut.
  
  
  
  

"You don’t learn blockchain by watching — you learn by shipping."

There’s solid evidence backing this approach. Active, project-based learning can materially improve understanding and reduce failure rates compared to lectures alone (see the meta-analysis in PNAS by Freeman et al., 2014: link).

DeCal courses and bootcamps (on-campus)

These are student-run, for-credit classes at UC Berkeley with polished syllabi, office hours, and graded assignments. If you’re enrolled at Berkeley, getting into the Blockchain Fundamentals or Blockchain for Developers DeCal can be a turning point—expect reading-heavy weeks early, then labs and project work.

• Typical modules: UTXO vs. account models, consensus and finality, EVM internals, Solidity patterns, security pitfalls, DeFi primitives, L2s, and privacy tech.


• Example assignments:
  
  
  
  • Write and test an ERC-20 with edge cases covered (pausable, mintable) and a clean CI pipeline.
  
  
  • Implement a Merkle tree airdrop and prove inclusion on-chain.
  
  
  • Audit a simple lending contract and submit a written report with POCs.
  
  
  
  


• Access: For-credit enrollment is typically limited to UC Berkeley students. Non-students can still follow along with public lectures and repos when posted.

Why this matters: the structure and feedback loop force you to do the hard parts (reading code, writing tests, fixing bugs). It’s the accountability most self-taught learners miss.

Workshops, reading groups, and research seminars

When you’re past “Hello, blockchain,” the deeper technical sessions are where you sharpen your edge and meet serious builders.

• Workshops: Short-format intensives on topics like account abstraction, MEV, formal verification, or rollup architectures. These often include a hands-on segment—think building a minimal rollup skeleton or writing invariants for a DeFi contract.


• Reading groups: Paper club style. You’ll see picks like:
  
  
  
  • Rollup security and data availability overviews.
  
  
  • Zero-knowledge proof systems (Groth16, PLONK), trade-offs, and circuit ergonomics.
  
  
  • MEV and auction design (PBS, SUAVE, order flow ethics).
  
  
  
  


• Seminars: Guest speakers from protocols, tooling teams, and research orgs. Great for Q&A and spotting what skills are hot this quarter.

Pro tip: take live notes and publish short summaries on your GitHub or blog. It signals competence and helps you cement concepts.

Consulting and project fellowships

This is where the résumé magic happens: selective tracks that plug you into real clients or research partners. Not entry-level, but absolutely worth aiming for once you have a baseline portfolio.

• What you might work on:
  
  
  
  • Smart contract audits for early-stage protocols (scope-limited, with mentorship and review).
  
  
  • Tokenomics or governance design backed by simulations and scenario analyses.
  
  
  • Developer tooling, SDKs, dashboards, or protocol prototypes with measurable outcomes.
  
  
  • Research sprints (e.g., benchmarking proof systems, analyzing L2 fees, or building MEV monitoring).
  
  
  
  


• Deliverables that stand out: Public audit reports, demoable dApps, reproducible research repos, recorded talks.


• Career impact: You’ll leave with concrete artifacts and references. A single, well-documented client engagement can outweigh several “courses completed.”

Example résumé bullet you actually want: “Led 3-person team to audit a Solidity AMM; identified 2 medium and 5 low vulnerabilities; implemented Foundry invariant tests and authored a 14-page report accepted by the client.”

Certificates and proof of completion

Let’s be honest—hirers in crypto care more about what you shipped than a PDF. Still, formal proof helps.

• For-credit courses: If you’re a Berkeley student, DeCal completion ends up as course credit on your transcript.


• Workshops/bootcamps: Occasionally offer completion letters or badges. Treat them as supporting evidence, not the headline.


• Best proof: Linkable artifacts. Host your labs, audits, and notes on GitHub; record a 3–5 minute Loom of your project; publish a short write-up.

Quick LinkedIn playbook:

• Add an “Education” or “Courses” entry with the program name and term.


• Under “Projects,” link the repo, demo video, and any report PDFs.


• Pin your strongest repo to GitHub with a tight README: what, why, how, tests, and results.

Prerequisites and workload

You don’t need to be a math genius to start, but you do need consistency and the right baseline.

• If you’re new: Be comfortable with basic programming (Python or JavaScript), Git/GitHub, and command line. Learn how public/private keys work, what a hash is, and the difference between Bitcoin’s UTXO and Ethereum’s account model.


• If you’re technical and aiming for dev tracks: Pick up Solidity and a testing framework (Foundry or Hardhat), understand common vuln classes (reentrancy, access control, price oracles), and practice writing invariants.


• Research-leaning path: Brush up on discrete math and probability, read primer posts on ZK systems, and get comfortable reproducing results in code or notebooks.

Expect regular weeks to include one substantial lecture, one lab or reading set, and a project increment. Budget a steady block on your calendar so you don’t just “watch and forget.” The difference-maker is always the build loop: spec → implement → test → document.

Want to actually get into these tracks—or figure out your options if you’re not on campus? That’s where things get interesting. Are you trying to join formally, or just plug in from anywhere and still extract the same value? Let’s talk access, applications, and smart shortcuts next.

How to join or participate (student and non-student paths)

Here’s the straight path to getting involved without wasting cycles. Whether you’re on campus or halfway across the world, there’s a way in—if you lead with proof of work.

“Access is earned by showing up with proof of work, not by asking for permission.”

Do you need to be a UC Berkeley student?

Short answer: it depends on what you want.

• Yes — if you’re shooting for for-credit DeCal courses, formal club membership, or many on-campus roles. Those are designed for Berkeley students and typically require an application and interviews.


• No — if you want to learn from public talks, recorded lectures, syllabi, open-source repos, and many workshops or hackathons that are announced publicly. You can follow, study, build, and network from anywhere.

Practical example: you can’t enroll in a for-credit DeCal if you’re not a Berkeley student, but you can watch past lectures on the Blockchain at Berkeley YouTube channel, replicate assignments, and post your solutions on your GitHub. People notice that.

Recruitment cycles and acceptance rates

Membership and selective tracks tend to run on a semester rhythm (think early fall and early spring). You’ll usually see:

• Application window: a form with your background, interests, and links (GitHub, writing, past projects).


• Skills screen: this might be a take-home (e.g., smart contract task, research memo, or product brief), depending on the sub-team.


• Interviews: technical and/or behavioral. Expect “walk me through your repo” questions rather than whiteboard puzzles.

How competitive is it? Expect it to be competitive—some semesters and sub-teams land in the single-digit to low-teens acceptance range. It varies by track, headcount, and market conditions, so don’t obsess over the number. Obsess over your signal.

What actually makes you stand out (based on patterns I see across crypto orgs and what BaB showcases publicly):

• Public artifacts: shipping beats talking. A minimal but real dApp, a security-reviewed contract, a dashboard that people actually use, or a clear research memo.


• Readable repos: tests, docs, and a simple README GIF go a long way. Multiple industry reports (HackerRank, GitHub’s Octoverse) repeatedly note that open-source portfolios are a top hiring signal; student orgs value them the same way.


• Evidence of consistency: weekly commits, short write-ups after workshops, or a small newsletter. Consistency signals you’ll contribute after the “new member” shine wears off.

Two-week prep sprint (works whether you’re on campus or remote):

• Week 1: clone an open BaB repo from GitHub, fix one issue, write a 1–2 page “what I learned” note.


• Week 2: rebuild one DeCal-style assignment from public materials or lectures, add tests, deploy, and share a short Loom walkthrough.

Then package it:

• GitHub: pin 3 projects (each with a one-paragraph problem statement and a screenshot).


• Post: share a concise Twitter/LinkedIn thread about what you built and what broke—tag the relevant repo or topic.


• Application: link directly to the repo, demo, and thread. Make it effortless to verify your work.

Optional but powerful: include a 200–300 word “How I’ll contribute in my first 30 days” note (office hours you’ll host, issues you’ll tackle, or a workshop you’ll run). It shows initiative and reduces onboarding friction.

Remote participation and global access

You can get a surprising amount of value without ever stepping on campus. Start here:

• Website: bookmark blockchain.berkeley.edu for announcements, applications, and resource hubs.


• YouTube: binge the library and take notes in public: YouTube/@BlockchainatBerkeley.


• GitHub: explore course materials and open-source work: github.com/Blockchain-at-Berkeley.


• Socials/newsletter: find their current links from the site footer; that’s where open calls, talks, and hackathons get posted first.

Remote playbook that actually works:

• Replicate + share: pick a lecture, rebuild the demo, add one feature, then post a write-up. Tag your repo clearly with topics (e.g., “solidity,” “zk,” “defi”).


• Micro-collab: comment on issues in BaB repos or related ecosystems; offer a PR for docs or tests before code changes. Low-ego, high-signal.


• Light research: publish 1–2 page “What changed this week in L2 fees, mev, or zk proofs?” memos. Consistent, sharp notes stand out fast.

If a Discord/Slack is open, join. If it’s closed, no stress—most of the signal is still on YouTube, GitHub, and public events. You can build your way into a warm intro.

Events, hackathons, and meetups

Hackathons and workshops are your shortcut to getting on the radar:

• Campus workshops: when they’re open to the public, show up early, ask one high-quality question, and share your notes afterward. Organizers remember the person who helped others.


• Hackathons: if you’re local, go in person; if not, many allow remote teams. Form a squad around a small, shippable idea and scope it to a weekend. A clean MVP with tests beats a grand vision.


• Guest talks: founders and researchers drop hard-won insights. Take timestamps, publish a summary thread, and tag the speaker. That’s how you start real conversations.

Simple hackathon checklist:

• Pre-make your boilerplate (wallet connect, UI skeleton, deployment scripts).


• Pick one user story and one “wow” feature—no more.


• Ship a demo link, README GIF, and a 90-second video. Judges can’t reward what they can’t load.

Quick networking tip that doesn’t feel gross: when you meet someone from BaB, ask what they’re currently building and offer a relevant resource (repo, paper, or tool). Follow up with a one-liner and a link. That’s it.

One last thing people don’t tell you: there’s no “right” door. Some members came in through DeCals, others through public contributions, others by crushing a hackathon. The common thread is visible, verifiable work.

But is all this effort actually worth it in terms of skill growth and job outcomes? Keep reading—I’m about to break down teaching quality, industry links, and where alumni land next.

Quality, credibility, and outcomes: is Blockchain at Berkeley worth it?

Short answer: if you’re serious about building in crypto, the signal here is strong. The content isn’t fluff, the projects are real, and the brand opens doors—especially if you use it to ship work that speaks for itself.

Instruction and industry links

Instruction is led by student practitioners who are actively shipping code and research, often with guidance from industry mentors. That combination keeps the material honest and current—think L2 design trade-offs, MEV and PBS, intents, account abstraction, and zero-knowledge systems that aren’t just buzzwords.

• Recency: Syllabi and workshops I’ve seen emphasize today’s stack—rollups, security reviews, on-chain data tooling—rather than yesterday’s hype.


• Applied mindset: Expect assignments that lead to working repos, small audits, or protocol analyses. You’re pushed to build or break something, not just pass a quiz.


• Public touchpoints: Talks and resources are often published on the official site and YouTube, so your learning trail is linkable and visible.

“Proof of Work isn’t just a consensus algorithm—it’s your career strategy.”

That’s the tone here. You’ll be nudged to produce artifacts recruiters can click: repos, writeups, and recorded demos.

Alumni and job prospects

Alumni outcomes are a big part of why people ask, “Is Blockchain at Berkeley worth it?” From what I’ve tracked over the years, grads frequently step into roles at notable exchanges, L1/L2 teams, audit firms, research orgs, and crypto-focused funds. The pattern is consistent: those who treated their time as a launchpad—shipping tools, presenting at hackathons, contributing to open-source—get the best offers.

• Portfolio > credential: A clean GitHub with a few focused repos (e.g., a gas-optimized Solidity library, a small MEV simulation, or zk circuits with tests) outperforms generic certificates.


• Open-source surface area: A couple of merged PRs to active repos can do more for interviews than polished slides. Hiring managers notice signal they can verify fast.


• Market context: The Electric Capital Developer Report consistently shows that long-term developers anchor crypto’s talent pool. Programs that push you to build in public position you as one of them.

Bottom line: if you use BaB to get real project reps, you’re stacking credibility that survives market cycles.

Partnerships and past clients

The consulting and research arms plug members into live ecosystems—DeFi protocols, infrastructure teams, and tooling startups. That matters because the work ships outside the classroom and into production conversations.

• Examples of typical engagements:


• Security pass on a set of Solidity contracts with a prioritized issue report.


• Benchmarking for a rollup or data-availability stack with clear trade-off analysis.


• Zero-knowledge prototypes (e.g., membership proofs) with performance notes and circuits published.

These deliverables translate directly into interview talking points: what you built, how you tested, which trade-offs you accepted, and where you’d improve.

How it compares to other web3 orgs

• Versus large MOOCs: MOOCs are great for concepts, but they rarely put you inside a team doing active protocol work. BaB’s edge is the community + project loop and the expectation that you’ll ship.


• Versus paid bootcamps: Bootcamps can be faster to access but often pricier and uneven in alumni networks. BaB’s cost is lower, but you’ll face more gatekeeping for the most selective tracks—and that gatekeeping is part of the brand’s strength.


• Versus general crypto meetups: Meetups help with vibe and news; BaB pressures you into concrete output with peers who review your work.

Who gets the most value

People who treat every touchpoint as a chance to create proof. If that sounds like you, here’s the high-ROI playbook I see working:

• Pick a track: Security, L2 infra, data tooling, or zk. Focus beats wandering.


• Ship small, often: One mini-project every 2–3 weeks—an ERC-20 with edge cases and tests, a Foundry fuzz harness, a minimal rollup demo, or a zk gadget with benchmarks.


• Publish and iterate: Push code, write a 600–900 word note explaining choices, invite critique, and improve. Link it on your profile.


• Leverage events: Use workshops and hackathons to meet reviewers and find collaborators. A working demo with test coverage beats a slide deck every time.

If you’ve been wondering, “Okay, so what’s the real cost—time, effort, and any fees—and how should I plan my weeks to make this actually stick?” Let’s break that down next, including what’s free, what’s selective, and the exact time blocks I recommend for each level.

Costs, time commitment, and your best learning path

Let’s talk about the only two currencies that matter here: time and proof of work. Most of the learning you can access is free. The “price” is your weekly hours and the consistency to ship small, visible deliverables. The more selective pathways ask for more hours, but they also produce the kind of portfolio pieces that actually move you forward.

What’s free vs. selective

Free (no application required):

• Public lectures, recorded talks, and open-source materials. If you’re new, this is where you start.


• Open workshops or community sessions when announced. Great for getting feedback without gatekeepers.


• GitHub repos and example contracts. Clone, tweak, and use them as scaffolding for your first projects.

Selective (application/acceptance required):

• For-credit classes and formal membership. Expect competitive intake and regular deliverables.


• Research groups, reading seminars, and deep protocol study. Best for people who enjoy papers and reproducible experiments.


• Consulting and client work. Real briefs, real deadlines, and real stakeholders—high effort, high signal on your resume.

Out-of-pocket costs? Usually minimal for learning. If you go on-site for events or hackathons, budget for travel and lodging. For advanced ZK work, you may want beefier hardware or cloud credits, but you can still learn with modest setups by scoping circuits small.

Time estimates by level

Use these as planning anchors. The key is to ship weekly, not just watch content.

Beginner (3–5 hrs/week):

• Goal: Understand fundamentals and ship 2–3 tiny, real contracts or scripts.


• Weekly cadence:
  
  
  
  • 1–2 hrs: Watch a lecture or talk on smart contracts or core protocol concepts.
  
  
  • 1–2 hrs: Rebuild a basic ERC-20 using a framework (Foundry or Hardhat) and write one test.
  
  
  • 1 hr: Post a short write-up with code links. Ask for feedback publicly.
  
  
  
  


• Sample deliverables (Month 1): Minimal ERC-20 with permit, a simple Merkle airdrop script, and an ERC-721 mint function with unit tests.

Intermediate dev (5–10 hrs/week):

• Goal: Build and audit small production-like components; demonstrate familiarity with tooling.


• Weekly cadence:
  
  
  
  • 2 hrs: Watch or read one focused topic (proxy patterns, gas optimization, MEV basics, or oracle design).
  
  
  • 2–4 hrs: Implement a feature or fix in a public repo. Write tests and benchmarks.
  
  
  • 1–2 hrs: Run static and fuzzing tools (Slither, Echidna, Foundry fuzz) and document findings.
  
  
  
  


• Sample deliverables (Month 1): Upgradeable proxy demo with test coverage; marketplace listing + cancel flow with reentrancy protections; audit notes on a toy protocol with 2–3 reproducible PoCs.

Advanced (10+ hrs/week):

• Goal: Contribute to research, client work, or complex systems (L2, ZK, cross-chain).


• Weekly cadence:
  
  
  
  • 3–4 hrs: Read one paper or spec and reproduce a small experiment.
  
  
  • 4–6 hrs: Implement or refactor a component (e.g., ZK proof flow for allowlists, cross-chain messaging checks, gas profiling for batch operations).
  
  
  • 1–2 hrs: Write a public report with benchmarks or proofs, and create an issue/PR upstream if relevant.
  
  
  
  


• Sample deliverables (Month 1): Circom circuit + tests for a constraint you care about; MEV simulation script to analyze backrun risk; write-up comparing optimistic vs. zk rollup proofs with a small benchmark.

Why this pacing works:

Short, spaced sessions beat cram marathons. Learning research consistently shows that spaced practice and retrieval (testing yourself by building from memory) increase retention and transfer to real tasks. Use 3–4 shorter sessions per week instead of one long binge.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Watching without building. If your week ends without a commit, you didn’t learn much. Set a rule: no video without a code artifact or a short write-up.


• Tutorial hell. Copying step-by-step code won’t stick. Force yourself to rebuild from scratch the next day with no notes—just the outline you wrote.


• No tests, no trust. Even tiny tests (happy path + 1 failure) teach you more than an extra hour of theory.


• Private progress. Keeping everything local kills momentum. A public build log creates accountability and attracts feedback.


• Skipping docs. Reading specs (ERCs, protocol docs) trains you to reason independently, which is exactly what selective tracks reward.


• Overscoping. Mini-projects win. A secure cancel() function with tests beats a half-finished AMM every time.

Tools and habits that help

• GitHub hygiene: One repo per project, clear README, short “What I learned” section, and a release tag for each milestone.


• Smart contract stack: Foundry or Hardhat, OpenZeppelin libraries, Slither for static analysis, Foundry fuzz tests, and a gas report step in CI.


• ZK starter kit: Circom + snarkjs or Halo2-based starter. Keep circuits tiny and measurable. Record proving times and constraints in your README.


• Study blocks: 90–120 minute focused sessions, 3–4 times per week. Schedule them like meetings.


• Retrieval habit: End each session by recreating one function from memory and writing a 100–150 word note. You’re training recall, not just recognition.


• Feedback loop: Post weekly on X, Farcaster, or your blog with code links and one open question. You’ll get better feedback and a stronger network.


• One project per month: Size it so you can finish. Examples:
  
  
  
  • Beginner: Merkle airdrop + CLI distributor.
  
  
  • Intermediate: Minimal NFT marketplace with cancel/rescind and comprehensive tests.
  
  
  • Advanced: Cross-chain message verifier or a small ZK circuit with benchmarked proving times.
  
  
  
  


• Readiness checklist for selective tracks:
  
  
  
  • 3–5 public repos with tests and READMEs.
  
  
  • One write-up that compares design trade-offs (security, gas, UX).
  
  
  • At least one contribution to someone else’s repo (issue, PR, or reproducible bug report).
  
  
  • Evidence of consistent weekly work for 6–8 weeks (commit history or build log).
  
  
  
  

I’ve seen people go from “I know Solidity syntax” to “I can handle a scoped client task” in 6–10 weeks by following this exact cadence: build small, test everything, write short notes, and ask for targeted feedback. Want the fastest answers to the questions I get most—like what’s actually free and how certificates factor into your portfolio? Keep going; I’ll tackle those next.

FAQ: Quick answers to the questions I get most

Is Blockchain at Berkeley free? What about certificates?

Short answer: the learning you can watch from home is mostly free. The select tracks where you work with teams or clients require acceptance, and for-credit classes are for enrolled UC Berkeley students.

• Free: Public lectures, recorded talks, reading lists, and many workshop slides you’ll find linked from the official site: blockchain.berkeley.edu. Their GitHub and YouTube content are great starting points.


• Selective: Member-only research groups and consulting projects (and on-campus DeCal courses for credit) require an application and are time-intensive. There’s usually no tuition; the “cost” is consistent weekly work.


• Certificates: Don’t expect Coursera-style badges for the public content. For-credit students get university credit; occasional workshops may offer letters or completion notes. The strongest credential is still your public work:
  
  
  
  • Link project repos, audits, or research notes.
  
  
  • Attach talk recordings or slide decks if you present.
  
  
  • Add a “Coursework/Projects: Blockchain at Berkeley” entry on LinkedIn and connect it to specific artifacts.
  
  
  
  

Hiring managers often scan GitHub and concrete output to assess real skill. A tight repo with tests, a write-up, and changelogs beats a PDF certificate every time.

Can non-Berkeley people join or benefit?

Yes. You can learn a lot and meet the right people without stepping on campus. Here’s how I’d approach it if you’re remote:

• Watch and build: Pick one playlist on fundamentals or smart contracts, then implement a small project (ERC‑20 with Foundry/Hardhat and tests). Publish it the same week.


• Join open sessions: Keep an eye on public talks, workshops, and hackathons announced on the site or socials. If an event says “open,” register—remote spots are common.


• Contribute where possible: If their repos are open, start with issues, documentation fixes, or small features. It’s an easy way to get on the radar.


• Network with intent: Follow their announcements, then show up with a question tied to a paper or code sample. One good question beats ten generic DMs.


• Show evidence fast: Write a 1–2 page security review of a simple contract you built or forked. Publish it as a GitHub gist and share it when relevant. I’ve seen non-students land interviews off a clean repo + short audit write-up combo.

Mini roadmap I’ve seen work in 30 days:

• Week 1: Watch a fundamentals series; set up a public repo.


• Week 2: Build an ERC‑721 or multisig; add tests and a short README.


• Week 3: Do a practice audit on your own code; publish findings.


• Week 4: Submit to a hackathon or present a lightning talk at a community call.

My take: the fastest way to get real value

If you’re serious about web3, BaB is a high-signal place to learn and build—whether you’re on campus or halfway across the world. Here’s the simple playbook:

• Start with the free materials and take notes in public (GitHub or Notion). Keep it tidy and linkable.


• Ship two tiny projects with tests in the next month. Quality over size.


• Attend one open event and ask one specific, researched question.


• Package your work: pin repos, post a short thread or article, and add a focused LinkedIn entry.


• When your portfolio feels sharp, apply to the selective tracks. If you don’t get in, keep shipping and try next cycle.

Bottom line: use BaB’s free content as your foundation, let your code and research do the talking, and treat every event as a chance to make one real connection. That approach wins—certificate or not.