Best Web3 and blockchain resources if you’re new to the crypto space
From books to courses to communities — getting started in Web3 is easier than you think.
Blockchain is one of those things that makes us feel smart-dumb. Why? Well, chances are you’ve got a decent IQ so technically you’re smart. But blockchain changes by the day spewing out concepts like “sovereignty,” “staking,” and“sharding” (?!). So it can be hard to get the hang of it.
But if you’re reading this, you probably have a hunch that Web3, crypto, and blockchain is the future (or at least, here to stay and be brought up at a happy hour near you). And that’s why you’re willing to make a little bit of an effort to understand what the hell this is all about.
This was me a year ago.
My partner had taken a dive headfirst into the world of crypto and it looked mad fun. He took me to an event as his +1 (you can read more about that experience and how it kicked off my crypto career here) and right there, I decided I wanted to join this crazy new world.
But to carve out a place for myself in the blockchain space, I first needed to learn how it worked. I read a few books, joined a couple of communities, subscribed to free newsletters, and took two courses. (most of this was free, by the way!)
The result? I started getting invited to speak at events, host Spaces on X and even got job offers. So today, I’m going to share my favorite (non-overwhelming resources with you). You’ll notice that I’m giving you 1–2 options for each. That’s on purpose. Start small, get the basics down, and go bigger from there.
This is the best blockchain book to learn fast
You can’t talk blockchain without mentioning Read, Write, Own by Chris Dixon. A fairly fast 320-page read, this book explains the evolution of the internet from the (dinosaur) days of dial-up to blogs and electronic magazines, to social media apps, to blockchain.
What I love about this book is that it’s very thorough and you’ll pick up key terminology (+ some smarty pants jargon) but it won’t send your brain on a trip to spaced-out-academy. It’s easy enough to understand and get you excited about Web3.
Best free crypto course for newbies — Bankless Academy
Are you more of an interactive learner? Awesome. Bankless Academy is a great place to start and understand the fundamentals of crypto, DeFi (decentralized finance), and blockchain technology.
As the name suggests, Bankless Academy teaches you how to get into crypto so you can stop relying on banks and be the only custodian of your cash.
Their lessons are bite-sized, informative, and easy to process. Plus, they have little tests to help you retain information better and make sure you understand everything correctly. You can do the course for totally free and even collect rewards along the way.
Best course + community for women: SheFi
I am a proud member of SheFi and honestly, can not say enough good things about the course, the community, and the Founder — Maggie Love (yes, this is her actual name and believe me, the woman is all good vibes).
SheFi gave me the foundation of blockchain knowledge that I later used to land freelance work in Web3 and even get job offers from big, established companies with less than a year of experience in the space.
The course itself is extremely comprehensive — you learn about DeFi, SocialFi (the social media of Web3), L1s and L2s, ZK (zero knowledge and no, this isn’t for someone who has zero knowledge of the space lol, it’s a type of protocol).
The information is delivered across 8 weeks of live training twice per week. Currently, Maggie herself is teaching the classes but she also has guests from large blockchain organizations. The theme is (ready for this???) 70’s disco!
The music, the modules, and the memes are all on brand with this energizing yet nostalgic feel of a bygone era brought back for the love of blockchain.
When you enroll to take the SheFi course (currently at a one-off $799), you get not only all the lessons and vault of additional trainings but also an extremely engaged community.
Inside the SheFi Discord, you’ll find recruiters, founders hiring, women and non-binary creatives from Web2 networking and reinventing their careers in the crypto space. Best of all, SheFi hosts live events called “summits” where you get special perks, merch, and more as a member.
I went to one in Istanbul in 2023 and it was the creme-de-la-creme of crypto conferences. I’ll shortly be attending the one in Brussels as well. Anyone can come by the way, you don’t have to be a member yet. You can check it out and grab a ticket here before July 7.
To me, SheFi is the all-in-one launchpad for blockchain education + making friends for Web3 newbies or beginners. So if you love some disco diva vibes and are a hungry learner, start there.
Crypto magazines to stay up-to-date on the latest madness
Why crypto madness? Because uhh, have you seen the news cycle lately? “New token of Donald Trump as a frog up 300%” or “Known scammer Martin Shkreli allegedly behind several pump-and-dump schemes…”
Yeah, you gotta keep up. Here are a few of my favorite crypto magazines.
BeInCrypto
I like BeInCrypto because their news is on time, short, to the point, and gives you all the facts — no fluff. Plus, their art is amazing and I’m a visual learner so that’s important to me. Since their team covers three distinct time zones — Asia, Europe, and North America, you’ll always get your daily dose of news when you need it.
CoinTelegraph
CoinTelegraph gives you the latest scoop on finance and tech in a concise, comprehensive article. Read one and you can hold a decent conversation on the topic. They have solid journalists and can be trusted to weed out fact from fiction.
Crypto Witch Club
While Crypto Witch Club isn’t a publication per se (it’s a community for women in crypto), their website has amazing articles explaining the fundamentals of blockchain, DeFi, and even how to get a job in Web3 (written by yourz truly).
Best of all, all the content is fun, spicy, and in accessible language (+ your favorite TikTok slang) with lots of great metaphors that won’t bore you to tears.
Best crypto podcast to explain complex concepts and make you feel smart
I know that there are plenty of pods out there… but for the purposes of keeping this guide nice’n’tight, the only pod you need is Malware by Boys Club.
Now, before you start judging me like “D, Boys Club?! Really?” Listeeeen, listen (once you hear the pod, read this part in Natasha’s voice lol). This is a club by women for women. It’s founded by two badass entrepreneurs, Deana Burke and Natasha Hoskins.
Their pod has two parts: Malware — which is where they bring you the latest tech and crypto news, along with pop culture updates, and The Feelings Check-in. This is the hosts’ own take on recent news. I love both.
Best crypto newsletters for bite-sized Bitcoin Education
Since we just spoke about Boys Club — they have an excellent newsletter too! It’s the email accompanying the pod but even better. It comes with memes, hot takes, and Tweets of the week. Join here, you’ll love it.
The other newsletter I read religiously is by Milk Road. Their tagline is literally “Get smarter about crypto” and you will. Milk Road brings you the latest updates from the world of crypto, ETFs, TradFi (traditional finance) in relation to crypto, and the whole nine yards.
In conclusion…
Please let this next thing sink in… you’ll never understand everything about crypto and blockchain. That’s because the space changes daily. And there’s always a hot topic, for example, last year it was all about ZK (zero knowledge) while this summer, it’s all about DePIN (let’s not even go there lol).
Start with the basics. Read and listen to resources in a simple language and then you can progress to the more advanced stuff. Luckily, most everyone I’ve met in Web3 is super helpful and always happy to help you learn so you’ll be in good hands.
Which of these resources sounds right for you? Drop me a comment and let me know!
