Learn to build on Dogecoin
From "what's a UTXO" to working payment code you could actually run. Everything happens on testnet (free play-money DOGE), everything is free, and nothing asks you to sign up. Start at lesson one even if you're experienced – it's short and it calibrates the rest.
Honest prerequisites
Comfort with a terminal and basic Python reading ability. Track 1 needs neither – it's concepts in plain language.
Testnet-first, always
You'll run a real node and move real transactions on the test network, where coins are free and mistakes are lessons instead of losses.
Judgment included
We teach the responsibilities along with the code: custody trade-offs, confirmation policy, and the checklist before real money moves.
Dogecoin Foundations
Beginner
How the chain actually works - no code yet, no hand-waving. Finish this track and the rest of the curriculum (and every Dogecoin repo README) will make sense.
- 01 How Dogecoin actually works The lineage, the 1-minute blocks, merge-mining with Litecoin, and the 10,000 DOGE block reward - what makes Dogecoin technically distinct and what that means for your app. 12 min
- 02 Addresses, keys & wallets Why Dogecoin addresses start with D, what a WIF key is, how HD wallets derive from a seed phrase, and the custody decision every app must make. 10 min
- 03 Transactions, UTXOs & fees The UTXO mental model, transaction anatomy, how fees are priced per kilobyte, and how many confirmations to wait for. 12 min
- 04 Run your own Dogecoin node Install Dogecoin Core, write a sane dogecoin.conf, sync testnet, and take a guided tour of dogecoin-cli. 15 min
Your First Dogecoin App
Beginner-friendly Python
From "my node is running" to a working app: talk JSON-RPC from Python, move real testnet DOGE, detect incoming payments, and assemble a tip bot.
- 05 JSON-RPC quickstart in Python Your node is an API server. Call it with curl, then wrap it in 20 lines of Python you will reuse in every project. 15 min
- 06 Your first testnet transaction Get free testnet DOGE from a faucet, receive it to an address you generated, send some back, and read the transaction like a developer. 20 min
- 07 Detect a payment The core of every Dogecoin store, bot, and donation page: unique address per invoice, poll for confirmations, credit exactly once. 25 min
- 08 Architect a tip bot Why every serious tip bot uses an internal ledger, how deposits and withdrawals map to your wallet, and a Discord skeleton to build on. 25 min
Production Patterns
Intermediate
The tools and judgment for real money: the official libraries, the payments decision matrix, and the security checklist to run before you launch.
- 09 Libdogecoin: Dogecoin without a node The Foundation's C library for keys, addresses, and transactions - what it does, when to reach for it, and the Python and Go bindings. 12 min
- 10 GigaWallet: the payments backend A ready-made REST API for accounts, invoices, and payment events on top of your own node - the official middle path between raw RPC and a processor. 12 min
- 11 Taking Dogecoin payments to production Processor vs GigaWallet vs raw RPC, hot-wallet hygiene, backups, monitoring, and the checklist to complete before real DOGE flows. 15 min
After the curriculum
Build one of the starter kits, put your project on the map, and ask questions where the maintainers actually are: r/dogecoindev. More tracks are planned – see the roadmap.