Lightning Network Cohort

What is it? It's a comprehensive pathway designed for learning Lightning Network Engineering and its applications. Using Andreas Antonopoulos’s book "Mastering the Lightning Network (1st Edition)", Builder's Guide to the LND Galaxy and blogs on Lightning Protocol Development by Chaincode Seminars as our primary study materials, we explore use cases, technical aspects and future of Lightning.

Who is it for? This cohort is open to all — doesn’t matter if you're a dev, designer, or just a curious enthusiast. Befitting for technical readers with an understanding of the fundamentals of Bitcoin, this club is a home for those looking to learn about the Lightning Network, its use-cases and to build on top of it.

What are the prerequisites? A thorough read of Grokking Bitcoin or the Mastering Bitcoin book— is required before diving into LN.

What are the takeaways?

Certification : Earn a certificate of cohort completion as your proof-of-work
Solid Understanding : Gain a deep understanding of Bitcoin's protocol, architecture, and security
Hands-On Experience : Get practical experience with Bitcoin development and tools
Economic Insights : Understand the economic and philosophical aspects of Bitcoin
Community : Join and connect with a vibrant Bitcoin community of like-minded individuals
Fellowship Opportunities : Gain access to fellowship opportunities at Bitshala and exclusive invites to Bitspace for more physical community experiences
First Step to Contribution : Be able to take your first step to contribute confidently to Bitcoin projects and communities

What is the fellowship program? The fellowship program is your launchpad into the Bitcoin FOSS(Free and Open Source Software) world. Whether it's developing innovative open-source software or leading educational initiatives, this is where your contributions to Bitcoin begin — and maybe even your Bitcoin career!

Cohort Details

Commencement date

January, 2026

Duration

06 weeks

Cohort level

Intermediate

Mode

Online Discord Session

Format

Self-study, weekly club sessions, group discussions, and QnA

Structure

The structure of the cohort program is designed for self-study. Each week, participants will be assigned to a group to receive questions related to the scheduled chapters. Participants are expected to study the material, prepare answers to their questions, and actively participate in the weekly group discussion sessions, where they will explain their answers to other participants.

Following the group discussion, Bitshala Teaching Assistants (TAs) will be available for doubt-clearing sessions, providing an opportunity to ask additional questions and clarify any doubts that arose during the study session.

After the group session, participants will be given programming exercises based on the weekly study content. Participants are expected to complete and submit the exercises within the designated timeframe.

Weekly Preparation

Weekly Preparation Please review the weekly chapters and questions in the document. These will also be posted on the Discord notice-board to aid preparation.

Each Wednesday, participants will join the LN Discord Stage.
Participants will be randomly asked to answer any of the questions from the weekly study material.
You must thoroughly answer your assigned question in the group discussion for 60 minutes.
TAs will be available to provide extra context and further studies on the discussed topics.
Participants will be evaluated based on the quality of their answers.
Weekly Study Material covers the study topics and Questions related to the topics for that week.

Cohort Communication and Participation

Discord will be the primary communication platform. Below are the main channels where all actions will happen.
- - General: For all general cohort-related conversations.
- - Notice Board: For all cohort-related information and notifications.
- - LN Stage: Voice channel for weekly GD sessions.
Meetings occur weekly at the scheduled time, and Participants are encouraged to attend every session.
Please introduce yourself in Bitshala Discord's #Intro channel with a brief about your background, work, and interests. You can use a unique icon if you are uncomfortable using a personal photo.