The foundational texts, official documentation, and essential reads for anyone serious about understanding blockchain and Web3.
These are the primary sources — the documents that launched the protocols we use today.
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System — Satoshi Nakamoto (2008)
The paper that started it all. 9 pages. Explains the blockchain, PoW, the UTXO model, and why peer-to-peer electronic cash works without a trusted third party.
🔗 https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
Ethereum Whitepaper — Vitalik Buterin (2013)
Introduces Ethereum as a "next-generation smart contract and decentralized application platform." Accessible and visionary.
🔗 https://ethereum.org/en/whitepaper/
Ethereum Yellow Paper — Gavin Wood (2014)
The formal technical specification of the EVM, gas costs, and state transition function. Dense but authoritative.
🔗 https://ethereum.github.io/yellowpaper/paper.pdf
Uniswap v2 Core — Uniswap team (2020)
Explains the constant product AMM, flash swaps, and price oracles. Essential for understanding DeFi.
🔗 https://uniswap.org/whitepaper.pdf
Uniswap v3 (2021)
Concentrated liquidity, range orders, multiple fee tiers. A major advance in AMM design.
🔗 https://uniswap.org/whitepaper-v3.pdf
MakerDAO: The Dai Stablecoin System — MakerDAO (2017)