A comprehensive 14-video course teaching full-stack Cardano decentralized application (dApp) development. Build a complete NFT marketplace from blockchain fundamentals through smart contract integration.
Level: Beginner to Advanced Duration: 14 videos (estimated 25-30 hours of learning) Final Project: Full-stack NFT marketplace on Cardano Preprod testnet
This course progresses from web fundamentals through blockchain basics to production-ready smart contracts, teaching real Cardano development practices with modern technologies.
- Node.js 18+ (npm or yarn)
- Git
- Code Editor (VSCode recommended)
- Web Browser with Eternl or other CIP-30 wallet extension
- Cardano Testnet ADA (free from faucets during videos)
- Basic JavaScript/TypeScript knowledge
├── Outline/ # Video learning objectives & keypoints
├── Content/ # Video scripts & detailed teaching material
├── Code/ # Complete source code per video
│ ├── Video_02/ # Next.js basics
│ ├── Video_03/ # Wallet connection
│ ├── Video_04-07/ # Frontend & transactions
│ ├── Video_08/ # Aiken Hello World
│ ├── Video_10-13/ # Marketplace UI & full-stack
│ └── Video_11-12/ # Smart contracts
├── Exercises/ # 70+ hands-on coding exercises
├── docs/ # Development documentation
└── README.md # This file
# 1. Watch Video_01: Web3 & Web Dev Basics (conceptual)
# 2. Clone repo and explore Outline/Video_02.md
cd Code/Video_02
npm install
npm run dev
# Open http://localhost:3000# Start with complete marketplace (requires blockchain knowledge)
cd Code/Video_13
npm install
# Create .env.local with your Blockfrost API key
echo "NEXT_PUBLIC_BLOCKFROST_KEY=your_key_here" > .env.local
npm run dev| Part | Videos | Focus | Tech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations | 01-03 | Web3 basics, React, Next.js | HTML/CSS/JS/React |
| Frontend | 04-07 | Wallet integration, transactions | MeshSDK, Blockfrost |
| Smart Contracts | 08-12 | Aiken validators, testing | Aiken, Plutus V3 |
| Full dApp | 13-14 | Marketplace integration, deployment | Full-stack integration |
Video 01: Web3 & Web Dev Basics (Conceptual)
- Web2 vs Web3 architecture
- Blockchain fundamentals
- Cardano positioning
Video 02: Frontend Framework - React
- React fundamentals & hooks
- Component composition
- State management basics
Video 03: Full-Stack - Next.js
- Next.js 15 App Router
- Server vs client components
- API routes
Video 04: Cardano Wallet Connection
- MeshSDK wallet integration
- Multi-wallet support (Eternl, Nami, Flint)
- Zustand state management
- Balance display
Video 05: Query On-Chain Data
- Blockfrost API integration
- Transaction history queries
- UTXO fetching
- Address validation
Video 06: Making Transactions
- Client-side transaction building
- Server-side UTXO management
- ADA transfers (lovelace conversion)
- Transaction signing & submission
Video 07: Minting Assets
- NFT creation with ForgeScript
- CIP-25 metadata standards
- Minting policy creation
- One-signature validation
Video 08: eUTxO Model & Aiken
- Extended UTxO model explanation
- Aiken syntax introduction
- Plutus V3 validators
- Datum & redeemer concepts
Video 09: NFT Marketplace Analysis
- Marketplace requirements specification
- Smart contract design patterns
- Architecture decisions
- User flows (list, buy, withdraw, update)
Video 10: Marketplace UI Design
- Shadcn/ui component library
- Zustand state management
- NFT grid layout
- Detail page design
- Responsive design patterns
Video 11: Aiken Marketplace Validator
- Full marketplace smart contract
- Buy operation logic
- WithdrawOrUpdate operations
- Mocktail testing framework
- Vodka library utilities
Video 12: Test Cases & Off-Chain
- Aiken inline tests
- MeshAdapter bridge class
- TypeScript-Aiken integration
- Test coverage patterns
Video 13: Full Integration
- Complete marketplace implementation
- MeshAdapter usage
- API route patterns
- SWR data fetching
- Wallet interaction flows
Video 14: Deployment
- Environment configuration
- Vercel deployment setup
- Production hardening
- Mainnet vs testnet
- Next.js 15.x - React framework with SSR
- React 19 - UI library with hooks
- TypeScript 5 - Type safety
- Tailwind CSS 4 - Styling
- Shadcn/ui - Component library
- Zustand - Lightweight state management
- SWR 2.3.x - Data fetching with caching
- Cardano - Blockchain (Preprod testnet)
- MeshSDK 1.8.14 - Wallet integration & transactions
- Blockfrost API - On-chain data queries
- Plutus V3 - Smart contract language
- Aiken 1.1.19 - Plutus smart contract framework
- Vitest - Unit testing
- Aiken built-in tests - Smart contract testing
- Mocktail - Mock transaction builder
- ESLint - Code linting
- Vercel - Deployment platform
- Read Outline (
Outline/Video_X.md) - Get learning objectives - Watch Video - Follow along with teaching content
- Read Content (
Content/Video_X.md) - Detailed explanations & code examples - Explore Code (
Code/Video_X/) - Run and modify example projects - Complete Exercises (
Exercises/Video_X.md) - Practice & solidify concepts - Build Projects - Combine multiple videos into larger projects
- Share Outline files for pre-session review
- Reference Content files for detailed explanations
- Point students to Code directories for hands-on practice
- Use Exercises to assess understanding
- Jump to specific videos based on topics needed
- Reference Quick Tech Stack documentation
- Use Code projects as templates
- Follow established patterns in production code
70 total exercises across all 14 videos:
- 46% Coding - Implement features, modify code
- 28% Conceptual - Explain concepts, answer questions
- 26% Hands-on - Set up environments, debug issues
Difficulty Progression: Each video builds on previous knowledge. Start at Video_02 for foundational concepts.
State management pattern used across all videos starting with Video 03:
const useWallet = create<WalletStore>((set) => ({
walletName, address, browserWallet,
connect, disconnect, signTx, submitTx
}));Pattern introduced in Video 06, used throughout:
- Server fetches UTXOs from Blockfrost
- Server builds unsigned transaction
- Client signs with browser wallet
- Client submits to blockchain
Modern smart contract pattern in Video 13:
- Inline datums stored on-chain
- Redeemers passed as constructor values
- MeshAdapter abstraction layer
- Proper collateral management
All Next.js projects require this next.config.ts:
export default {
serverExternalPackages: ["@meshsdk/core", "@meshsdk/core-cst"],
webpack: {
experiments: { asyncWebAssembly: true, layers: true }
}
};Testnet: Cardano Preprod
Network ID: 0
Blockfrost URL: https://cardano-preprod.blockfrost.io/api/v0/
All projects use Preprod. Switch to mainnet by updating network ID to 1 and endpoint.
- Check Code Examples - See working implementations in
/Code/Video_X/ - Review Exercise Solutions - Step-by-step guides in
/Exercises/ - Read Content Material - Detailed explanations in
/Content/ - Reference Documentation - See
/docs/for architecture & patterns
Week 1-2: Foundations (V01-V03)
└─ Goal: Connect wallet, understand architecture
Week 3-4: On-Chain Data (V04-V05)
└─ Goal: Read blockchain state, understand UTXOs
Week 5-6: Transactions (V06-V07)
└─ Goal: Send ADA, mint NFTs
Week 7-9: Smart Contracts (V08-V12)
└─ Goal: Write validators, test contracts
Week 10: Full dApp (V13-V14)
└─ Goal: Complete marketplace, deploy to production
By completing this course, you'll be able to:
- Design Cardano dApp architectures
- Integrate wallet connections in dApps
- Query on-chain data via Blockfrost
- Build and submit blockchain transactions
- Write production-grade smart contracts in Aiken
- Test smart contracts with Mocktail
- Deploy full-stack dApps to production
- Understand eUTxO model and Plutus validation
- Extend marketplace with more NFT features
- Deploy to Cardano mainnet
- Add advanced features (staking, DAOs, custom validators)
- Contribute to Cardano ecosystem projects
- Explore advanced Plutus patterns
Created for Cardano developers learning path.
Technologies:
- Cardano Foundation - Cardano blockchain
- MeshJS - Developer SDK
- Blockfrost - Data indexing
- Aiken Foundation - Smart contract language
- Vercel - Deployment platform
See individual projects for specific licenses.
Start with Video 01 or jump to any video based on your current knowledge level.
For documentation, architecture details, and code standards, see /docs/ directory.