Anyone new to Bitcoin would do well to read Alvaro Feito’s Big Book of Bitcoin after reviewing these Khan Academy videos.
Bitcoin – Overview
An introduction to the mechanics of bitcoins and an overview of how transactions take place.
Bitcoin – Cryptographic Hash Function
What cryptographic hash functions are and what properties are desired of them.
Bitcoin – Digital Signatures
A high-level explanation of digital signature schemes, which are a fundamental building block in many cryptographic protocols.
Bitcoin – Transaction Records
The basic mechanics of a bitcoin transaction between two parties and what is included within a given bitcoin transaction record.
Bitcoin – Proof of Work
An explanation of cryptographic proof-of-work protocols, which are used in various cryptographic applications and in bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin – Transaction Block Chains
Bitcoin – The Money Supply
The mechanisms by which the supply of bitcoins is controlled.