Advanced Solidity + DeFi Bootcamp
An advanced cohort-based bootcamp for blockchain engineers, technical founders, and engineering leaders. Learn the mental models and mathematical frameworks behind protocols like Compound and Uniswap so you can explain large systems yourself, not just follow walkthroughs.
Engineering teams at Chainlink and Lido have used this course to train engineers. The course has also been taken by technical founders and CTOs.
Notable Alumni
Highest Earning Hacker on Cantina.xyz, with over $900,000+ in earnings.
cantina.xyz/u/zigtur
Founder HeyMint (Acquired by Alchemy)
intenex
Co-authored EIP-3643, ERC-6960, and ERC-7410 & Worked as a tech lead at PolyTrade & Biconomy.
adam-boudjemaa
Founder Kash.bot ($2M Raised)
lucasmartincalderon
Overview
For engineers who want to explain protocols, not just follow walkthroughs
This course is designed for full-time professionals who want to build a deeper understanding of large Solidity DeFi systems without wasting time on passive study that doesn’t stick.
It is built for experienced engineers who want to move beyond “this makes sense when I read it” and toward “I can explain how this system works, why it is designed this way, and where the risks are.”
The live cohort format is designed to help you internalize difficult material through structured practice, direct feedback, and repeated recall, not just exposure.
Who this course is for
This course is a good fit if you are already comfortable with Solidity and Foundry and want to deepen your ability to reason about production DeFi systems.
It is especially relevant for:
Experienced blockchain engineers
Technical founders
CTOs and engineering leaders who want to stay technically sharp
Full-time professionals who need an efficient way to study consistently
Why experienced engineers struggle with DeFi codebases
Engineers rarely struggle with DeFi codebases because of Solidity syntax alone.
More often, they struggle because of gaps in:
ERC-20 interaction patterns
Solidity arithmetic and the algebraic transformations used in protocol code
Vault pricing mechanisms
Accumulator and index-based accounting patterns
This course focuses explicitly on those high-leverage knowledge gaps.
How the course works
This is a cohort-based course with one live session per week, but it is closer to a highly interactive group discussion than a traditional lecture.
You will also meet with the instructor in a one-on-one setting. These sessions are used to answer questions, test understanding, and make sure you can explain the material clearly in your own words.
Active recall over passive consumption
The real test of learning is if you can produce the information spontaneously, not simply “follow along.”
That means the course emphasizes:
Explaining concepts out loud
Solving short programming exercises
Mathematical derivations
Rapid feedback loops
Mastery-based pacing
Unlike a fixed university-style schedule, this course uses mastery learning.
If the cohort has not internalized the material to the instructor’s satisfaction, remediation weeks can be added. The goal is to avoid partial learning and ensure the cohort actually develops fluency with the material.
Students who need more support receive extra attention. Students who move faster can opt into additional challenges.
Time commitment
Experienced students can usually complete the work in around 5 hours per week.
Students with less exposure to Solidity should expect closer to 10 hours per week.
Prerequisites
You should already be comfortable with Solidity as a programming language and be able to work in Foundry without hand-holding.
You should also be comfortable with algebra, including fraction arithmetic and solving for unknowns, and you should be generally proficient at programming.
If you are new to Solidity, start with our introductory Solidity course and Speedrun Ethereum before applying.
Advanced Solidity + DeFi Bootcamp syllabus
Week 1: Cross-Contract Interactions
Week 2: ERC-20 Specification
Week 3: Integrating with ERC-20 Safely
Week 4: Math in Solidity
Week 5: Fixed-Point Arithmetic
Week 6: ERC-4626-like Vaults and Virtual Shares
Week 7: Vaults with Protocol Fees
Week 8: Build a Lending Protocol from Scratch
Week 9: Morpho Deep Dive
Week 10: Compound V2 Deep Dive, Part 1
Week 11: Compound V2 Deep Dive, Part 2
Week 12: Mechanics of Uniswap V2
Week 13: The Math of Uniswap V2
Why this course exists
We are not charging for “secret content.”
RareSkills already publishes extensive free tutorials and practice problems. The paid value of this course is the structure, accountability, correction, and feedback required to actually internalize difficult concepts.
If you want free educational content, use the blog and GitHub resources.
If you want a rigorous environment that forces you to explain systems clearly, write code, and close the gap between recognition and mastery, that is what this course is for.
Who this course is not for
This course is not a fit for beginners, casual learners, or people who want to explore Web3 at a high level without committing to active learning.
It is also not a good fit for people who have a lot of free time and prefer to self-study from free materials. RareSkills already provides a large amount of free content for that path.
If your main goal is getting hired, see RareTalent instead. You do not need to take one of our courses to use RareTalent.
Refund Policy
You may request a full refund of your first payment within 14 days of the course start date.
No refunds are available after that.
Your Instructor
Jeffrey Scholz
Jeffrey Scholz, founder of RareSkills, was Yahoo’s youngest senior engineering manager, building its video machine learning team and earning two AI patents. His work at RareSkills has helped 100s of engineers land roles at top blockchain companies, and the author of the popular The RareSkills Book of ZK. He holds a Master's degree in computational theory from Columbia University.
Advanced Solidity + DeFi Bootcamp Pricing
$1,950 × 3
/ Monthly- The course costs $1,950 per month for three months
- Your first month’s payment reserves your spot
- 13 × Weekly Live Classes
- 13 × 1-on-1 Code Reviews & Mentoring Sessions
- Pre-course Material
- Course Material (Lifetime Access)
- Access to the RareSkills Slack and Discord Community (Lifetime Access)
Traditional Methods
- Delayed feedback on mistakes
- Important topics can be missed
- Random exploration
- Waste time on less important knowledge
RareSkills Method
- Instant feedback on mistakes
- Guaranteed to drill the important subject
- Practice subjects from multiple angles
- Concentrate on high-impact knowledge
Job Opportunities
Smart Contract Engineer
Category Labs is looking for a Smart Contract Engineer to join the core engineering team to build at the application layer.
Senior Protocol Engineer
Join us as a Senior Protocol Engineer at Sorella Labs, where you will be instrumental in architecting and engineering a first-of-its-kind decentralised trading system at the forefront of MEV-aware application design.
DeFi Risk & Strategy Lead
You will be the single owner of our risk and strategy function. From researching new yield opportunities to designing leveraged positions, building risk frameworks, conducting due diligence on protocols, and monitoring everything in real-time.
Growth Lead
We're seeking a growth lead to scale HyperLink's adoption, TVL, and partner ecosystem.