Build on Stellar
SM Web Systems' foundational Stellar learning track. Go from zero blockchain knowledge to building real applications on the Stellar network — with video lessons, labs, and hands-on code.
About This Course
Build on Stellar is SM Web Systems' entry-level Stellar blockchain learning track. It's designed for developers and curious builders who want a solid understanding of how blockchain technology works before building on top of it.
The course is structured across three focused playlists — Introduction to Blockchain, the Stellar Consensus Protocol, and An Introduction to the Stellar Stack — followed by practical build sessions that put the theory to work. Each section is self-paced and available as embedded video directly on this page.
No prior blockchain experience is required. If you know how to code and want to understand what you're building on top of, this is the right starting point.
Quick Facts
- •3 video playlists
- •Hands-on labs with GitHub code
- •Self-paced, watch in any order
- •Testnet included — no mainnet funds needed
Who This Course Is For
New to blockchain
You've heard the terms but want to actually understand how the technology works before touching code.
Web2 developers curious about Web3
You know how to write software and you want a structured path into blockchain development — not just hype.
Builders targeting Stellar
You want to build payments, tokenization, or dApps on Stellar and need the foundational context to do it well.
What You'll Learn
Blockchain Fundamentals
Understand distributed ledgers, consensus mechanisms, and how blockchain enables trust without intermediaries.
Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP)
Dig into Federated Byzantine Agreement — how Stellar achieves fast, low-cost finality without proof of work.
The Stellar Technology Stack
Work with Stellar Core, Horizon API, Stellar SDKs, and the wider ecosystem including Soroban.
Accounts, Assets & Transactions
Create accounts, issue custom assets, and submit transactions on the Stellar testnet using code.
Real-World Stellar Use Cases
Understand how Stellar powers cross-border payments, remittances, stablecoins, and asset tokenization.
Foundation for dApp Development
Walk away ready for the next step: Soroban smart contracts, dApp integration, and the full Stellar ecosystem.
Course Curriculum
Module 1Introduction to Blockchain
- •What is a blockchain and how does it work?
- •Distributed ledgers vs. traditional databases
- •Consensus mechanisms overview — why they matter
- •Transactions, blocks, and cryptographic hashing
- •Public and private keys — wallets and identity on-chain
- •The role of native assets and token standards
Module 2Stellar Consensus Protocol
- •Why Stellar chose a different consensus model
- •Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA) explained
- •Quorum slices and quorum sets
- •Trust hierarchies in decentralised networks
- •How transactions achieve finality on Stellar
- •SCP vs. Proof of Work and Proof of Stake
Module 3An Introduction to the Stellar Stack
- •The Stellar Development Foundation and ecosystem
- •Stellar Core and the Horizon API
- •Stellar Expert and navigating the block explorer
- •Stellar SDKs — JavaScript, Python, and more
- •Anchors, Stellar AMM, and liquidity protocols
- •Soroban: Stellar's smart contract layer
Module 4Practical Build & Application
- •Setting up a Stellar testnet account
- •Issuing and transferring custom assets
- •Building a simple payment integration
- •Working with Stellar Lab for transaction simulation
- •Reading and interpreting Horizon API responses
- •Next steps: Soroban, dApps, and the broader ecosystem
Watch the Course
All three playlists are embedded below — watch directly on smwebsystems.com or open on YouTube.
Playlist 1 — Introduction to Blockchain
Playlist 2 — Stellar Consensus Protocol
Playlist 3 — An Introduction to the Stellar Stack
Resources & Links
Course Repository
Events & Registration
Ready to build on Stellar?
Start with the first playlist, work through the labs on GitHub, and join the next live session on Luma.
Register on Luma