Mastering Ethereum, 2nd Edition

Preface

This book is a collaboration between me (Carlo Parisi, aka Blackie), Alessandro Mazza, and Niccolò Pozzolini. The first edition, which of course heavily influenced our work, was written between 2016 and 2019 by Andreas M. Antonopoulos and Dr. Gavin Wood.

In November 2023, a series of very fortunate coincidences brought Andreas and me together in Glasgow. There, after a few beers and a few autographs, I asked him if he had any intention of writing a second edition of Mastering Ethereum. This was because, even though the first edition is a masterpiece, it hasn’t aged well; it was published in 2019, back when Ethereum was still using proof of work and had a very different roadmap.

Andreas’s response was that he wasn’t planning to write a second edition, but our conversation ended up sparking the idea that led me to take on this project. Less than a day after our meeting in Glasgow, I was talking with O’Reilly about the possibility of writing a second edition.

I immediately knew this would be a big and important task. While I was honored by the opportunity, I was also afraid I might not be able to do a good enough job. I’ve been a fan of Andreas’s work for years; he’s the reason I was able to understand Bitcoin as deeply as I did back in 2014–2015, so I knew I needed help.

The first person who came to mind was Alessandro. He was involved in the project within the first few hours. As soon as the opportunity became real, I texted and asked if he wanted to join me. He instantly ...