The Layer 1 Architect's Reading List: What to Actually Read to Understand Blockchain Design From First Principles

If you've ever tried to seriously study how a Layer 1 blockchain is designed, you've probably noticed that the available material falls into two camps. On one side, there are surface-level "what is blockchain" explainers that stop right where the interesting questions begin. On the other, there's a wilderness of academic papers that assume you already know the field cold. There's no single book that bridges the gap. Layer 1 architecture sits at the intersection of three serious disciplines — di...