Smart Contract Fundamentals in Blockchain: EVM Basics, Solidity Concepts, Tooling & Core Mental Models
Strong smart contract engineers are not defined by how fast they jump into DeFi or audits — they are defined by how well they understand first principles.
This hub exists to help junior developers, early-career engineers, and career-switchers build deep conceptual clarity around blockchain fundamentals before moving into complex interviews, protocol development, or security work.
Smart contract fundamentals are not just “beginner topics.”
Concepts like the EVM execution model, fallback behavior, delegatecall, gas costs, tooling choices, and live-chain behavior continue to surface in:
technical interviews
production incidents
audit findings
postmortems
The threads and quizzes organized here are real AOB community discussions, designed to help you form clear, interview-ready explanations and durable mental models — not memorized definitions.
If you ever feel stuck asking “I know the syntax, but I don’t really understand what’s happening”, this hub is meant for you.
1. Solidity Basics & Core Blockchain Concepts
Every smart contract engineer must be able to explain why blockchain exists and when it should be used — especially in interviews.
These discussions help you build simple, structured explanations that hiring managers value.
Why choose blockchain instead of a traditional database? (Developer mindset)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/why-choose-blockchain-instead-of-traditional-database
What is blockchain and the career path for technical roles?
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/what-is-blockchain-technology-and-the-career-path-for-entering-technical-roles
How would you explain blockchain to a 5-year-old and a 10-year-old?
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/howd-you-explain-blockchain-to-a-5-and-a-10-year-old
DeFi learning — beginner direction thread
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/defi-learning
These threads help you:
avoid buzzword explanations
speak clearly about blockchain value
answer “why blockchain?” confidently
2. Hardhat, Tooling & Development Fundamentals
Tooling confusion is one of the biggest blockers for beginners.
These discussions focus on how developers actually learn tools in practice, not just what the tools are.
What does Hardhat mean in blockchain?
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/can-anyone-tell-me-what-does-hardhat-mean-in-blockchain
Struggling with Hardhat debugging — missing something beyond console.log?
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/struggling-with-hardhat-debugging-am-i-missing-something-beyond-consolelog
Hardhat or Foundry first — what actually helps in your first dev role?
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/hardhat-or-foundry-first-what-actually-helps-in-your-first-smart-contract
These threads answer a critical beginner question:
“Which tools matter first — and why?”
3. EVM & Core Mechanics (Beginner to Mid-Level)
Understanding the EVM is not optional — even if you write “simple” contracts.
These quizzes help build your base execution model, which is critical for debugging, optimization, and interviews.
What is the EVM? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-is-the-evm
Which hash function does Bitcoin use? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/which-hash-function-does-bitcoin-use
What does MEV stand for? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-does-mev-stand-for-in-ethereum
Which consensus offers fastest finality? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/which-consensus-offers-fastest-finality
These build intuition around:
execution vs consensus
ordering and incentives
why blockchains behave the way they do
4. Solidity Fundamentals: Fallback, Delegatecall & Low-Level Behavior
Some Solidity concepts look simple — but are responsible for many real-world exploits.
These quizzes focus on low-level behaviors that even experienced engineers often misunderstand.
When does a fallback function trigger? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/when-does-a-fallback-trigger
What does delegatecall do? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-does-delegatecall-do
Delegatecall security risk — which Solidity feature is riskiest if misused? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/which-solidity-feature-is-riskiest-if-misused-with-delegatecall
These are must-know topics for every EVM engineer.
Even senior developers still get fallback and delegatecall wrong.
5. Gas, Storage & Basic Optimization Patterns
Gas costs are not just about optimization — they shape contract design.
This foundational quiz helps beginners understand why Solidity is expensive and how storage decisions impact execution.
Which gas pattern reduces redundant SSTOREs? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/which-gas-pattern-reduces-redundant-sstores
This builds intuition around:
EVM storage costs
write vs read trade-offs
wasteful contract patterns
6. Testnet, Mainnet & Environment Fundamentals
Many early-career developers assume that if something works locally, it will work in production.
These discussions challenge that assumption and explain live-chain behavior.
Why might a contract work on testnet but fail on mainnet? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/why-might-a-contract-work-on-testnet-but-fail-on-mainnet
When blockchain QA tests pass locally but fail on mainnet — what’s happening?
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/when-blockchain-qa-tests-pass-locally-but-fail-on-mainnet-whats
Understanding environment differences is essential before touching:
audits
DeFi protocols
production deployments
7. Attack Surface Basics (Beginner-Friendly Security Thinking)
Security thinking should start early — not after your first exploit.
These quizzes introduce risk awareness without overwhelming beginners.
What is front-running in DeFi? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-is-front-running-in-defi
Which best describes a 51% attack? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/q-which-best-describes-a-51-attack-in-blockchain
These help developers begin thinking about:
adversarial behavior
incentive misalignment
attack surfaces
8. Scaling Basics: L2s, Rollups & Sharding
Understanding scaling is part of understanding why Ethereum looks the way it does today.
These quizzes explain the foundations behind rollups and L2 design.
What is a rollup? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-is-a-rollup
What is sharding in blockchains? (Quiz)
👉 https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-is-sharding-in-blockchains
These topics help you understand:
why Ethereum scales the way it does
why rollups exist
why L2s matter for cost and throughput
Final Note
This hub is intentionally concept-first, not hype-driven.
If you build strong fundamentals here, everything else —
interviews, audits, DeFi, security — becomes easier to reason about.