Just pick something small (even if it's not interesting), struggle with it, struggle with it some more, do a git blame on the parts you need to modify and try contact the person if there's something you need help with.

I'd say start with simple and boring changes, and you'll organically get a better understanding.

But even better, go to:

https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pulls

And find some issues, reproduce the problem, test the fix -- and look at how the person did it. Post your results/feedback on the pull requests

I think you'll find in bitcoin (and cryptocurrencies in general) there's a lot more demand for elbow grease than advanced maths stuff =)

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

On March 24, 2018 8:52 AM, Daniel R via bitcoin-dev <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org> wrote:

Hey guys,

I want to contribute to bitcoin core. I am an intermediate programmer and want to get started contributing fast. I have already cloned the git repository. Can you maybe direct me to sources where I can learn more about the structure of bitcoin core and specifically to problems where I can get experience working with the source code?

I know Python, C/C++ and a bit of Java. I have advanced knowledge of cryptographic concepts and procedures and try to teach myself some of the math, especially around elliptic curves. I am currently composing a bachelor thesis around the question of Blockchain usage in the car-industry, where I try to look at different aspects of protocol-design.

Best Regards

Daniel