Blog
Engineering deep dives, release notes, and the occasional unhinged idea.
v0.5 — Shall We Play a Game?
WOPR, frames, bidirectional debugging, time travel, 80+ badges, and a phone that turns into an 80s phreaker. The builder's update.
The Four Pillars of Learning to Code
Why most coding platforms teach syntax but lose kids. CryptoBlocks is built on four pillars: the HOW, the LOGIC, the WHY, and the FUN.
I Lost 100 Blocks and It Made CryptoBlocks Better
The founder wiped his own progress building Pac-Man. Here's what happened next.
Click a Line, Find the Block
CryptoBlocks now has bidirectional code-to-block navigation. Click a line of code to highlight the block that wrote it. Right-click a block to see its line number.
Why We Publish Our Security Audits
CryptoBlocks is built for kids. Here's why we run penetration tests and publish the results.
v0.4 — Badges, DOOM, and a Treasure Hunt
The biggest CryptoBlocks update yet: COD-style achievements, CryptDOOM raycaster, CTF treasure hunt, Spanish i18n, and a full security audit.
There's a Treasure Hunt Hidden in CryptoBlocks
We buried a Capture the Flag challenge inside the app. Find the hidden projects, earn legendary badges.
COD-Style Badges Are Here
42 achievements with rarity tiers, secret unlocks, legendary shimmer effects, and a full-screen COD-style unlock animation.
Can It Run DOOM? Yes.
We built a Wolfenstein-style raycaster inside CryptoBlocks. Type 'doom' in the Hacker Terminal to play CryptDOOM.
How Real-Time Sync Works Under the Hood
A look at the CRDT-based architecture behind Coding with Friends — Yjs, PartyKit, and the challenge of making Blockly multiplayer.
Coding with Friends — Real-Time Collaboration is Here
Build programs together in real time. Share a room code, snap blocks side by side, and see each other's changes instantly.
Why Kids Should Code Together
Solo coding is how you learn syntax. Collaborative coding is how you learn to think. Here's why we built multiplayer into CryptoBlocks.
Challenge Pack: Euler Blocks
Ten computational puzzles inspired by Project Euler - pure math, logic, and text challenges that reward clever block composition.
Challenge Pack: Startup Sim
Build a tech empire using every coding skill - company names, revenue reports, team rosters, product launches, and growth forecasts.
Challenge Pack: Science Lab
Explore advanced math through experiments - cell division, measurements, growth patterns, ratios, and energy formulas.
Challenge Pack: Music Festival
Drop beats with loops and math patterns - sound checks, beat drops, ticket sales, and concert math.
Challenge Pack: Hacker Terminal
Master logic gates and boolean operations - flip switches, check passwords, and build firewalls with code.
Challenge Pack: Game Builder
Build game characters using objects and properties - player profiles, health bars, level checks, and damage calculators.
Challenge Pack: Treasure Hunt
Manage your inventory with list blocks - create lists, add items, count loot, find keys, and drop junk.
Challenge Pack: Secret Agent
Encode messages, swap ciphers, and decode secrets using text manipulation blocks. Five spy-themed coding challenges.
Challenge Pack: Robot Factory
Program robots on the assembly line - name tags, production runs, and quality control with text, math, and logic blocks.
Challenge Pack: Space Explorer
Navigate the cosmos with IF blocks and loops - dodge asteroids, boost signals, and calculate warp speed.
Challenge Pack: Pet Simulator
Code your own virtual pet - name it, feed it, level it up, and watch it evolve across five coding challenges.
Challenge Pack: Minecraft
Five Minecraft-themed coding challenges - craft pickaxes, mine diamonds, and build with blocks inside CryptoBlocks.
Challenge Pack: Getting Started
Five beginner challenges that teach the fundamentals - printing, math, loops, and variables. Your first steps in CryptoBlocks.
One Block, Two Languages
Every block in CryptoBlocks generates both JavaScript and Python. Build once, learn twice.
How We Keep Your Code Safe
CryptoBlocks runs user code in a sandboxed environment with multiple layers of security. Here's how we protect you.
Blocks to Code to Product Shop
The CryptoBlocks journey: start with visual blocks, learn to read code, then build and share your own blocks in the marketplace.
What is CryptoBlocks?
A visual coding platform that bridges the gap between block-based toys and real programming. Snap blocks. See code. Build anything.
Coming Soon: The Challenge Hub
A sneak peek at Phase 1.5 - gamified coding challenges, leaderboards, and a progression system coming to CryptoBlocks.
Why CryptoBlocks is Not Another Scratch
How CryptoBlocks differs from other visual coding platforms - real languages, real code, real development environment.
49 Blocks and Counting: The Full Category Guide
A complete reference to all the block categories in CryptoBlocks - from basics to advanced web requests.
What is an API? (Explained with Blocks)
APIs power the modern internet. Learn what they are and how to use them with CryptoBlocks' Web blocks.
Create Your Own Block: From User to Builder
The Create Block feature lets you design custom blocks with your own logic, turning you from a CryptoBlocks user into a CryptoBlocks builder.
JavaScript vs Python: Two Languages, One Block
CryptoBlocks supports both JavaScript and Python. Learn how to switch languages and why we built dual-language support.
Build Your First Program in 60 Seconds
A quick tutorial to create and run your first CryptoBlocks program - no experience required.
Peek Behind the Blocks: How Code View Works
Every block in CryptoBlocks generates real code. Learn how the Peek Code feature lets you see exactly what's happening under the hood.
Why We Built a Block-Based Coding Platform
The origin story of CryptoBlocks - from CTF hacking framework to visual programming platform for everyone.
Hello World: CryptoBlocks is Live
Introducing CryptoBlocks - a visual coding platform where you snap blocks together to build real programs that run JavaScript and Python.