In Chains That Bind Us, Phillip G. Bradford introduces an innovative educational framework that places one of the world’s simplest computers—the Raspberry Pi—at the heart of teaching decentralization. In doing so, he proves that small devices can drive big ideas.
Bradford’s approach to teaching decentralization is hands-on, system-level, and deeply rooted in experimentation. Rather than starting with Ethereum or Bitcoin, he introduces “Clockchains”—a simplified system that mimics the behavior of a blockchain, built and operated using Raspberry Pis. This framework helps learners visualize how consensus, data integrity, and distributed coordination actually work.
The Raspberry Pi is uniquely suited for this task. It’s affordable, portable, and supports a wide range of Linux distributions, making it ideal for experimentation. Bradford demonstrates how students can build mini-networks of Pis—whether physical or virtual—and run simulations of blockchain behaviors such as timed block creation and message passing via MQTT.
Even more compelling is Bradford’s embrace of virtualization. Using tools like QEMU, learners can simulate dozens of Raspberry Pi nodes on a single machine. This not only reduces costs but also allows for faster iteration and testing. Virtual Pis can be paused, cloned, networked, and reconfigured with ease—providing a level of control that’s invaluable for understanding complex distributed systems.
What makes this so powerful is the shift from passive to active learning. Instead of reading about decentralization, students are experimenting with it—watching their nodes fall out of sync, debugging their own consensus failures, and learning firsthand how resilient systems are built. Bradford’s curriculum doesn’t shy away from these errors. In fact, it encourages them, framing mistakes as crucial learning opportunities.
Moreover, the Pi-based approach transcends traditional educational boundaries. Students in low-income schools can build a mini blockchain lab for the cost of a textbook. Self-taught technologists can follow Bradford’s GitHub examples to run their own distributed simulations. Community tech hubs and makerspaces can use this method to bring blockchain education into their programming.
Bradford also contextualizes decentralization not just as a technical concept but as a social one. Through practical exercises, students grapple with issues of centralized authority, system trust, and failure modes—all while using devices that cost less than a dinner out. The very limitations of the Raspberry Pi become teaching tools for understanding the design trade-offs that real-world decentralized systems must navigate.
In a world where “decentralization” is often co-opted by buzzwords and billionaire platforms, Chains That Bind Us brings it back to its roots: community, accessibility, and self-reliance. Through the humble Raspberry Pi, Bradford delivers a powerful message—decentralization isn’t about power; it’s about possibility.
