The basics of the digital economy are disclosed in this tutorial. The correlations between the concepts “digital economy”, “Industry 4.0”, “fourth industrial revolution” are substantiated. The digital economy evolution is analyzed and the transition to new models of production, distribution, exchange and consumption is justified. It is shown, that at present, the main goal is to trigger a systemic transformation, what implies the search for new mechanisms and tools to strengthen the participation of the state, business, and every citizen in the development of the digital economy in order to achieve a comprehensive result at all levels, from small businesses to the state as a whole.