| Learning objectives |
Describe the phenomena of blockchain technology
- Summarize different fundamental concepts, techniques and
methods of blockchain
- Explore different platforms (such as Ethereum) to implement
applications on blockchain based technologies such as smart
contracts
- Outline the applicability of blockchain technology for
different domains and use cases for Finance and other domains
- Characterize the linkages between distributed consensus,
incentives, mining schemes and various kinds attacks on blockchain
based applications
- Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying technology of
transactions, blocks, proof-of-work, and distributed consensus
mechanism
- Identify the key challenges and design goals for building
decentralised blockchain based applications
- Critically assess the usage of blockchain technology for
building applications other than
cryptocurrencies
|
| Course prerequisites |
| No prerequisites |
| Examination |
|
Foundations of
Blockchain and Smart Contracts:
|
| Exam
ECTS |
7,5 |
| Examination form |
Oral exam based on written product
In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product
must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The
grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and
the individual oral performance. |
| Individual or group exam |
Individual oral exam based on written group
product |
| Number of people in the group |
2-3 |
| Size of written product |
Max. 15 pages |
| Assignment type |
Report |
| Duration |
Written product to be submitted on specified date and
time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade,
and informing plus explaining the grade |
| Grading scale |
7-point grading scale |
| Examiner(s) |
Internal examiner and second internal
examiner |
| Exam period |
Winter |
| Make-up exam/re-exam |
Same examination form as the ordinary
exam
|
|
| Course content, structure and pedagogical
approach |
- Introduction to cryptographic primitives such as hash
functions, symmetric/ asymmetric encryption, digital signatures and
public key cryptography.
- Fundamentals of decentralization, distributed databases and
distributed consensus protocols such as Byzantine fault
tolerance
- Consensus without identity using a block chain, incentives and
proof of work
- Bitcoin Cryptocurrency: mechanics of Bitcoin such as
transactions, blocks, and Bitcoin network
- Storing and spending Bitcoins: local storage vs online wallets,
hot vs cold storage, payment services, transaction fees, currency
exchange markets
- Bitcoin mining scheme and alternative mining puzzles, anonymity
in blockchain based applications with a special focus on anonymity
in Bitcoin.
- Decentralized Institutions, blockchain as a vehicle for
decentralization and frameworks for blockchain and smart contracts
such as Ethereum
- Case studies and application scenerios for blockchain-based
applications from financial, supply chains and other doamins such
as cryptocurrencies,user-centric data and identity management and
so on.
|
| Description of the teaching methods |
Teaching Materials:
Lecture slides
Readings
Scientific articles
Handouts |
| Feedback during the teaching period |
| Feedback in the forms of question / answers and
discussions during the class. |
| Student workload |
| Lectures |
30 hours |
| Self study |
46 hours |
| Prepare for the class |
30 hours |
| Project work and report |
100 hours |
| Total workload |
206 hours |
|
| Expected literature |
|
|
Authors(s)
|
Title
|
Publisher/ ISBN/ DOI
|
|
|
Books/chapters
|
|
|
[BCT]
|
Arvind Narayanan, Joseph Bonneau, Edward Felten, Andrew Miller,
Steven Goldfeder
|
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies
|
Princeton University Press (July 19, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-0691171692
Pre print copy URL:
https://d28rh4a8wq0iu5.cloudfront.net/bitcointech/readings/princeton_bitcoin_book.pdf
|
|
|
[BBNC]
|
Melanie Swan.
|
Blockchain: Blueprint for a new economy. "
|
O'Reilly Media, Inc.", 2015.
|
|
|
[MBP]
|
Andreas M.Antonopoulos.
|
Mastering Bitcoin Programming the Open
Blockchain.
|
O'Reilly Media, Inc.", 2017.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Papers
|
|
[J:01]
|
Tschorsch, Florian, and Björn Scheuermann. "Bitcoin and
beyond: A technical survey on decentralized digital
currencies." IEEE Communications Surveys &
Tutorials 18.3 (2016): 2084-2123.
|
| |
Few more
research papers will be
provided |
|
Permalink