Blockchain Technologies
Examines how blockchains work, from cryptographic foundations and consensus algorithms to Bitcoin, Ethereum and smart contracts, and their use in finance and insurance.
- Semester
- Fall semester
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Credits
- 2+0
- Length
- 16 weeks
Course aims
To enable students to understand the technical building blocks of blockchains, develop a simple smart contract, and critically assess when a blockchain-based solution is appropriate.
Learning outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Explains the role of hash functions, digital signatures and Merkle trees.
- Compares consensus methods such as proof of work and proof of stake.
- Writes a simple smart contract in Solidity and tests it on a test network.
- Evaluates the benefits and risks of blockchain applications in finance and insurance.
Assessment
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Midterm exam (week 8) | 40% |
| Final exam (week 16) | 60% |
Resources
- Andreas M. Antonopoulos, Mastering Bitcoin, O’Reilly
- Andreas M. Antonopoulos, Gavin Wood, Mastering Ethereum, O’Reilly
- Arvind Narayanan ve diğ. / et al., Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies, Princeton University Press
Weekly syllabus
-
1
Week 1 Introduction to blockchain and its history
-
2
Week 2 Cryptography basics: hash functions
-
3
Week 3 Public-key cryptography and digital signatures
-
4
Week 4 Block structure, Merkle trees and the chain
-
5
Week 5 Distributed systems and peer-to-peer networks
-
6
Week 6 Consensus mechanisms: proof of work
-
7
Week 7 Proof of stake and other consensus methods
-
8
Week 8 Exam Midterm exam
-
9
Week 9 Bitcoin: transactions and the UTXO model
-
10
Week 10 Ethereum and smart contracts
-
11
Week 11 Smart contract development with Solidity
-
12
Week 12 Tokens, NFTs and decentralised finance
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13
Week 13 Scalability, security and attack types
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14
Week 14 Blockchain in insurance and finance; regulation
-
15
Week 15 Project presentations
-
16
Week 16 Exam Final exam