Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains and Applications

Catalog description

Note: Previously offered as 19-355. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have gained large popularity in recent years, in no small part due to the fantastic potential applications they could facilitate. This course will first provide an overview of the technological mechanisms behind cryptocurrencies and distributed consensus and distributed ledgers ("blockchains"), introducing along the way the necessary cryptographic tools. It will then focus on more advanced blockchain applications, such as "smart contracts," that is, contracts written as code. Finally, the course will also introduce some of the legal and policy questions surrounding cryptocurrencies. Prerequisites: Introduction to Computer Systems or equivalent strongly recommended