Cryptocourse
Complex full-fledged University-grade course for Computer Science classes focused on in-depth understanding of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technology lectured at Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies at Slovak University of Technology by David Stancel, MSc. of CoinStory and Kristian Kostal,Phd.
The creation of this course has been supported by Ernst&Young - Thank you!
Feel free to use anything for whatever purpose as long as you attribute credits appopriately. Everyone is also welcomed to send comments, inquires and proposals of topics, and resources to include into the course at [email protected].
Updated slides will be linked here throughout 2021.
Inspired by Courses:
1.Introduction to Digital Currencies at University of Nicosia as well as the whole MSc. Program
2.Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies at Princeton University
Based on Books:
A. Antonopoulos - Mastering Bitcoin available for free on Github or at Amazon
A. Antonopoulos - Mastering Ethereum (available for free on Github), or at Amazon
A. Narayanan, J. Bonneau, E. Felten, A. Miller, S. Goldfeder - Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies (available for free) or at Amazon
P. Kravchenko - Blockchain and Decentralized Systems
SerHack & Monero Community - Mastering Monero (available for free) or at Amazon
Darren Lau, Daryl Lau, T. Sze Jin, K. Kho, E. Azmi, TM Lee, B. Ong -- How to DeFi (available for free)
Kurt M. Alonso, Sarang Noether, Koe - Zero to Monero (available for free)
Further Recommedned Reading:
A. Antonopoulos, O. Osuntokun, R- Pickhardt - Mastering Lightning Network (available for free on Github)
J. Song - Programming Bitcoin (avaialble fore free on Github) or at Amazon
D. Boneh, V.Shoup - Applied Cryptography (available for free)
1. Introduction to Digital Currencies and Blockchain
History and emergence of digital currencies - Digicash, Bitgold, B-money,Hashcash, RPOW, E-gold ..
Fundamental technology stack
Emergence of Bitcoin
Main principles and definitions
Reading & Resources:
A. Back - Hashcash
N. Szabo - Bitgold
W. Dai - B-money
S. Nakamoto - Bitcoin Whitepaper
H. Finney - RPOW
Lamport, Shostak, Peace - The Byzantine General Problem
Optional:
Diffie, Hellman - New Directions in Cryptogprahy
D. Chaum - Blind Signatures for Untraceable Payment
S. Haber, S. Stornetta - How to Timestamp a Digital Document
D. Chaum - Dinning Cryptographers Problem
Live Examples:
2. Bitcoin Protocol
Bitcoin protocol specifications
Transactions - UTXO model, data structures
Proof-of-Work Consensus Mechanism
Bitcoin Script
Reading & Resources:
Mastering Bitcoin - Chapters 2 and 6
Bitcoin Script Guide by Blockgeeks
Bitcoin Resources by Jameson Lopp
3D Blockchain Explorer Symphony by IOHK
3. Consensus Algorithms
Mining & Consensus Mechanisms,
Bitcoin Core
Reading & Resources:
Mastering Bitcoin - Chapters 3 and 10
4. Ethereum Protocol and Smart Contracts
Ethereum protocol specifications
Smart contracts (ERC standards)
Alternative smart contract platforms
Reading & Resources:
Mastering Ethereum - Chapters 5,6,7 and 12
Optional:
Ethereum 2.0. Overview by ChainSafe
All writings of Vitalik Buterin at one place
5. Coding Solidity
Syntax, Tools
Programming decentralized applicatins
Reading & Resources:
Building Ethereum Dapps - Roberto Infante - Chapters 4,5,6, and 8
Comparison ERC20 vs ERC223 vs ERC777
CryptoZombies - learning Solidity
Slides: TBD
6. Alternative Cryptocurrencies
Introduction to Altcoins
Basic Differences
Comparison of selected altcoins in terms of technology - Monero, Zcash, Decred, Pivx ...
Smart Contract Platforms: Cardano, Cosmos, Avalanche, Polkadot, Near
Tokenisation as a phenomenom
Reading & Resources:
Mastering Blockchain - Imran Bashir - Chapter 15
Optional:
Mastering Monero - Chapter 3
7. Blockchain Scaling and layer two technologies
Bitcoin and Ethereum scaling techniques
Lightning Network - main principles, and overview of implementations
Plasma, State Channels - main principles, and overview of implementations
Reading & Resources:
Beginners Guide to Lightning Network: https://academy.binance.com/en/articles/what-is-lightning-network
History of Lightning Network by Bitcoin Magazine
Making Sense of Ethereum Layer 2 (Medium)
The State of Optimistic Rollups (Medium)
FYI
Running LN on Raspberry Pi - Guide
Slides: TBD
8. Security & Privacy Considerations of Cryptocurrencies
Types of Wallets, Seeds and archiving
Cryptocurrency Exchanges and Tools
Attack vectors - 51% attack, Selfish Mining, Time Jacking, Eclipse attack, Flood attack, Sybil attacks ...
Anonymity and privacy techniques
Reading & Resources:
Hypotehtical Cryptocurrency Attacks
Application of Zeroknowledge proofs in Blockchain (Medium)
Staying Anonymous on Ethereum - Tornado Cash)
Breaking MimbleWimble Privacy Model
Zeroknowledge-proofs - Intro, comparisons
Zeroknowledge Starter Pack by Eth Research
How to Run BTC node over TOR - Guide
9. Blockchain in Enterprise
Blockchain Consortia - overview adn technologies
Ethereum Enterprise Alliance, Hyperledger, Qorum
EY - Nightfall, Baseline
Reading & Resources:
Enterprise Blockchain Protocols Overview
Enterprise Blockchain Resources by ConsenSys
Baseline Protocol by EY, Microsoft & ConsenSys
10. Alternative sue-cases for Blockchain
Overview of different blockchain usecases and applicaitons
Public sector usecases, Supply Chain, Finance, Timestamping
NOnf-ungible tokens
DeFi - MakerDAO & DAI, Decentralized Exchanges, Lending, Derivatives, Insurance, Aggregators
Reading & Resources:
How to DeFi Book chapters 6 and 7
11. Interoperability in Blockchain
Cosmos, Polkadot
Homogenous vs. heterogenous
different categorization of blockchain interoperability
Reading & Resources:
Blockchian Interoperability: Past, Present, and Future Trends
Slides: TBD
12. Economic and Legal Considerations of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Technology
Legal Challenges of Smart Contracts & Dapps & DAOs
Legal and Economic Aspects of Cryptocurrencies - KYC, AML, MiCA
ICOs, STOs, IEOs, Airdrops, CBDCs
Reading & Resources:
University of Cambridge - 2nd Global Cryptocurrency Benchmarking Study
13. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) - BONUS
Introduciton to DeFi
MakerDAO & DAI
Decentralized Exchanges, Lending, Derivatives, Insurance, Fund Management, Lottery
Uniswap, Compound, Synthetix, Opyn, TokenSets, PoolTogether
Reading & Resources:
Flash Loan Attacks on bZx Explained
DAI Derivatives - github Amazing Primer on Virtual Economy
Slides: TBD
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