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Cryptocurrencies & decentralised ledgers (COMP90088)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2024
Overview
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AIMS: Cryptocurrencies enable the transfer of value entirely digitally between users, protected solely by cryptography. Modern cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, rely on a public distributed ledger (also called a blockchain) to record who owns what. This subject introduces students to the theoretical foundations of cryptocurrencies from cryptography and distributed systems, as well as practical skills for programming applications which interact with decentralised ledgers.
INDICATIVE CONTENT:
The subject will be composed of core topics from cryptocurrencies and distributed lectures and will be drawn from a list including:
- Digital signatures
- Authenticated data structures
- Zero-knowledge proofs
- Decentralised consensus protocols
- Smart contract programming.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Analyse the use of digital signatures, zero-knowledge proofs and authenticated data structures in the context of cryptocurrency transaction layers
- Assess the efficiency and security properties of different approaches to decentralised consensus
- Design and optimise adversarial strategies for consensus protocol participants in various models
- Implement and deploy decentralised applications (smart contracts) using application-specific programming languages (e.g. Solidity)
- Measure performance and scalability constraints in different cryptocurrency designs and evaluate their impact on real-world applications including ecological and social tradeoffs of designs.
Generic skills
- An ability to synthesise information and communicate results effectively
- An ability to work effectively as a member of a project team
- In-depth critical and independent thinking and reflection skills
- An ability to solve problems and communicate solutions both orally and in writing
Last updated: 30 January 2024