Introduction

This course will provide a comprehensive overview of blockchain and cryptocurrency. We introduce the core encryption technology used in blockchain and the core technologies applied in Bitcoin. Then we introduce the core technologies of the Ethereum and Smart Contracts. We also introduce the development of Decentralized Applications (DApp) using smart contacts. We introduce and compare public and private blockchains and some of the most popular blockchain platforms. A number of popular applications using Blockchain will be introduced. We will discuss the most important issues in blockchains including scalability, security, and performance. We introduce the methods that the blockchain startups are using to attract investments. We also introduce cryptocurrency, token economy, crypto exchanges, and the latest concepts such as DID, DeFI, CBDC, NFT, etc.

Instructor:

Prof. James Won-Ki Hong (PIAI 337) : 054-279-2244, jwkhong(@)postech.ac.kr

Lectures:

• This course will be conducted using flipped learning this term. The lecture materials (videos & notes) can be found at POSTECH LMS (PLMS).
• We will meet on Mon. & Thu. 17:00-18:15 at E2-109.
• Students are expected to watch the video lectures before coming to class. The classes will be mostly used for highlighting important aspects of each lecture and have Q&As, hands-on tutorials, discussions and student presentations.

Teaching Assistant (TA):

• Minseo Kim (Media Computing & Networking Lab, E4 Room 123), dhksfy41(@)postech.ac.kr

Course Schedule:

Course Schedule

We will use Vmeeting for remote presentations or class participation when needed. (https://vmeeting.postech.ac.kr/postech/CS403)

Pre-requisites:

- A course on data stuctures, OS and computer networking are recommended.

Required Textbook:

There will not be a textbook for this course. My lecture slides and various materials (videos, papers, software, presentations, etc.) found from the Internet will be used for the course.

Suggested Materials:

• My K-MOOC lectures on Blockchain & Cryptocurrency (in Korean)
  • Introduction to Blockchain
  • Blockchain & Cryptocurrency (Almost same as this course)
  • Cryptocurrency & Applications
  • Advanced Blockchain & Applications
• My Coursera lectures on Blockchain & Cryptocurrency (in English)
  • Introduction to Blockchain
  • Blockchain Theory & Applications (Part 1)
  • Blockchain Theory & Applications (Part 2)
• Youtube Videos:
  • Blockchain
    - How the blockchain is changing money and business | Don Tapscott (Blockchain Research Institute)
    - Blockchain Economy | William Mougayar | TEDxIndianapolis
    - Top 10 Reasons to Learn Blockchain | Edureka
    
  • Bitcoin
    - Bitcoin White Paper
    - How Bitcoin Works in 5 Minutes (Technical)
    - How Blockchain Works (MIT)
    - How Bitcoin Works Under the Hood
    - Bitcoin: Beyond The Bubble - Full Documentary (2018. 4. 20, 35 minutes)
    
  • Ethereum & Smart Contracts
    - Vitalk Buterin explains Ethereum
    - Decentralizing Everything with Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin
    - Ethereum Explained
    - Proof-of-Stake (vs proof-of-work)
    - Smart contracts - Simply Explained
    
  • Ethereum 2.0
    - Ethereum 2.0: Beacon Chain, Staking & Sharding
  • DApp
    - Decentralized Applications
    - A Guide to Building Your First Decentralized Application
    - IPFS (Inter-Planetary File System)
    
  • Consensus Algorithms
    - What is Proof of Stake-(Ethereum 2.0)
    - DPoS (Delegated Proof of Stake) Explained
    - EOS DPoS
    
  • Hyperledger
    - What is Hyperledger | Blockchain Technology | Blockchain Tutorial for Beginners | Edureka
    - What is Hyperledger Fabric
    - Ethereum vs Hyperledger | Which Blockchain Technology to Choose | Blockchain Training | Edureka
    
  • Token Economy
    - Token Economies
    - Difference between coin, token and protocol
    
  • Use Cases
    - 50+ Real World Use Cases
    
  • My favorite Youtube channel
    - Coin Bureau
    
• Articles & Books:
  - A Survey of Blockchain Security Issues and Challenges
  - Coins, Tokens & Altcoins: What's the Difference?
  - Chrstie's Auction House Leads Art World in Blockchain Technology
  - WHAT PROBLEMS WILL YOU SOLVE WITH BLOCKCHAIN?
  - MedRec (Sample Paper)
  - Blockchain Technology in Drug Discovery: Use-Cases in R&D
  
• Blockchain platforms

International Conferences & Exhibitions

• 2024 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2024), May 27~31, 2024, Dublin, Ireland
• 2023 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2023), May 1~5, 2023, Dubai, UAE
• 2022 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2022), May 2~5, 2022, Beijing, China
• 2021 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2021), May 3~6, 2021, Sydney, Australia
• 2020 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2020), May 3~6, 2020, Toronto, Canada
• 2019 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2019), May 15~17, 2019, Seoul, Korea
• IEEE Blockchain Summit Korea, May 7-8, 2018, Seoul, Korea

Evaluation:

• Evaluation on each student will be done based on the following:
  1. Assignments - 40%
  2. Quizzes - 10%
  3. Term Project - 40%
  4. Class Participation - 10%
• Note: the above evaluation scheme may change slightly during the course.

Term Project:

There will be a major term project (worth 40% of the final mark) on Blockchain. The project topics will be discussed in class. Students will be asked to prepare, submit and present materials (Word & Powerpoint) related to the project throughout the course.

• Project Assignment 1 - Project Ideation (Out: Feb. 29, Due: 5pm, Mar. 18) Presentation (Mar. 18)
  • Submit your choice (First-Come First-Served!)
  • Previous Projects Lists (2022, 2023)
• Project Assignment 2 - Term Project Proposal (Out: Mar. 18, Due: 5pm, Apr. 1) (Presentation: Apr. 1, 2024)
  • Submit your choice (First-Come First-Served!)
  • Previous Projects (2022, 2023)
• Project Assignment 3 - Project Requirements & High-Level Design (Out: Apr. 1, due: 5pm, Apr. 15, 2024) & Presentation (Apr. 15, 2024)
  • Use this guideline to prepare a requirements document for your group project
• Project Assignment 4 - Detailed Design (Out Apr. 15, due: 5pm, Apr. 29, 2024), Presentations (in class, Apr. 29, 2024)
• Term Project Deliverables
  • Powerpoint Slides & Demo Video (due: midnight, June 2, 2024)
  • Final Presentation: 9:30am-12noon, Wed., June 5, 2024, Location: PIAI 453
  • Final Document (Technical Paper on the project in 4-6 page IEEE format, due: midnight June 7, 2024)

• Note: the above project schedule may change slightly during the course.
• Photos from the Final Presentation (Spring 2023)

Assignments:

• There will be a few assignments (worth 40% of the final mark). You should submit your assignment materials to LMS.
  • Assignment 1 - Read and submit a 1-page summary of Bitcoin white paper (5%) (Out: Feb. 22, Due: 5pm, Mar. 4, 2024)
  • Assignment 2 - Survey of Blockchain-based Applications or Projects (5%) (Out: Mar. 4, Due: 5pm, Mar. 11, 2024)
    • Submit your choice (First-Come First-Served!)
    • Previous Survey Lists (2022, 2023)
  • Assignment 3 - Bitcoin Core (7%) (Out: Mar. 14, Due: 5pm, Mar. 28)
  • Assignment 4 - Go-Ethereum (7%) (Out: Mar. 28, Due: 5pm, Apr. 18)
  • Assignment 5 - Smart Contract (8%) (Out: Apr. 18, Due: 5pm, May 2)
    • Smart Contract Tutorial (one of the best Solidity tutorial sites)
  • Assignment 6 - Simple Ethereum Wallet (8%) (Out: May 2, Due: 5pm, May 16)
• Note: the above assignment schedule may change slightly during the course.

• Late assignments may be handed in, but there will be a penalty of 20% of the mark for assignments turned in less than one day late, and an additional penalty of 10% for each day thereafter.

• Cheating Policy -- Cheating will not be tolerated in this course. Students are encouraged discuss things related to courses and assignments but the materials handed in must be his/her own. The maximum penalty for the first offense is for the assignment in question. For subsequent offenses may result in an automatic failure of the course and possibly other academic punishments.

Class Participation:

Students are strongly encouraged to listen to all online lectures, do the quizzes, attend all classes. Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in discussions during classes. 10% of the final mark is assigned for good and active class participation.

Topics Covered:

The following is a tentative list of lecture topics for the course.

1. Introduction
   • Introduction to the course
   • Introduction to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
2. Overview of Cryptography for blockchain
   • Cryptography for blokchain
   • Mechanics of Bitcoin
3. Mechanics of Bitcoin(1)
   • Relationship between Keys and Address
   • Bitcoin Network
4. Mechanics of Bitcoin(2)
   • Introduction to Mining and Consensus
   • The Task of Bitcoin Miners: Mining the block
5. Ethereum(1)
   • Introduction to Ethereum
   • Data Layer
6. Ethereum(2)
   • Consensus / Execution Layer
   • Common / Application Layer
7. DApp: Decentralized App
   • Introduction to DApp
   • DApp Examples
   • How to develop DApp
8. Reading Week
9. Blockchain platforms (1) - EOS
   • Introduction to EOS
   • Features of EOS
   • DPOS Tradeoffs & Attacks
   • Program & Network Structure of EOS
   • Installing EOS
   • Build Hello World on EOS
   • Tutorial on DApp with EOS
10. Blockchain platforms (2) - Hyperledger
    • Introduction to Hyperledger
    • Hyperledger Fabric (1)
    • Hyperledger Fabric (2)
11. Consensus Algorithms
    • Various Consensus Algorithms (1)
    • Various Consensus Algorithms (2)
12. ICO(Initial Coin Offering) and Token Economy
    • Token Economics
    • ICO(Initial Coin Offering)
13. Cryptocurrency Exchanges
    • Introduction to Cryptocurrency Exchanges
    • Centralized vs. Decentralize Cryptocurrency Exchanges
14. Project Presentation 1
15. Project Presentation 2