CMSC818C

Decentralized cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have emerged as a highly disruptive technology that enable, for example, monetary transactions and the execution of smart contracts without the control of a central authority. They have sparked the interest of computer scientists, economists and policymakers and promise to revolutionize the way we think about our financial infrastructure. This graduate class will cover the technical background behind decentralized cryptocurrencies protocols and will introduce students to research on the security and privacy of blockchain technologies.