CS409
Fundamentals of Blockchain
Faculty
Bulat Nasrulin
PostDoc Researcher Distributed Systems at TU Delft
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
In this course, students will learn about the fundamentals of blockchains by building one from scratch. The curriculum is structured around a group project, with interactive lectures providing all the required theoretical and practical knowledge to succeed. The course will cover major classical and modern blockchain architectures as well as applications such as DeFi, NFT, DAO, etc.
Learning highlights
- The key objectives and learning goals of the course are designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of blockchain technology, from its foundational principles to its application in real-world scenarios.
- We will investigate how blockchain protocols function and how decentralisation and security among strangers are achieved. We provide a practitioner perspective on blockchain applications and their implementations.
- Finally, students will collaborate with each other on a group project to design and develop their own blockchain-like network.
Course outline
15 classes
Session 1
Blockchain and Decentralised Systems Defined.
Session 2
Cryptography and Secure Communication Fundamentals.
Session 3
Network Layer and Gossip Algorithms
Session 4
Achieving Convergence Among Strangers
Session 5
Decentralised Consensus Algorithms
Session 6
Security and Liveness of Consensus. Forks
Session 7
Beyond Bitcoin: Blockchain Platforms and Systems
Session 8
Scalability Solutions
Session 9
Beyond Blockchain: Distributed Ledger Technology
Session 10
Smart Contracts: Potential and Pitfalls
Session 11
Tokenomics, Incentives, and DeFi
Session 12
Governance and DAO
Session 13
Benchmarking and Testing Blockchains
Session 14
Coding session. Finalising Projects
Session 15
Final Project Presentations
Prerequisites
Required: Python programming skills, debugging, testing, asynchronous programming, working with git
Nice to have: Experience or knowledge of cryptography and distributed systems
Methodology
Interactive lectures, coding sessions, group projects, weekly reports, and the final presentation of the project. Each week, the group will send a 1-page report and code repository on their progress.
Grading
Bulat is a researcher with experience both as a developer and in research within blockchain systems. He has worked on developing Hyperledger Iroha and has contributed to Polkadot and Filecoin. Currently, he is employed as a researcher at the Technical University Delft in the Netherlands, focusing on cutting-edge research in decentralised reputation systems and blockchain network architectures.
Bulat holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Technical University Delft.
See full profileApply for this course
Fundamentals of Blockchain
by Bulat Nasrulin
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
Apr 08 - Apr 26, 2024
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.