Blockchain Programming
Course code
SCM608
Course type
MSc Course
Weekly Hours
2,5
ECTS
5
Term
FS 2020
Language
Englisch
Lecturers
Prof. Dr. Arnd Huchzermeier
Please note that exchange students obtain a higher number of credits in the BSc-program at WHU than listed here. For further information please contact directly the International Relations Office.
Course content
- Blockchain Foundations:Discover the technology underpinning blockchain, understand the structure of blockchain, and explore the scope of the blockchain industry by analyzing the scale of investment in the industry, key stakeholders, and the evolution of the industry landscape.
- Cryptocurrencies:Explore how blockchain is powering new payment rail and cryptocurrencies, storage of land title registries, and new mechanisms for trading, settlement, and clearing. You will work with in groups to analyze the scope, scale, and trajectory of the market for your own blockchain business strategy.
- Consensus Mechanisms:Consensus mechanisms are protocols that make sure all nodes (device on the blockchain that maintains the blockchain and (sometimes) processes transactions) are synchronized with each other and agree on which transactions are legitimate and are added to the blockchain. As part of this module, we will introduce the most relevant mechanisms and understand their differences.
- Smart Contracts:Introduction to Solidity, the Turing-complete programming language that is underlying the Ethereum network. We will use this session to implement a first smart contract and launch it on the Ethereum blockchain. As part of this effort, we will also introduce Oracles that allow for the incorporation of third-party data sources for smart contracts.
- Privacy & Anonymity:Privacy and security have been overused words in the blockchain sphere. The technology which has taken the world by storm, has dangled security as its main hallmark, enticing industries to adopt it. Privacy, however, is another story. This module will cover the extend to which DLT-based systems are private; we will also conduct some basic blockchain analyses to demonstrate the feasibility of deanonymization.
- Symmetric Encryption:The aim of this module is to teach the basic principles and concepts of modern cryptography. The focus of the module will be on cryptographic problems and their solutions, with a mix of theoretical and applied materials. The module introduces modern cryptography, historical ciphers and cryptanalyses, and symmetric encryption principles.
- Asymmetric Encryption:The aim of the second module is to introduce the most relevant cryptographic algorithms and protocols in use today, especially as they pertain to the enablement of blockchain technology operations (e.g., digital signatures, authentication, etc.).
- Real-world Applications:Explore blockchain trends, investigating the market disruptions caused by technology and the impact of blockchain in industries worldwide, and develop your understanding of the WHU blockchain strategy framework - which you will apply to a blockchain use case as part of your final project.
- Final Presentations:Apply agile principles, patterns and practices to build a proof-of-concept distributed app that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. Utilize open source tools like SSH, GIT, NodeJS, NPM, Truffle, Debian & more.
Class dates
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday, 06.01.2020 | 08:00 - 11:15 |
| Tuesday, 07.01.2020 | 09:45 - 11:15 |
| Thursday, 09.01.2020 | 09:45 - 11:15 |
| Friday, 10.01.2020 | 15:30 - 18:45 |
| Friday, 17.01.2020 | 08:00 - 11:15 |
| Friday, 17.01.2020 | 17:15 - 20:30 |
| Monday, 20.01.2020 | 08:00 - 11:15 |
| Monday, 17.02.2020 | 08:00 - 11:15 |
| Friday, 21.02.2020 | 15:30 - 18:45 |
Literature
Build Your Own Blockchain (eCopy will be provided)
Learningmethods
Lectures, Readings, Labs, Exercises
Exam
- Participation 20%
- Labs 20%
- Quizzes 20%
- Presentation 40%
Requirements
None
Total workload
80h