OVERVIEW

This course will explore the fundamentals of blockchains, their cryptographic principles, smart contracts, and some frameworks introduced to help developers building decentralized applications in the Web3 ecosystem.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Can a fully decentralized system be sustainable? We will study the techniques and problems related to systems based on permissioned and permissionless blockchains, and decentralized systems in general, examining with particular attention the aspects related to security.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

DISCUSS decentralized consensus algorithms and their use in peer-to-peer networks
EXPLAIN how cryptographic techniques guarantee the security of distributed ledgers
ANALYSE basic scalability issues in blockchain architectures and DESCRIBE some solutions proposed in the literature
DISCUSS some security and privacy issues in blockchain architectures and their countermeasure
IMPLEMENT basic smart contracts interacting with programmable blockchains (e.g., Ethereum, Solana)
USE available tools and libraries to interact with deployed smart contracts
UNDERSTAND basic economic, ethical and environmental problems behind blockchain platforms

PREREQUISITES

To be successful in this course, students should have basic knowledge on:

• Computer networks
• Distributed systems
• Programming (JavaScript, Python)

TEACHING METHODS

This course includes lectures, practical exercises, and self-study at home.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• How to build a shared state without central authorities
  •  Algorithms to achieve consensus in a decentralized and adversarial system (e.g.,  Byzantine, PoW, PoS, ...)
  •  Cryptographic techniques
  •  Peer-to-peer network protocols
• Programmable blockchains and decentralized applications
  •  Languages and frameworks for smart contracts and client applications
  •  Peer-to-peer file systems
  •  Practicing with test networks
  •  Writing secure and efficient code
• Scalability issues and solutions
  •  Layer 2 (off-chain) networks
  •  Sharding: reducing computational redundancy
• Security and Privacy issues
  •  Anonymizing and de-anonymizing users and transactions
  •  Attacks and defenses for smart contracts

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scientific papers and other resources will be indicated on AulaWeb during the course.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MATTEO DELL'AMICO (President)

GIOVANNI LAGORIO

MARINA RIBAUDO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

In agreement with the calendar approved by the Degree Program Board of Computer Science.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination with discussion of the:

• practical exercises assigned during the course
• theory introduced during lectures

ASSESSMENT METHODS

During the oral exam students will be evaluated based on:

• the quality of the produced code and the completeness of the reports
• their understanding of the theoretical concepts covered in the course
• their presentation skills

Exam schedule