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

Learning 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 and practical exercises organized in class.

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

The exam consists of the following parts: (i) a written test and (ii) an oral presentation during which students will discuss their assignments.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test, which serves as the admission to the assignments discussion, consists of some questions related to the topics covered in class and it allows the evaluation of the student's theoretical knowledge acquired during the course. For the oral part, students will be evaluated based on the quality of the produced code and the completeness of the reports. The written test and the assignments discussion take place in the same session.

Exam schedule