Blockchain Foundations & Cryptography
Weeks 1-4We start with the mathematical foundations that make blockchain technology secure and reliable. You'll work with hash functions, digital signatures, and Merkle trees through hands-on exercises. The module covers consensus mechanisms like Proof of Work and Proof of Stake, examining their energy implications and scalability trade-offs.
Learning Objectives
- Implement basic cryptographic functions using Python libraries
- Analyze different consensus mechanisms and their economic incentives
- Design simple blockchain data structures
- Evaluate security vulnerabilities in distributed systems