To really understand what is special about Bitcoin, we need to understand how it works at a technical level. We’ll address the important questions about Bitcoin, such as:
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.6
(3,027 reviews)
23 hours to complete
3 weeks at 7 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
95%
Most learners liked this course
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Taught in English
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There are 11 modules in this course
Learn about cryptographic building blocks ("primitives") and reason about their security. Work through how these primitives can be used to construct simple cryptocurrencies.
What's included
6 videos1 reading1 programming assignment
Learn Bitcoin's consensus mechanism and reason about its security. Appreciate how security comes from a combination of technical methods and clever incentive engineering.
What's included
5 videos
Learn how the individual components of the Bitcoin protocol make the whole system tick: transactions, script, blocks, and the peer-to-peer network.
What's included
6 videos
This week we'll explore how using Bitcoins works in practice: different ways of storing Bitcoin keys, security measures, and various types of services that allow you to trade and transact with bitcoins.
What's included
7 videos1 programming assignment
We already know that Bitcoin relies crucially on mining. But who are the miners? How did they get into this? How do they operate? What's the business model like for miners? What impact do they have on the environment?
What's included
5 videos
Is Bitcoin anonymous? What does that statement even mean—can we define it rigorously? We'll learn about the various ways to improve Bitcoin's anonymity and privacy and learn about Bitcoin's role in Silk Road and other hidden marketplaces.
What's included
6 videos
We'll look at all the ways that the world of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency technology touches the world of people. We'll discuss the community, politics within Bitcoin and the way that Bitcoin interacts with politics, and law enforcement and regulation issues.
What's included
8 videos1 programming assignment
Not everyone is happy about how Bitcoin mining works: its energy consumption and the fact that it requires specialized hardware are major sticking points. This week we'll look at how mining can be re-designed in alternative cryptocurrencies.
What's included
5 videos
One of the most exciting things about Bitcoin technology is its potential to support applications other than currency. We'll study several of these and study the properties of Bitcoin that makes this possible.
What's included
5 videos
Hundreds of altcoins, or alternative cryptocurrencies, have been started, either to fix Bitcoin's perceived flaws or to pursue different goals and properties. We'll look at everything that goes into an altcoin and how they interact with Bitcoin.
What's included
4 videos
The use of Bitcoin technology for decentralizing property, markets, and so on has been hailed as a recipe for economic and political disruption. We'll look at the technological underpinnings of these proposals and the potential impact on society.
What's included
4 videos
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.6 (306 ratings)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Computer Security and Networks
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
SkillUp EdTech
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Learner reviews
4.6
3,027 reviews
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Showing 3 of 3027
CY
5
Reviewed on Aug 30, 2017
Excellent intro course into blockchain technology and potential applications could be built on top of it. Also, if you're technical there are programming assignments which reinforce your learning.
MB
5
Reviewed on Mar 10, 2018
Great course, a very broad and in-depth overview of concepts surrounding cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in particular. Would be great to have an update of course; perhaps once the ICO craze is over? (-:
KN
4
Reviewed on Sep 1, 2017
Interesting course. Good points: material is interesting and comprehensive, lecturers are knowledgeable. Not so good points: assignment specifications and test code is poor (or non-existent).
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