Blockchain has been recently introduced as a key enabling infrastructure technology for the next generation Internet. It has been used in various industry domains to increase efficiency, to prevent frauds, and to collaborate securely among the untrusted parties without a central authority. Cryptocurrency has also been introduced as a key application of blockchain and enabling token economy. It has been disrupting the traditional monetary system and financial industry. This course will examine advanced topics and identify research topics in blockchain and cryptocurrency. This course is for students who have taken an introductory course on blockchain and is designed for those who wish to do research on blockchain and/or cryptocurrency.

- CSE490U/CSE403 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency course or equivalent is required.

- Evaluation on each student will be done based on the following:
1. Assignments - 45%
2. Term Project - 45%
3. Class Participation - 10%
- Note: the above evaluation scheme may change slightly during the course.

- Mastering Blockchain: Distributed ledger technology, decentralization, and smart contracts explained, 2nd Edition, Packt Publishing, by Imran Bashir, March, 2018.
- Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies Is Changing the World, Portfolio, by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott, June, 2018.
- Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain, 2nd Edition, O'Reilly Media, by Andreas M. Antonopoulos, July 2017.
- Mastering Ethereum: Building Smart Contracts and DApps, 1st Edition, O'Reilly Media, by Andreas M. Antonopoulos and Gavin Wood, Dec. 2018.

1. Introduction to the course and blockchain & cryptocurrency
2. Blockchains (Public, Private, Consortium)
3. Ethereum 2.0
4. Monitoring and Analyzing Public Blockchains
5. Cryptography for Blockchain
6. Databases for Blockchain
7. Scalability and Performance of Blockchain
8. Consensus Algorithms
9. Smart Contracts
10. Mining Server HW/SW
11. Mining Pool Protocols and Operations
12. Cryptocurrencies (Coins, Tokens)
13. Token Economy
14. Crowd funding: ICO, IEO, STO
15. Cryptocurrency Exchanges (Custodial/Non-Custodial)
16. Crypto Analytics
17. Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
18. Blockchain-based Digital Asset Management
19. Crypto Wallets
20. Crypto Custodial Platform/Service
21. KYC, AML, Privacy
22. Decentralized Identity (DID) and Applications
23. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
24. Corporate Cryptocurrencies (e.g., Libra, Link, Klay)
25. Staking
26. Stable Coins (USDT, JP Morgan Coin, Terra LUNA)
27. Fungible Assets and Non-Fungible Assets
28. Regulations & Policies
29. Blockchain-based Applications

- We will meet Tue. & Thu. 15:30-16:45 (E2-107) for off-line lectures, Q&As, discussions and student presentations.
- Some on-line lectures/videos for this course may be provided using PLMS.
- We may have on-line classes using Vmeeting if the COVID-19 situation gets deteriorated and cannot have offline classes.

- Students will be asked to survey an advanced topic in either blockchain or cryptocurrency, do a literature survey on the state of the art on the topic, find a research topic, perform research and then write a paper that can be submitted to an international conference. This term project can be done in groups of two or three students.