Blockchain and Cryptoassets. (3 h)

This course provides an introduction to blockchain and cryptoassets. We begin by discussing Bitcoin, clarifying the innovation that it provided but also highlighting why it performs poorly as a payment system. We then discuss Ethereum and smart contracts. We clarify both new opportunities and new difficulties that arise when a blockchain allows for processing of smart contracts. We conclude by discussing more recently launched blockchains such as Cardano and Algorand. P- FIN 203 with a C or better and FIN 232 with a C or better.