Blockchain 101 with Campbell R. Harvey
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The way that we exchange property is ripe for disruption over the next few years. Current methods are expensive e. Target "lost" private information for 40 million customers. This course analyzes peer-to-peer methods of exchanging and identifying ownership that are highly secure, involve minimal trust between transacting parties, and have extremely low transactions costs.
This is not simply a course exploring transactions in bitcoin. The idea of the course is to understand a disruptive technology and to assess its implications on how business is conducted in the future. Much of our focus is on the network behind bitcoin and the many ventures that campbell harvey duke blockchain already begun to capitalize this innovation. This network, which includes the blockchain, provides a secure way to verify ownership of anything. The security is established by the massive computing power necessary to add to the blockchain.
Think of the blockchain as a secure repository of common knowledge. A wide range of items can be attached to the blockchain from ownership of campbell harvey duke blockchain car or access to cloud computing to medical records.
Indeed, it is possible to create algorithmic campbell harvey duke blockchain within this network. This leads to the possibility of disruptions not just in finance stocks, bonds, etc. It is even possible to create what is known as a distributed autonomous corporation — essentially an autonomous computer program that employs people and conducts business as a corporation would.
The course is available to Campbell harvey duke blockchain students, MBA students, graduate students, and undergraduates with the expectation that undergraduate students will demonstrate a strong set of technical skills.
Permission of the instructor is required for enrollment. Campbell harvey duke blockchain get to know me, go to my homepage and follow some of the links, for example my Media page or campbell harvey duke blockchain most recent research papers. The Man Group is the second largest hedge fund group in the world. We meet once a week on Thursdays from campbell harvey duke blockchain The first class meeting is on January A full schedule of the class meetings is found below.
There is a single deliverable. This course is a challenge to grade because everyone has their own expertise. Hence, the course grade is determined by a single entrepreneurial group project that is presented near the end of the course.
The ideal group size is four with representation from law, business, computer science and other. I will form the groups. At campbell harvey duke blockchain end of the term, group members score the contributions of each member to avoid free-riding. The project is to pitch a campbell harvey duke blockchain venture idea linked to blockchain. Each group comes up with an idea and hopefully the distribution of expertise within the group makes the ideas very high quality. E-mail me at cam.
At odd hours, you can text me at if I am not campbell harvey duke blockchain, I simply turn it off, so don't hesitate to text You can also call me. Again, when I am busy or sleeping, my phone is on do not disturb. NDAs may be required for outside presentations.
In addition, we yes, including me will need to sign documents to minimize the chance that any group ideas are poached after the course ends. Read whatever you can on bitcoin to start with. It is easy to find material and some of that material is listed below. You should look at the original Satoshi Nakamoto paper it is difficult to read.
There are now plenty of sites that have introductions to bitcoin -- even the Khan Academy. We will have a number of guest appearances both from within Duke University and outside. We campbell harvey duke blockchain frequently engage guests by video conference. In class experts include, David T. Cox, Brainerd Currie Professor of Law, Duke Law School, who will talk about the risk of cryptocurrencies being classified as securities. Here is a tentative list of topics.
The schedule is somewhat fluid in that I may spend longer on some topics and spillover to the next class. I might add or delete topics. I will also be interested in your input for topics. We explore some of the common misunderstandings about bitcoin.
The strengths and weakness of the current implementation are also introduced. We circle back and explore in greater details how transactions occur on the blockchain. Mining is also examined.
The history and mechanics of digital currencies. We detail the pros and cons of digital currencies. We introduce some alternative currencies. We first discuss the problem the blockchain solves. This involves a discussion of Byzantine General's Problem. We also spend time on recent developments of businesses using blockchain technology. This includes an campbell harvey duke blockchain to counterparty, bitshares, coloredcoins, and side-chains.
Discussion of all of the risks that the new technology faces. Examples of disruption include: There is an open discussion on the next targets for disruption. Objective will be to help students understand why VC's are interested in investing in bitcoin-related technologies.
Topics include walking students through some of the mechanics surrounding how VC's take ownership stakes in private companies, how these stakes are diluted through subsequent rounds of investing, and how their returns are realized through exits.
Some simple math helps to illustrate why VC's naturally gravitate campbell harvey duke blockchain highly right-skewed payoff distributions. Then, coordinating with the law faculty, students are taken through the contours of a VC term sheet. An campbell harvey duke blockchain, legally, what money means and how—and functionally, why—bitcoins fit within that definition. The regulatory environment is also assessed.
Introduction of the science of communication the presence of an adversary. While we only provide an overview of each method, this is a challenging but important campbell harvey duke blockchain. The time allotment depends on the enrollement. Presentations need to allow time for questions. Last half hour for course summary.
Protocol definitions and history: Network Status and Adoption Trends: Bitcoin legal, accounting, and regulatory status: Bitcoin risks and critiques: Mining, Security, and Network Scalability: Bitcoins and Venture Capital: Innovation and Cryptoventures Campbell R.