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Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies, ICS 491

This page is https://www2.hawaii.edu/~esb/2024spring.ics491/

This page is subject to change without notice -- please reload it in your browser if an item that might affect you may have changed.

The lectures for this class are in POST 318A every Tuesday and Thursday 1:30-2:45pm.

Office hours and contact information for the instructor are available in the Resources on Laulima.

The textbook for the course is "Mastering Blockchain", 4th edition (Released March 2023), by Imran Bashir, ISBN: 9781803241067, published by Packt Publishing and also available through the usual channels. Due to the continuing evolution of the field, the 4th edition (2023) is required.

The class will also study the freely available Bitcoin whitepaper, and likely also the Ethereum whitepaper.

Schedule

This schedule is subject to change.

Grading

This grading scheme is tentative, and may change during the semester.

This course has occasional homework assignments and projects. Each of these is done individually by default, but if interested in doing a particular project as a group, please contact the instructor.

To accomodate the potential for covid or other emergencies affecting academic performance,

This is intended for use with covid or other emergencies. It need not be justified, but will also not be extended in any way, so students should not take advantage of it unless actually needed (or until the end of the semester, whichever comes first).

Exams may be taken early, if requested at least one week before the scheduled time. Under no circumstances may an exam be taken late.

Grading will use the standard cutoffs of 97% (A+), 93% (A), 90% (A-), 87% (B+), 83% (B), 80% (B-), 77% (C+), 73% (C), 70% (C-), 67% (D+), 63% (D), 60% (D-).

Accomodations

If you feel you need reasonable accomodations because of the impact of a disability, please (1) contact the Kokua (Disability Access) Program at 808-956-7511 or in room 013 of the Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services, and/or (2) speak privately with the instructor to discuss your specific needs. I will be happy to work with you and the Kokua program to meet your access needs related to your documented disability.

Goals of this Course and Learning Objectives

The goal of this course is to learn more about how blockchains work and how they are used to create cryptocurrencies.

Since this is a technical area that is still rapidly evolving, the main focus of this class is on the fundamentals that are likely to stand the test of time. There is also a substantial focus on recent and current developments, including not just technology, but also the social aspects of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

Cheating

In this course, most assignments are individual, unless a group is approved by the instructor. Any other collaboration is considered cheating.

Using resources from the web in assignments is acceptable if those resources are properly identified (cited, referenced) in the assignment. Using AI assistants or other automated assistance is also acceptable as long as the assistance is properly identified, including a clear idea of the prompts used.

The final project is either individual or group. Groups must be approved by the instructor.

Each of the midterm exams must be done individually.

Policy: any cheating will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment, project or exam the first time it is detected, and a grade of F for the entire course for any subsequent instance. Any instance of cheating may also be reported to the office of the Dean of Students, possibly resulting in disciplinary action against the student. The Student Conduct Code has more details on both impermissible behavior (see for example section IV.B.1 of the policies, Acts of dishonesty) and possible disciplinary sanctions.

Improvements

Any suggestions for improvement to this web page or to the course are welcome.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) TITLE IX SYLLABUS INFORMATION

UHM is committed to providing a learning, working and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect and is free of all forms of sex discrimination and gender-based violence, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. If you or someone you know experiences any of these, UHM has staff and resources on campus to support and assist you. Staff also can direct you to resources in the community. Here are some:

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If you wish to REPORT an incident of sex discrimination or gender-based violence including sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking as well as receive information and support, contact: 

Dee Uwono
Director and Title IX Coordinator
Hawaiʻi Hall 124
2500 Campus Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-2299
t9uhm@hawaii.edu

As a member of the University faculty, I am required to immediately report any incident of sex discrimination or gender-based violence to the campus Title IX Coordinator. Although the Title IX Coordinator and I cannot guarantee confidentiality, you will still have options about how your case will be handled. My goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options available to you and have access to the resources and support you need. For more information regarding sex discrimination and gender-based violence, the University’s Title IX resources and the University’s Policy, EP 1.204, go to: http://www.manoa.hawaii.edu/titleix/