Loading...
Introduction to Blockchain and Decentralized Finance (Part 1 of 2)
Registration
Registration is now closed (this event already took place).
Details
Bitcoin is now more than 10 years old. The last decade has seen a rapid growth of decentralized currency and for the first time it has opened the possibility of exchanging value between any two people in the world without an intermediatory. In the first session, I will start with a brief history and then present a technical overview of how Bitcoin works. Another major development in the last five years is the rise of Ethereum, a form of programmable blockchain. Different from Bitcoin, it enables deterministic execution of complex agreements via smart contracts. This part of the lecture focuses on the meaning of smart contracts and the types of applications (called DApps) that can been developed in the Ethereum ecosystem. Decentralized finance (DeFi) is a rapidly growing system of innovative financial products that are built on blockchains. These products lower the entry barrier for complex financial products and investment strategies that traditionally rely on centralized authorities for access. At the same time, DeFi products can reduce transaction costs and create network effects without creating monopolies. In the second session, I will discuss the three most important DeFi products: 1) Stable currencies 2) Decentralized exchanges, and 3) Peer-to-peer lending. Both the sessions will include live and interactive demonstrations.
What to expect:
Double workshop (meets twice a week for 2-hour sessions, 4 total hours of meeting time)
Meet the facilitator Pranay Anchuri. Pranay has a Ph.D. in computer science and his research areas include networks, blockchain, and distributed systems. Pranay worked as a Blockchain Research Scientist for couple of years at a NY based company, and is currently a Schmidt DataX Data Scientist at the Center for Information Technology Policy. Please visit https://citp.princeton.edu/citp-people/pranay-anchuri/ for Pranay's Bio.
To request accommodations for this event, please contact the workshop or event facilitator at least 3 working days prior to the event.