Course assignements for CS5431 Blockchains, Cryptocurrencies, and Smart Contracts taugh by Ari Juels at Cornell Tech.
Course covers topics Bitcoin, Basic Crypto: Hash Functions, Public-Key Cryptography, Transactions/Scripts, Byzantine Agreement, Bitcoin Mining, Permissionless Consenses (Nakamoto Consensus), Proof of Stake, Wallets and Key Management, Privacy in Cryptocurrencies, Smart Contracts, Zero Knowledge Proofs, Privacy Coins, Oracles, DeFi: DEXes, Miner Extractable Value, Criminal SC's and Pyramid Schemes, NFT's, Decentralized Identity
Q1. Intro to Hash Functions
Became intimate with Hash Functions and generated my own currency Micromint in generateCoins.py
Q2. Intro to Merkle Trees
Built a merkle tree in merkle.py implemented as a complete binary tree so commitments can be verified as root node
Files: merkle.py
Q3. Intro into Digital Signature Schemes
Explored a hash-based signature scheme to sign and verify messages. KeyGen, Sign, Signature Forgery and Double signatures are explored
Files: signature.py and test.py
Q1. Signatures, Hashing, Sealing
Implemented a Proof Of Work algorithm to verify valid blocks Implemented a Proof of Authority algorithm to mine blocks
Files: block.py, chain.py, poa_block.py, pow_block.py, utily.py
Q2. Exploring UTXO Management in Wallets
Understanding potential vulnerabilities in UTXO systems and identifying solutions.
Q3. Peer 2 Peer Networks
Explored and implemented a P2P network to broadcast blockchain information over a network
Files: gossip.py
Q1. Tokens and Simple Smart Contracts
Implements an ERC20 withdraw function to get familiar with Solidity coding. Deployed Smart Contract on a test network to verify functionality
Files: ERC20.sol
Q2. Gaming Contracts
Implemented a strategy to defeat monster on EtheremonLite contract. Explored and understood vulnerabilities created with public smart contracts
Files: winBattle.sol
Q3. Anonymity with Tumblers and Mixers?
Deanonymized users on the BTC network by mapping inputs to outputs from a mixing service. Discussed the cons with mixing services in cryptocurrencies.
