SIL 763/7163 Introduction to Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contract

General Information

Semester: II, 2025-2026
Timings: Mon/Thur 14:00-15:30 (Slot AA)
Venue: LH 621 TA: TBA

Honour Code

• All students are expected to follow the highest ethical standards.
• Collaborations and discussions are encouraged. However, all students are required to write up all solutions entirely on their own. Any collaboration, or help taken, must be declared.
• Students are encouraged to refer to books, papers and internet resources. They may even consult other individuals. However, the source must be clearly cited if any part of the solution (or even an idea) is taken from such a source.
• Plagiarism is viewed very seriously. Any case of copying (or allowing to copy) of written text or code would immediately be awarded:
  • Negative of the the total of the assessment in which cheating was caught and a letter-grade drop
  • Referral to the Departmental DISCO
• All written/programming tasks are to performed on your own, other than when group-work is explicitly specified.

Learning Outcomes

The students will gain and understanding of:

• Foundations: The motivation behind blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts.

• Core Components: The essential ingredients of blockchains, including Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networking and cryptographic primitives.

• Bitcoin Architecture: The specific structure of the Bitcoin blockchain.

• Consensus & Security: Blockchain consensus protocols, mining strategies, and potential attacks.

• Scalability: Solutions for scaling blockchains, such as sharding, Segregated Witness (SegWit), and the Lightning Network.

• Ethereum Ecosystem: Smart contracts and the concept of Blockchain as a Service (BaaS).

• Recent Trends: Privacy via zkVMs, L2 chains (rollups), Cross-chain bridges

Grading Policy:

• Transcribing: 07
• In-class Quizzes (2): 08 (Detailed split-up: TBA)
• Lab Assignments: 30 (Detailed split-up: TBA)
• Minor, Major: 25, 30

Late submission policy

10% penalty for each day over the deadline. Maximum of 2 days allowed after which summary zero will be awarded (unless there is a medical emergency – for which you will have to provide a letter from the doctor).

Other Policies:

• Attendance: The Institute requires a mandatory 75% attendance for all students, which includes time lost due to illness. The course mandates 75% pre-minor required for reminor, 75% in semester for remajor.

• Illness: In sickness or ill-health, a Medical Certificate from the Institute Sick Bay, or a doctor from an Institute hospital is necessary, especially if you request for a make-up test. Only in the case of serious illnesses will I consider giving an extension on assignments.

Class notes and Programs developed in the class