Blockchain Security

Starting in HWS 2022/23, we will offer a new lecture focussing on blockchain technology and particulary its security and privacy implications. The course will equip you with a solid understanding of blockchains, their design principles, underlying technologies and cryptographic primitives. After introducing concepts like hash functions, digital signatures and merkle trees, the lecture will cover Bitcoin, Monero and Ethereum in greater detail. You will learn about their protocols and applications, however, a substantial part of the course will be devoted to security issues and possible attacks.

This lecture will pursue a securtiy- and cryptography-oriented approach. A similar lecture focussing on blockchain technology and its applications in general is IS 556 – Public Blockchains.

All information on this website are subject to change!

The course will be offered as an Inverted Lecture. This means, that lecture videos will be uploaded to ILIAS every week. It is crucial that you register for the ILIAS course, otherwise you won't have access to the course materials. You have the possibility to ask any open questions during the regular meetings, which will take place on Fridays, immediately before the exercise session.

• Q&A-Session: Fridays, 13:00 – 13:45(!), Building B6, Room A 101

Please note that the time of this session deviates from the usual schedule at the University of Mannheim.

The lecture is accompanied by a weekly exercise session held by Jochen Schäfer. The exercise sessions will focus on the application of what you learned in the lecture and will give you the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in working with blockchains.

• Exercise session: Fridays, 13:45 – 15:15, Building B6, Room A 101