CRYPTOCURRENCY 101

CRYPTOCURRENCY 101:
Bitcoin and Beyond
SS 316
Format B

In 2008 a statement appeared online introducing a plan for an anonymous, decentralized, digital currency. Coming simultaneously with the financial crisis and the iPhone, this manifesto for Bitcoin, the world's first cryptocurrency, gradually garnered adherents for new forms of money. A multi-billion-dollar industry resulted. This course traces the history of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in social and political contexts. We’ll look at an overview of blockchain, database systems that make cryptocurrencies possible. We’ll look at the development of other blockchain systems and conclude with an overview of the legal environment and banks' efforts to develop innovations of their own.

Presenter: Bill Maurer, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Professor of Anthropology.

Developer: Mel Roth

Dates:
Tuesdays, May 17, 24

Time:
10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

Facilitators:
Joanne Yeager
Beth Dorin
Pat Linehan