Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Decentralized Finance

Recommended Prerequisites

Courses units: Financial Products and Markets, Monetary Economics, Financial Economics and Risk.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical-practical sessions through expositive methods, using audiovisual techniques, where basic concepts are presented and discussed and examples, news and online information sources are presented. Students are encouraged to make a critical analysis and participate in the debate about the various themes presented in class. These sessions are complemented with individual attention periods for clarification of doubts.

Learning Outcomes

This curricular unit is characterized as an introductory level course about cryptocurrencies, blockchain and decentralized finance. At the end of the course unit the student is expected to be able to: (1) briefly describe the evolution of the cryptocurrency market from the creation of Bitcoin to the present, (2) understand the main financial characteristics of bitcoin and altcoins, (3) understand the similarities and differences between cryptocurrencies and fiat money, (4) perform transactions in cryptocurrencies and NFTs, recognizing the relationship between profitability and risk, (5) basically understand how blockchain works, (6) understand the principles of the FinTech industry, analyzing its recent developments and recognizing the advantages, disadvantages and risks.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies: A historical perspective
2. Stylized facts of cryptocurrency markets
3. Cryptocurrencies, money and central banks
4. Cryptocurrency investment and NFTs
5. Blockchain. Basic concepts, protocols and mining
6. Other applications of Blockchain
7. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
8. Complements on decentralised finance (DeFi).

Head Lecturer(s)

Hélder Miguel Correia Virtuoso Sebastião

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam: 40.0%
Research work: 60.0%

Bibliography

Antonopoulos. A. M. Mastering Bitcoin. O’Reily Media, Sebastopol, United States, 2015
Tapscott, D. &; Tapscott, A. Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies is Changing
the World, Penguin Books Ltd, London, United Kingdom, 2018
Harvey, C. R., Ramachandran, A. & Santoro, J. DeFi and the Future of Finance, Wiley, New York, United States, 2021
Lipton, A., &; Treccani, A. Blockchain and Distributed Ledgers: Mathematics, Technology, and Economics. World Scientific, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1142/11857
Uma lista atualizada de leituras on-line é fornecida ao final de cada aula, uma vez que as questões tratadas neste curso constituem  disciplinas recentes e em rápida evolução