Slides for the Conference skills course (University of Luxembourg). Task: present the topic of your research to a mixed audience (PhD students in other areas) in 2 minutes! Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evfkCO-6UQE

1. Blockchain
security research
(in 2 minutes)
Sergei Tikhomirov 16 March 2017

2. The Problem (solved, but…)
● Digital information is easily copied
● Can we model a scarce resource (think gold)?

3. Bitcoin (2008)
● Breakthrough digital cash system
● Cleverly combines cryptography & economics
● Profitable to be honest!

4. Ethereum (2014)
● Same idea + full-fledged programming envrmnt
● Express financial contracts in special language
● Network executes them automatically
● No trusted party required!

5. Scientific Fields Involved
● Cryptography (signatures, hashes, zkp’s)
● Programming languages design
● Network architecture (consensus)
● Game Theory (incentives)
● Economics (monetary policy)
● Finance (trading, exchanges)

6. Challenges
● New threat model
● New programming paradigm
● Security is very important

7. Promises of the Technology
● Global digital financial system
● No inflated fees, frozen accounts, holidays
● Complex agreements in precise language –
programmers instead of lawyers

8. Last Slide
https://www.cryptolux.org/
https://s-tikhomirov.github.io/