Foundations of Cryptocurrency
Program Overview
CRYPTO 101 provides a rigorous, systems-first introduction to cryptocurrency and digital asset networks. The program emphasizes conceptual clarity, historical context, and technical foundations without reliance on market speculation or promotional narratives.
Students examine how cryptocurrencies emerged, how they function at a protocol level, and how digital asset systems interact with economic, legal, and governance frameworks. The curriculum prioritizes understanding over advocacy, treating digital assets as technical and institutional phenomena worthy of serious academic study.
The curriculum traces the development of digital currency from early cypherpunk experiments through the creation of Bitcoin and subsequent protocol innovations. Students engage with primary sources including foundational whitepapers, technical documentation, and academic research. Emphasis is placed on developing analytical frameworks that remain valid regardless of market conditions or industry sentiment.
By completion, students possess the conceptual vocabulary and analytical foundation necessary for advanced study or professional engagement with digital asset systems.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of CRYPTO 101, students will be able to:
- Explain the origins and evolution of cryptocurrency from pre-Bitcoin experiments to contemporary systems
- Distinguish between major blockchain architectures and their underlying design philosophies
- Analyze core protocol mechanisms including consensus, cryptographic primitives, and network topology
- Identify system-level risks, trade-offs, and security considerations in digital asset networks
- Articulate the relationship between technical design choices and emergent system properties
- Apply rigorous analytical frameworks to evaluate claims about cryptocurrency systems
Assessment Structure
Competency is demonstrated through multiple assessment types.
Timed Written Examination
Comprehensive assessment covering historical context, technical fundamentals, and conceptual frameworks. Tests factual recall, definitional precision, and analytical reasoning. Duration: 90 minutes. Covers all course modules with emphasis on demonstrating systematic understanding rather than isolated memorization.
Analytical Short Essays
Series of three focused written responses (800-1200 words each) requiring synthesis of course material and application to specific scenarios or comparisons. Evaluated on argumentative clarity, accurate use of technical concepts, and quality of analytical reasoning.
Applied Protocol Analysis
Practical exercise requiring students to analyze a blockchain protocol using frameworks developed in the course. Students receive protocol documentation and must produce a structured analysis covering architecture, consensus mechanism, security properties, and design trade-offs.
Progression
CRYPTO 101 is open enrollment with no prerequisites. Successful completion of all assessments is required to advance to CRYPTO 201. Advancement is determined solely by demonstrated competency—there is no selective admissions process, waitlist, or capacity limitation. Students who do not pass may reattempt assessments according to the reassessment policy.
CRYPTO 201
Intended Audience
Professionals, researchers, and serious learners seeking foundational literacy in digital asset systems. No prior technical background is required, though familiarity with basic computing concepts is helpful. The program assumes no prior cryptocurrency knowledge and builds systematically from first principles.
Credential Issued
Certificate of Completion — CRYPTO 101
Verifiable through the MIDAS credential registry. Confirms completion of structured coursework and demonstrated competency through assessment.