Week 1 Week 2 of 12 Week 12

Week 2: Blockchain Foundations

Ethereum, smart contracts, and the technical infrastructure of DeFi

Complete

--- ## Learning Objectives

1. Explain Ethereum's consensus mechanism
2. Understand smart contract execution
3. Calculate gas costs for transactions
4. Compare different blockchain platforms for DeFi

## Topics Covered

Ethereum architecture Smart contracts fundamentals Gas and transaction costs EVM and bytecode Layer 1 vs Layer 2 solutions

--- ## Resources

Lecture Slides

Download PDF presentation

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Self-Assessment Quiz

Test your knowledge

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Interacting with Smart Contracts

Open in Google Colab

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--- ## Required Readings

Paper	Authors	Year	Link
Ethereum: A Next-Generation Smart Contract and Decentralized Application Platform	Buterin	2014	Link

--- ## Reading Guide: Reading Guide: Ethereum and Smart Contracts

2 hours Ethereum architecture Smart contract execution Gas economics

Understanding Ethereum's technical architecture and the role of smart contracts in enabling DeFi.

View Reading Guide

--- ## Exercise: Ethereum Transaction Analysis

100 Points 3-4 hours medium

Analyze Ethereum transactions, understand gas mechanics, and interact with smart contracts using web3.py.

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--- ## Discussion & Questions

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Week 2 Discussion Ask a Question

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