Help you think about what the meaning behind everything we are building is?
Author: Stanford Blockchain
Compiled by: Deep Tide TechFlow
*Note: This article comes from the Stanford Blockchain Review, and Deep Tide TechFlow is a partner of the Stanford Blockchain Review, authorized to compile and reproduce it exclusively.
About this Reading List
This reading list is prepared for students who are new to the blockchain field and wish to gain a deeper understanding. The content mainly comes from easily readable blog posts published by Stanford Blockchain on the Stanford Blockchain Review, accompanied by guiding questions to help you think about "What is the meaning behind everything we are building?"
The content is divided into several thematic modules, from the basic principles of the field to specific subfields of cryptocurrency, helping you find your interests and carve your own path in this area.
Module 1 - Why Choose Cryptocurrency? What is the Core of Web3?
Recommended Courses: CS 251, LAW 1043, MS&E 447
Deep Tide Note: The course codes refer to Stanford University's course numbers, commonly found on some open course websites.
Module Goals
This module introduces the design principles and guiding philosophies of the cryptocurrency/Web3 field. As you read, consider the following questions:
Why do we need Web3? How can the concept of Web3 be placed in the context of internet history?
Why is blockchain important in Web3? What role do crypto tokens play in it?
Why does cryptocurrency have such a unique subculture, unlike other emerging technologies like AI, AR, and robotics?
How did Bitcoin and Ethereum become typical cases of crypto innovation?
Reading List
Jay Yu's “The Ideology of Web3”, published in October 2022 on Medium.
“#35 - Read Write Own: Chris Dixon Talks About Building the Next Era of the Internet”, published in January 2024 in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Optional Reading List
Chris Dixon's “Read Write Own”. Full book - 2024.
Vitalik Buterin's “The Most Important Scarce Resource is Legitimacy”. March 2021, published on Vitalik's blog. (This article contains some technical difficulties)
Module 2 - Modern Crypto Applications: The Application of Crypto Technology in Daily Life
Recommended Course: BUSGEN 102
Module Goals
After understanding the basic principles and industry goals of cryptocurrency, we will explore how these principles affect daily life. This module will examine various consumer applications of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
We will particularly focus on two important applications of crypto technology: ERC-20 standard fungible tokens and ERC-721 standard non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and how they integrate into daily life. As you read the following articles, consider the following questions:
What common themes do these applications share? How do ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens enable us to build applications that were previously unattainable?
How do these new applications help cryptocurrency achieve the goal of rebuilding the internet? What are the cultural impacts of these technologies?
Which traditional industries or concepts might these technologies disrupt?
Reading List
ERC-721 Non-Fungible Tokens:
Jay Yu's “The Digital Future of Luxury: Minting Your Watch as an NFT”. May 2024, published on Medium.
“#42 - LVMH in Web3: Bringing Your Handbag into the Metaverse”. May 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review. Based on a conversation with Nelly Mensah, Vice President of Digital Innovation at LVMH.
ERC-20 Fungible Tokens:
“#50 - USDC and the Future of the Dollar”. August 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review. A conversation with Heath Tarbert, Chief Legal Officer of Circle and former CFTC Chairman.
“#20 - The Rise of Pepecoin and Meme-Backed Currency”. June 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Optional Reading List
ERC-20 Token Standard. Ethereum Developer Documentation.
ERC-721 Token Standard. Ethereum Developer Documentation.
Ragzy's “#31 - An Artist's Perspective on NFTs”. December 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Sean Yu's “#07 - The Economics of Blockchain Gaming”. March 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Bridget Harris and Gaby Goldberg's “Revisiting Borderless Payments”. December 2023.
Andrew Chow's “Can Crypto Applications Be the Answer for Struggling Restaurants?”. July 2024, published in Time Magazine.
Reza Jafery's “What is Polymarket? An Explanation of Decentralized Prediction Markets”. July 2024, published in Decrypt.
Module 3 - Decentralized Exploration: DeFi, DePIN, and DAOs
Recommended Courses: CS 352B/LAW 1078
Module Goals
With a foundational understanding of the potential applications of cryptocurrency, we will delve into one of its core commitments—decentralization. Why is decentralization important? How do we design and maintain decentralized applications?
This module will explore this ideal through case studies of decentralized finance (DeFi), decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). As you read, consider the following questions:
Why do we need these decentralized systems? How do they help achieve the overall goals of cryptocurrency?
What are the pros and cons of decentralized applications? How can we ensure that decentralized systems remain robust in the face of complex adversaries?
To what extent are current crypto systems truly decentralized?
Reading List
DeFi
Jay Yu's “#11 - MEV and Flashbots: A Unique DeFi Story”. May 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Kole Lee's “#36 - To Jupiter and Beyond: Exploring Solana's DeFi Hub and Its Future”. February 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
DePIN
- Paul Veradittakit's “#32 - DePIN: The Convergence of Decentralized Hardware and the New Data Economy”. December 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
DAOs
Poramin Insom's “#27 - Integrating Bureaucratic Principles into Decentralized Governance”. October 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Billy Gao's “#47 - The Saga of Uniswap's BNB Chain Deployment”. July 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Optional Reading List
Daian et al.'s “Flash Boys 2.0: Front Running, Transaction Reordering, and Consensus Instability in Decentralized Exchanges”.
Messari's “State of DePIN 2023”.
Module 4 - Blockchain Infrastructure: The Power Behind These Applications
Recommended Courses: CS 255, CS 244B, EE 374, CS 355
Module Goals
Previously, we primarily understood cryptocurrency from the application layer. Now, we will delve into the infrastructure that supports these applications. Given that the current focus of the crypto industry is on infrastructure development, we cannot cover everything, so we have selected some representative projects to showcase different approaches to solving core infrastructure issues in blockchain.
Please consider the following questions in this section:
What core problems do these infrastructure projects attempt to solve?
How does the infrastructure they build benefit applications and end users?
What are the major trends and unresolved issues in the blockchain infrastructure space?
Reading List
“#29 - Arbitrum Stylus: A New Standard for Smart Contract Composability”. Interview with Rachel Bousfield from Offchain Labs. October 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Matt Katz's “#25 - Caldera: The Case for Dedicated Rollups”. September 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Kydo's “#39 - EigenLayer Explained: You Could Have Invented EigenLayer”. February 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Roy Lu's “#22 - Moore's Law for Zero-Knowledge Proofs”. August 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Optional Reading List
“Scaling”. Ethereum Developer Documentation.
“Data Availability”. Ethereum Developer Documentation.
Vitalik Buterin's “Different Types of ZK-EVMs”.
F.F. and Cameron Dennis's “#43 - NEAR Protocol: Exploring Chain Abstraction”. June 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Module 5 - Current Status and Future Outlook: The Prospects of Cryptocurrency
Recommended Course: MS&E 447
Module Goals
Finally, we will take a look at the current state of the cryptocurrency industry as of September 2024. As you read these materials, think about the areas, themes, and industries you wish to explore further, and how as an industry we can continue to move forward and ultimately redefine the internet as we know it.
Reading List
Bridget Harris and Gaby Goldberg's “Good Things Take Time”. August 2024, published on Substack.
Kole Lee's “#41 - Electric Capital: 2024 Crypto Insights”. Interview with Avichal Garg and Maria Shen from Electric Capital. June 2024, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
Dr. Matt Stephenson's “Demystifying the Riddle of the NFT”. October 2023, published in the Stanford Blockchain Review.
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